Maritime Security (Summer 2026)

The oceans are increasingly recognized as a new space of insecurity. Maritime crimes – such as piracy or illicit fishing–, armed attacks on shipping, as in the Red Sea, and regional inter-state contestations – as in the South China Sea or Arctic – are seen as major security challenges. The growth of maritime activities, geopolitical tensions, digitalization and automation, but also the proliferation of new weapon technologies, including missiles, drones and naval mines, imply profound transformations of the maritime order.

The aim of this course is to explore the key threats to maritime security and how different types of actors – including navies, coastguards, shipping associations, regional and international organizations – aim at responding through them, including through informal security cooperation, surveillance, multi-national operations, technical assistance, or dedicated maritime security strategies.

The course is organized in three blocks. In the first part we discuss foundational questions of the history of maritime security, major maritime conflicts and threats, and the role of international law. Part two zooms in on a set of regional hotspots. We discuss the South China Sea dispute, piracy off the coast of Somalia, the ongoing Red Sea crisis, as well as critical maritime infrastructure protection in the North and Baltic Sea. Part three explores the toolbox of maritime security solutions. We explore the role of navies and multi-national operations, maritime surveillance and information sharing, maritime security strategies, and technical assistance and capacity building programs. Throughout we closely engage with security and industry practitioner perspectives from Denmark and wider Europe.