Knowledge and Methods

The course introduces students to state-of-the-art methods used to assess and manage risks, as well as the broader methodological questions they raise. The course provides students with the tools needed to produce and evaluate knowledge used in security risk management processes critically and reflexively. It trains the ability to estimate the validity and reliability of knowledge-based interventions and evaluate the performance of actors and agencies dealing with complex and compound risk and security challenges. On the level of methods, this includes the use of general scientific approaches to the collection and interpretation of data (quantitative and qualitative), as well as methods developed more specifically for purposes of risk assessment and management. A particular focus point is the use of new technology and software enabling collection and analysis of larger sets of data. On the methodological level, the course covers the analytical, practical and political implications of different research strategies and social science traditions, with a special focus on complex controversies concerning risk and security issues. The course combines general introduction to these issues with hands-on exercises. Students will be required to apply various methods to specific threats and knowledge pools, and to communicate their approach and findings.