The Middle Eastern Regional System in 2025 2100-ERASMUS-MESR

This interdisciplinary course offers an in-depth exploration of the Middle East as a regional
system within the broader discipline of international relations. It critically examines the
unique characteristics of the Middle East as a space shaped by both internal dynamics and
external interventions, focusing on the interactions between states, non-state actors,
ideologies, and global powers.
Students will be introduced to key international relations theories — including realism,
neorealism, constructivism, and regionalism — and apply them to interpret and explain
political developments in the region. Emphasis is placed on understanding how power is
distributed among regional actors, how alliances and rivalries are formed, and how the
region functions as an interconnected system marked by frequent instability, shifting
alliances, and external pressure.
The course addresses critical historical junctures and turning points — from the Cold War
and the post-colonial state-building processes, through the 9/11 attacks, the Arab Spring,
and the October 7, 2023 Hamas–Israel conflict. Students will examine how these events
restructured regional hierarchies, altered state behaviour, and changed perceptions of
legitimacy, identity, and influence.
A central component of the course involves analysing the power hierarchy within the region,
focusing on key states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Israel, and Egypt. Students will
assess how hard power (military, economic, demographic) and soft power (religion, ideology,
culture, media) operate in shaping regional influence. The role of non-state actors, including
political movements, militias, and terrorist organizations, is discussed in relation to proxy
warfare and governance vacuums.
The course also critically explores the impact of global powers — especially the United
States, Russia, China, and the European Union — on regional dynamics, including
intervention, alliance-building, arms sales, and diplomacy. Students will assess to what
extent the region maintains agency and autonomy in the face of global strategic competition.
Key issues covered include the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Syrian and Yemeni civil wars,
the geopolitics of oil and gas, sectarian divisions, and the struggle over political legitimacy
and order in the wake of regime collapses and state failure. Attention will also be given to the
role of identity, political Islam, and ideology in shaping state behaviour and foreign policy
choices.
Through lectures, readings, group discussions, simulations, and case studies, students will
be equipped to interpret the Middle East not simply as a conflict-ridden zone, but as a
strategic subsystem with its own internal logic that both challenges and interacts with the
broader international order.

1. The Middle East as a Regional Subsystem: Theory and Reality
2. From the Arab Spring to the Arab Winter: What Went Wrong?
3. The Impact of the 9/11 Attacks on Middle East International Relations
4. Iran vs. Saudi Arabia: A Regional Cold War?
5. The Role of Political Islam in Regional Diplomacy
6. Israel’s Regional Strategy: Isolation or Integration?
7. Proxy Wars in the Middle East: Case Studies from Syria and Yemen
8. Turkey’s Foreign Policy: Neo-Ottomanism or Strategic Realignment?
9. The U.S. in the Middle East: Strategic Partner or Imperial Hegemon?
10. Russia’s Comeback in the Middle East: Motives and Impact
11. China’s Growing Footprint in the Middle East: Energy, Trade, and Soft Power
12. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): A Dormant Diplomatic Tool?
13. The Gulf Cooperation Council: Alliance, Rivalry, or Identity Bloc?
14. Energy Geopolitics in the Middle East: Oil, Gas, and Strategic Corridors
15. The Palestinian Issue in Regional Politics: Still the Core Conflict?
16. The Role of Non-State Actors: Hezbollah, Hamas, and Beyond
17. Sectarianism and Regional Fragmentation: Sunni vs. Shia Politics
18. Soft Power in the Middle East: Media, Culture, and Religious Influence
19. The Role of Identity in Foreign Policy: Nationalism, Islam, and Arabism
20. Israel–Arab Normalization Agreements: Systemic Shift or Strategic Illusion?
21. Egypt’s Foreign Policy Under Sisi: Stability-Seeking or Status-Quo Power?
22. The Future of the Kurdish Question in Regional Diplomacy
23. Militarization and Arms Races in the Middle East: Strategic Logic or Insecurity Spiral?
24. Failed States and Regional Instability: Libya, Iraq, and Lebanon
25. Iran’s Regional Strategy Post–Nuclear Deal: Expansion or Containment?
26. The Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean: New Frontiers of Regional Conflict
27. Regionalism vs. External Influence: Can the Middle East Manage Its Own Security?
28. Environmental Insecurity and Climate Politics in the Middle East
29. October 7, 2023: Implications of the Hamas–Israel Conflict for Regional Orde
30. The Middle East in a Multipolar World: Adapting to Global Shifts