The MA in Security and Diplomacy Studies at UCLan Cyprus is a new course, being introduced at a time of heightened interest in such fields of international relations. The end of the Cold War appears not to have heralded, after all, any “New World Order”. The globe remains as troubled as ever by Great Power rivalries, local and regional antipathies, the absence of any (international) rule of law, e
conomic and financial disruption and dislocation, and military (whether conventional or non-conventional) proliferation. The media (including the film industry) has never been more obsessed by gangsters, terrorists and spies, as well as the early 21st century’s contribution to employment, in the form of bloggers and hackers. The MA in Security and Diplomacy Studies will be taught by those with years of experience and undisputed achievement in the diplomatic profession, international organisations and the military. The international environment currently renders those with relevant scholarly expertise, obtained from internationally respected academic institutions, a wealth of diverse career opportunities. The course has been designed with a mind to maximising these further, with individual modules focusing on such matters as public diplomacy, military and strategic thinking, and role play. Cyprus has much to contribute in the field of international relations: what with its favourable geographical position; good diplomatic relations with a range of, often antagonistic (with each other), partners; and, the opportunity to play a central role in the stabilisation of a long troubled region. It is, timely, therefore, with its emerging credentials as a world-class University that UCLan Cyprus introduces this important course in Security and Diplomacy Studies.
