//ISN

ETH Zurich
International Relations and Security Networkwww.isn.ethz.ch
///

This Week at the ISN

Our Weekly Content Roundup

14 - 18 December 2015

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Security Watch

This week, our hard power-centered Security Watch (SW) series examines whether today's militaries should incorporate a
"Human Warfighting Domain" (HWD) into their doctrines; how China's reliance on hybrid warfare might impact Europe;
how threat perceptions differ across the EU; why US space systems need better defenses against electronic warfare; and
how Big Data might enhance defense intelligence analysis and its functions. Then, in our second, more wide-ranging SW
series, we look at the power of neoliberal economics in today's world; the EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR)
arrangements; the electoral strategies of Azerbaijan's political opposition; the lessons learned from the Philippines'
Mindanao peace process; and how the securitization of Africa has failed to address the problems of human insecurity.

Should There Be a Human Warfighting Domain (HWD)?

14 December 2015

Indeed, should today's militaries incorporate the HWD concept into their doctrines? As Thomas Doherty sees it, creating
and operating within such a domain would facilitate the changes needed to fight conflicts where winning the hearts and
minds of the people is central to victory or defeat. More

Robert Wade on Zombie Ideas, the Death of Ethics in Economics and More
14 December 2015

In this Theory Talk, the LSE's Robert Wade discusses 1) the ongoing experiments in international economic regimes, 2)
the omnipresence of neoliberal thinking in the world economy, 3) why international financial institutions don't fight against
economic crises, and 4) the power and peril of working inside the World Bank. More

Hybrid Warfare With Chinese Characteristics

15 December 2015

Taiwan was once the principal target of China's hybrid warfare activities. Not any more, says Michael Raska. Members of
the European Union have also become the focus of Beijing's strategic influence operations, especially those countries that
are part of China's 16+1 regional cooperation formula. More

The IPCR Arrangements: A joined-up Approach in Crisis Response?

15 December 2015

Will the EU's Integrated Political Crisis Response (IPCR) arrangements facilitate a joint approach to large-scale
emergencies? That remains to be seen, says Pierre Minard. What we do know is that activating the arrangements signals
an improvement over Brussels' past efforts.
More

Navigating Through Threat Perceptions in Europe

16 December 2015

What are the primary conclusions of the EU's Evolving Concept of Security (EvoCS) project? Two of the more prominent
ones are that 1) notions of security continue to drift from state-centric to citizen-based models, and 2) state and regional
conceptions of security are intimately linked to perceptions of state-stability. More

To Participate or Not to ParticipateThat is the Question. Electoral Strategies of the Azerbaijani

Opposition
16 December 2015

As Sofie Bedford sees it, the Republican Alternative (REAL) movement cleverly distanced itself from other opposition
parties in Azerbaijan's recent parliamentary elections. Instead of accepting its marginal role in Azeri politics, it boldly
proclaimed itself as "something new" to the electorate. More

Defending Our Satellites

17 December 2015

The Peace Process in Mindanao, the Philippines: Evolution and Lessons Learned
17 December 2015

What lessons should we learn from the Philippine government's multi-year peace efforts with the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front? Kristian Herbolzheimer's answers remind us that 1) peace is not so much a product as it is a process, and 2)
negotiations are just one path to reconciliation. More

Defense Intelligence Analysis in the Age of Big Data

18 December 2015

How will Big Data transform defense intelligence analysis and its functions? Paul Symon and Arzan Trapore believe it will
make it increasingly possible to automate labor-intensive tasks while also mastering new forms of analysis and
presentation. However, Big Data's utility will also have its limits. More

How Is the Securitization of Africa Addressing Human Insecurity?

18 December 2015

As Agnes Wanjiru Behr sees it, the securitization of Africa has been a double-edged sword. While it has broadened
people's understanding of what it means to be safe, it has failed to ensure that African leaders address the root causes of
insecurity throughout the continent. More

// Blog
Russian Airstrikes in Syria: November 25 December 2, 2015
14 December 2015

Which parts of Syria have been targeted by Russian airstrikes in recent weeks? Find out in this infographic presentation
by our partners at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). More

Today's Energy Security Risks: Complacency, Uncertainty, and Ideology

15 December 2015

As David Goldwyn sees it, we can solve today's energy security problems with smart policies, innovative collaborations
and a generous dose of political courage. More specifically, here are the ten steps we need to accomplish in order to fulfill
this important goal. More

Evaluating Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship

16 December 2015

How has Malaysia fared as this year's head of ASEAN? Sanchita Basu Das is disappointed with Kuala Lumpur's
performance, particularly in the case of the disputed South China Sea. However, it can't be held wholly responsible for
failing to fulfill all the expectations that were placed on its shoulders. More

THINK AGAIN: Who Profits from Kenya's War in Somalia?

17 December 2015

Kenya's armed forces are illegally trading sugar and charcoal with Somalia's al-Shabaab, argues Peter Aling'o. As a
result, they're not only making a mockery of Nairobi's efforts to defeat this dangerous group, they're also upending the
entire region's efforts to stabilize the Somali state. More

Climate Financing Must Impact Locally

18 December 2015

Why should climate financing be diverted to local actors? Because that's where "adaptation funding" is needed most, says
Lily Saloum Lindegaard. Local authorities in poorer countries have the ability to deal with the immediate impact of climate
change, but they lack the necessary funds to do it.
More

// Video

The Challenges for Europe in 2016

In this video, Stratfor's Ben Sheen and Adriano Bosoni explore the economic and political challenges that will test the unity
of the European Union in 2016. More

Renewed Violence in the Central African Republic: The Roots of a Political Crisis

In this video, six contributors to the "Making Sense of the Central African Republic" report discuss the country's political
problems and its potential for peaceful democratic change. More

The Future of American Airpower with General Mark A Welsh III

In this video, the US Air Force's Chief of Staff, General Mark Welsh, discusses the current and future state of American
airpower. More specifically, Welsh contemplates how his service will maintain its long-term strategic edge over its
competitors and yet also deter aggression. More

// Multimedia Content
Here is a selection of this week's additions to the ISN Digital
Library:

Publications More
// Crisis Response: Institutional Innovation in the United States Marine Corps More
// Blocked for Good by the Threat of Treaty Change? More
// Humanitarian Trends and Challenges for the Pacific Region More

Videos More
// Assessing Iran's Support for Regional Militias More
/Developmental
/
Approaches to Countering Violent ExtremismMore
/Full
/
Spectrum Missile Defense More

Audio / Podcasts More

// Global Systems On The Brink: Pathways Toward A New Normal
More
// The Politics and Rhetoric of the Refugee Crisis More
// Cyber Insurance, Safe Harbor 2.0, and the Human Capital Crisis More

Interact with us:

Contact us:

Disclaimer:

Unsubscribe:

International Relations and Security Network

ETH Zurich

Leonhardshalde 21, LEH

8092 Zurich

Switzerland

The
ISN is a service of the Center for Security
Studies (CSS) at the ETH
Zurich (Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology Zurich). Read the ISN

Disclaimer here.

If you would like to change or cancel your

newsletter subscription profile with us, please do
so here.

Tel: +41 44 632 07 57 / 40 25