Descriptif

The aim of this course is to approach a wide variety of subjects related to the wide domain of the geopolitics of cyberspace. While cyberspace has been – and still is – considered inherently as an external and somewhat ethereal space, the field of geopolitics studies focuses on comprehending rivalries of power and control on territories. To understand the intricate relationships between these concepts, the course studies their definition and the changing meaning of these words in both space and time.

Starting by looking at the evolving nature of the concept of geopolitics, we then apply geopolitics to the complex and changing concept of cyberspace through multiple case studies. The course is divided into 3 major themes that consist in the layers of cyberspace: Internet infrastructures (how (in)secure Internet cables are, where are data centers and why that matters), Internet protocols and logical layer (are protocols neutral, what is the DNS and why people fight about it), and Internet application and cognitive layer (what is influence and can it be measured, is disinformation impactful and why is it used by private actors, are platforms that powerful, is digital surveillance a new phenomenon).

While geopolitics and international relations focus mostly on States as central actors, the course digs into many case studies where States are secondary stakeholders. The emergence of numerous powerful private actors also raises trans-layer questions in the political field (Internet giants and their relationships to governments or the EU) and in the military and defense domains (non-State actors including terrorist groups, and their role in cyber conflicts).

This course is not open to International Exchange program students