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The global pandemic has made us more aware of the importance of understanding contagion through networks, a phenomenon that occurs not only in the realm of virology, but also with political phenomena. This course aims to develop our understanding of contentious politics in international relations and comparative politics by looking at how conflict spreads. A range of advanced topics will be covered, with a primary focus on how diffusion and spatial dynamics affect theÌýempirical studyÌýof international war, democracy, autocracy, and civil war. This course goes beyond traditional theories of international relations by offering a network perspective on contentious politics. In addition, this module will ask students to develop theory and use statistical software to plot networks, predicting dynamics of diffusion, and designing informed policy decisions based on those insights.

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By the end of the course, students will a) have a deep understanding of the conflict contagion literature, b) have acquired a set of theoretical and conceptual tools that will allow them to conductÌýindependent research, and c) have a grasp of empirical tools—i.e., available software—that can be used for analysing diffusion and other network-related dynamics. Overall, the module will provide a good network analytic background to engage main issues confronting contemporary policymakers in the field of international security.