Geopolitics in Asia

Description

Given on the ESSEC Campus in Singapore. Introduction: Working within an international environment forces future managers to cope more and more with geopolitical issues. International managers have to deal with political bodies (on a national or supra-national level) because they have to answer public tenders, because they have to lobby actively with political parties for the sake of their companies, because they have to deal with partners which belong to the State, because public regulation is sometimes more important than competition pressure or consumer needs and wants… Very often international managers have to deal with decision makers who do not have management academic background but a political one, and misunderstandings between them are quite deep. Finally, because of their nationality, or the nationality of their companies, international managers also face problems such as national unrests, political boycotts, religious intolerance… Managers are not prepared for all these issues and a geopolitical approach is very helpful because it gives them a set of tools permitting them to apprehend complex political situations they will be exposed to. The situation in Asia is without any doubt the most challenging one for western managers, because the political importance of the continent does not match its economic strength. This in turn leads to frustrations and constant demands from Asian countries to upgrade their position on the international level. Objectives: The objective of this course is to give students a comprehensive whole of concepts helping them to understand political challenges in Asia. These concepts are used to analyse how international conflicts and territorial claims are backed by historical, national and religious justifications. This course is intended to make you think out of the box, and abandon for a while a managerial approach in order to adopt a political one. Topics: - Geography and geopolitics in Asia; - History and geopolitics; - National disputes and politics in Asia; - Religious disputes and politics; - Strategic and military affairs in Asia.