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Oct 2, 2014

Studying Counterterrorism, From ISIS to Airport Security

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If you’ve flown through a U.S. airport recently, you may have walked into counterterrorism policy–literally, by entering a body scanner at a security checkpoint. David Schanzer, a counterterrorism expert and associate professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, will lead students through the often controversial territory of U.S. counterterrorism policy in a free […]


Provision_xray
TSA ProVision Xray machine screening a person.

If you’ve flown through a U.S. airport recently, you may have walked into counterterrorism policy–literally, by entering a body scanner at a security checkpoint.

David Schanzer, a counterterrorism expert and associate professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, will lead students through the often controversial territory of U.S. counterterrorism policy in a free online course starting Oct. 20 on Coursera. The topics the course will cover read like a news feed: ISIS, government surveillance programs, racial profiling, Guantanamo Bay. And while policy relating to these issues is made at the highest level of government, Schanzer says studying them is key to for anyone who wants to understand the world we live in today.

“You cannot pick up a newspaper any day, or look on the homepage of a media website, and not see an article that relates in some way, shape or form to some of the issues in the course,” said Schanzer.

The course, “Responding to 9/11: Counterterrorism Policy in the 21st Century,” will examine the United States’ policies for fighting terrorism since 9/11. Students will look at three different areas — the use of military force, law enforcement and intelligence authorities, and homeland security — and will be asked to consider their legality, ethics, and efficacy in counteracting terrorism.

“Responding to 9/11” follows on an earlier MOOC, “9/11 and Its Aftermath,” that Schanzer taught in the fall of 2013. That course explored the forces that led to the 9/11 attacks on the United States and how national policy changed immediately after.

For the new course, Schanzer hopes to attract an international student body with diverse perspectives on the impact of U.S. counterterrorism policy.

“[Terrorism] is a global problem, so it requires global solutions. Getting people from around the world to both understand and debate each other’s perspectives is vital.”

Barack_Obama_chairs_a_United_Nations_Security_Council_meeting
Barack Obama chairs a United Nations Security Council meeting.

Schanzer welcomes debate as an important aspect of the learning experience. As part of the course, students will be required to participate in discussion forums and will be asked to write a policy memo recommending a course of action in response to a difficult counterterrorism issue.

“I’m not interested in telling you what to think,” Schanzer says in a promotional video for the course. “But I assure you, if you take this course you’ll have a much deeper understanding of these issues, and you’ll be a more effective advocate for whatever point of view you may hold.”