Registration does not begin until 02.10.2026 at 08:00. It ends on 12.10.2026 at 23:59.

The registration is restricted to the following fields or courses of study:

• Lehren und Lernen / Unterrichtsfach Politik / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Minor Politikwissenschaft / alle Semester
• Sozialpädagogik/Wirtschaftspädagogik / Unterrichtsfach Politik / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Major Studium Individuale / alle Semester
• Leuphana Bachelor / Minor Studium Individuale / alle Semester

Long gone are the days where the state enjoyed the exclusive monopoly of violence – if they ever existed. Contemporary international relations know several violent non-state actors, from rebel groups, militias, and warlords all the way to private military security contractors and peacekeeping forces. How do these actors shape international politics? What political and military challenges do they face? And why do they fight?

By analysing empirical cases from around the world – from Europe to Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East – this course explores organised violence beyond the nation-state. It examines phenomena such as revolution, terrorism, intervention, and insurgency to understand the diverse military and political roles of violent non-state actors in contemporary politics.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Understand and apply the main themes surrounding violent non-state actors;
2. Critically engage with key literature in conflict studies;
3. Examine the military and political rationales of violent non-state actors;
4. Develop and present independent research projects related to the topic.

Further information on teaching evaluation: https://www.leuphana.de/en/teaching/quality-management/evaluation/course-evaluation.html