Outline

Overview

This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Adam Kamradt-Scott, adam.kamradt-scott@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Issue brief Policy Report	30%	Week 06 Due date: 29 Sep 2020 at 19:00	1500wd
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Research essay Research Essay	50%	Week 12 Due date: 16 Nov 2020 at 19:00	3500wd
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Online quizzes Online quiz	20%	Weekly	10 min for 5 multiple choice questions
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Security Studies	Online class (0.5 hr)
	Global Health Security Theory and Concepts	Online class (0.75 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	Pestilence in World History	Online class (0.75 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Online Drop-In Session	Forum (0.5 hr)
Week 03	Key Global Health Actors	Online class (0.75 hr)
Week 03	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Pandemic Influenza	Online class (1 hr)
Week 04	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Coronaviruses	Online class (0.75 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Online Drop-In Session	Forum (0.5 hr)
Week 06	Malaria	Online class (0.5 hr)
	HIV/AIDS	Online class (0.5 hr)
	Tuberculosis	Online class (0.5 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	Antimicrobial resistance	Online class (0.75 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Online Drop-In Session	Forum (0.5 hr)
Week 08	Armed conflict and health	Online class (0.75 hr)
Week 08	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Civil-Military Health Cooperation	Online class (0.75 hr)
Week 09	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Dual Use Research of Concern	Online class (0.75 hr)
	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
	Online Drop-In Session	Forum (0.5 hr)
Week 11	Biological Weapons	Online class (0.75 hr)
Week 11	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Biological Preparedness, Governance and Response	Online class (0.75 hr)
Week 12	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Please note: All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Module 1: Introduction to Security Studies

Barry Buzan and Lene Hansen (2009) The Evolution of International Security Studies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 8-20 (Chapter 1).
Barry Buzan and and Lene Hansen (2009) The Evolution of International Security Studies. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 187-225 (Chapter 7).

Module 2: Global Health Security Theory and Concepts

Colin McInness (2015) The many meanings of global health security. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 7-17.
Simon Rushton (2020) Security and Health. In Oxford Handbook of Global Health Politics, edited by Colin McInnes, Kelley Lee and Jeremy Youde. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 123-142.
Michael Stevenson and Michael Moran (2015) Health security and the distortion of the global health agenda. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 328-338.

Module 3: Pestilence in World History

Ronald Barrett, et al (1998) Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases: The Third Epidemiologic Transition. Annual Review of Anthropology 27: 247-271.
John Frith (2012) The History of Plague - Part 1. The Three Great Pandemics. Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health 20(2): 11-16.
Alexandra Minna Stern and Howard Markel (2004) International Efforts to Control Infectious Diseases, 1851 to the Present. Journal of the American Medical Association 292(12): 1474-1479.

Module 4: Key Global Health Actors

Sophie Harman (2016) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Legitimacy in Global Health Governance. Global Governance 22(3): 349-368.
Adam Kamradt-Scott (2016) WHO’s to Blame? The World Health Organization and the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Third World Quarterly 37(3): 401-418.
Katerini Storeng and Antoine Puyvallée (2018) Civil society participation in global public private partnerships for health. Health Policy and Planning 33(8): 928-936.

Module 5: Pandemic Influenza

Adam Kamradt-Scott (2020) The Politics of Pandemic Influenza Preparedness. In Oxford Handbook of Global Health Politics, edited by Colin McInnes, Kelley Lee and Jeremy Youde. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 531-550.
Peter Doshi (2011) The elusive definition of pandemic influenza. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 89(7): 532-535.
Christian Enemark (2009) Is pandemic flu a security threat? Survival 51(1): 191-214.

Module 6: Coronaviruses

Noah Peeri, Nistha Shrestha, Siddikur Rahman et al (2020) The SARS, MERS and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemics, the newest and biggest global health threats: what lessons have we learned? International Journal of Epidemiology (published 22 February 2020) 1-22, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaa033
Mely Caballero-Anthony (2005) SARS in Asia: Crisis, Vulnerabilities, and Regional Responses. Asian Survey 45(3): 475-495.
Esam Azhar, David Hui, Ziad Memish et al (2019) The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Infectious Disease Clinics of North America 33(4): 891-905.

Module 7: Malaria

Nicholas Knowlton (2015) Malaria and security: More than a matter of health. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon:163-174.
Richard Feachem, Ingrid Chen, Omar Akbari, et al (2019) Malaria eradication within a generation: ambitious, achievable, and necessary. Lancet 394(10203): 1056-1112 (NB: please read as much as you can, but especially Section 4 on biological challenges to eradication – pages 1074-1077)

Module 8: HIV/AIDS

Colin McInnes and Simon Rushton (2010) ‘HIV, AIDS and Security: Where are we now?’ International Affairs 86(1): 225-245.
Peter Fourie (2015) AIDS as a security threat: The emergence and the decline of an idea. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 105-117.

Module 9: Tuberculosis

Christian Enemark (2013) Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Security, Ethics and Global Health. Global Society, 27(2):159-177.
Marco Schito, Debra Hanna and Alimuddin Zumla (2017) Tuberculosis eradication versus control. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 56: 10-13.

Module 10: Antimicrobial Resistance

Anna George (2019) Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the Food Chain: Trade, One Health and Codex. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 4(1): 54, https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed4010054
Didier Wernli, Peter Jørgensen, Stephan Harbath et al (2017) Antimicrobial resistance: The complex challenge of measurement to inform policy and the public. PLoS Med 14(8): e1002378. https://doi.org/10.1371
Catherine Yuk-pin Lo and Nicholas Thomas (2018) The macrosecuritization of antimicrobial resistance in Asia. Australian Journal of International Affairs 72(6): 567-583.

Module 11: Armed Conflict and Health

CJL Murray, AD Lopez, N Tomijima et al (2002) Armed conflict as a public health problem. BMJ 324: 346. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7333.346
Riyadh Lafta and Maha Al-Nuaimi (2019) War or health: a four-decade armed conflict in Iraq. Medicine, Conflict and Survival 35(3): 209-226.
Preeti Patel, Fawzia Gibson-Fall, Richard Sullivan et al (2017) Documenting attacks on health workers and facilities in armed conflict. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 95(1): 79-81.

Module 12: Civil-Military Health Cooperation

Kenneth Bernard (2013) Health and National Security: A Contemporary Collision of Cultures. Biosecurity and Bioterrorism 11(2): 157-162.
Michaud, J., Moss, K., Licina, D., Waldman, R., Kamradt-Scott, A., Bartee, M., Lim, M., Williamson, J., Burkle, F., Polyak, C., et al (2019). Militaries and global health: peace, conflict, and disaster response. The Lancet, 393(10168), 276-286.
Adam Kamradt-Scott and Frank Smith (2020) Military Assistance during Health Emergencies. In Oxford Handbook of Global Health Politics, edited by Colin McInnes, Kelley Lee and Jeremy Youde. Oxford University Press, Oxford: 197-216.

Module 13: Dual Use Research of Concern

Christian Enemark (2015) Life science research as a security risk. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 130-140.
Jonathan Suk, et al (2011) Dual-Use Research and Technological Diffusion: Reconsidering the Bioterrorism Threat Spectrum. PLoS Pathog, 7(1): e1001253. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001253
Sabrina Engel-Glatter and Marcello Ienca (2018) Life scientists’ views and perspectives on the regulation of dual-use research of concern. Science and Public Policy 45(1): 92-102.

Module 14: Biological Weapons

William Rosenau (2001) Aum Shinrikyo’s Biological Weapons Program: why did it fail? Studies in Conflict and 24(4): 289-301
Gregory Koblentz (2015) Biological weapons and bioterrorism. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 118-129.
James Revill and Catherine Jefferson (2013) Tacit knowledge and the biological weapons regime. Science and Public Policy, doi: 10.1093/scipol/sct090.

Module 15: Biological Preparedness, Governance and Response

Rebecca Katz and Erin Sorrell (2015) Preparedness and resilience in public health emergencies. In Routledge Handbook of Global Health Security, edited by Simon Rushton and Jeremy Youde. Routledge, Abingdon: 201-214.
Edna Moturi, Katherine Horton, Leila Bell et al (2018) PanStop: a decade of rapid containment exercises for pandemic preparedness in the WHO Western Pacific Region. Western Pacific Surveillance and Response 9(Suppl 1): 71-74.
Ralf Itzwerth, Aye Moa and Raina MacIntyre (2018) Australia’s influenza preparedness plans: an analysis. Journal of Public Health Policy 39(1):111-124.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Develop an advanced knowledge, understanding and appreciation of how various global health issues intersect with national and international security concerns
LO2. Develop a sound knowledge base and a demonstrated ability to think critically about the key actors, institutions and challenges in global public health
LO3. Demonstrate an ability to construct and then describe complex public policy problems in a clear and concise manner for potentially diverse audiences
LO4. Demonstrate an ability to gather, consolidate and analyse evidence, and then apply this knowledge to develop possible policy solutions
LO5. Demonstrate an ability to gather and analyse evidence to organise and construct a coherent and persuasive written argument
LO6. Demonstrate an ability to think critically to assess complex public policy problems relating to health and security

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CISS6004: Health and Security

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect