Document Type

Graduate Syllabus

Date

Spring 2026

School

Diplomacy

Course Number

DIPL 6277

Course Description

This course provides an interdisciplinary survey of global health security at a critical juncture in international health governance. The Spring 2026 semester unfolds against the backdrop of dramatic shifts in U.S. global health policy, including the withdrawal from the World Health Organization, the dismantling of USAID, and the introduction of the "America First Global Health Strategy." These changes, coupled with ongoing threats such as the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak and climate-driven health challenges, create an unprecedented moment for examining the intersection of health and security.

Students will analyze how the reconfiguration of global health architecture affects disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, and international cooperation. The course examines both traditional security threats—including biological weapons and intentional pathogen release—and emerging challenges such as zoonotic spillovers, antimicrobial resistance, and the health impacts of climate change. Students will actively analyze the ongoing H5N1 outbreak as a case study in contemporary outbreak response amid institutional changes.

Key questions explored include: How does the U.S. withdrawal from multilateral health institutions reshape global health security? What are the implications of transitioning from grant-based aid to bilateral agreements? How do we balance sovereignty concerns with the need for coordinated pandemic response? Should health challenges be securitized, and what are the consequences of doing so? Through examining these issues, students will develop critical perspectives on the evolving landscape of global health security and its implications for national and international stability

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