Courses
In order to acquire a degree from the program, students must complete 36 credits in total.
The first 4 courses on the below list are mandatory courses and the remaining courses are electives.
Note that the first course on the list is a mandatory course and will take place on four full Thursdays during the first semester, besides the days of the program (exact dates will be published at the beginning of each year).
Students can also take 6 credits worth of outside electives from other MA programs with the approval of the program head and program coordinator.
students will be required to submit 3 seminar papers, that could be chosen from the elective courses in the program.
Each CPG course is 3 credits worth.
At the end of the year, a final exam is given to the students, which is 10% of the total grade. Thesis track students are exempt from the final exam.
*Note that these credit requirements apply to non-thesis track students only.
This unique course focuses on the importance of advanced technological eco-systems as the basic building-stone of regional and national growth, ICT and cyber in particular. The module uses the Israeli cyber-security eco-system that has been developed through the last decade as its major case study.The course is built out of 4 full days (mandatory participation) - exact dates (on Thursdays) to be published in the beginning of each year, and an additional fifth day (not mandatory).The module starts with a theoretical day (first day) focusing on the rationale that underlies business eco-systems and their importance to economic growth. The second day is devoted to the techno-industrial Israeli cyber-security eco-system and the third one to the cyber-defense eco-system. The fourth ("from national to global") is focused on the global perspective of cyber eco-systems.The fifth and last day (not mandatory) is a visit to Cybertech TLV, one of the largest conferences and exhibitions of cyber that takes place usually between January to March each year.
Information is a power--also in politics. This course explores the role of information and information technologies in politics and governance from different perspectives. We will begin studying the link between information and institutions at an analytic level. Second, we will study the historical role of information in the rise of the state and democracy. We will then focus on the emergence of new information technologies and their potential to improve or erode democracy. We will systematically study state-of-the-art research on the effect of information technologies and social media on trust, authoritarian strategies, polarization, and misinformation.
The course discusses what the international system is and how this system is affected by the emergence of the cyber domain. From this perspective the course attempts to explore both how cyber technologies affect international relations, and whether and to what extent IR theories and paradigms are able to provide a useful account to these interactions. Toward these goals the course elaborates on traditional views of the international system, the main actors in the international system, their interactions, and the structure that allow and limit their behavior. Looking at the international system from different perspectives, and focusing on how they account for interactions that are mediated through the cyber domain, provides a useful point of departure to think of the international system, analyze it, and criticize the main approaches. Furthermore, each of these approaches carry important implications for the understanding of how cyber technologies affect international relations, concerning various issues and aspect, such as security, economy and international cooperation. Toward these goals, in each class we will consider a key theoretical issue concerning the international system, as well as how to implement it in the study of international relations in the cyber domain.
Human history witnessed technological revolutions in the past: Starting with the technology of Agricultural Revolution some 30,000 years ago, continuing with the Industrial Revolution some 200 years ago and up to the current Information Revolution. Like the former revolutions, the current one has a wide implication on almost every field of our life: Economy, fabric of Society, Security, Political systems etc. The course will describe those implications, and their relation to the dominant technology of our time: the digital computer.
What is cyber made of? What are the main cyber threats and how can they be mitigated? As part of this course, students will become familiar with the building blocks of the major Internet technologies, which consist of communication equipment and various types of endpoint devices. We will present various threats and the ways in which hackers attack corporate networks, endpoint devices (such as PC and Mobile), Web applications and Clouds. And of course, how, and what tools make it possible to defend against all these threats and risks. In addition, we will also review challenges and solutions in supply-chain security, industrial control systems (ICS/OT), weapon systems and more.The student will get familiar with cyber technologies and acquire extensive knowledge of the threats and risks in cyberspace, alongside with an understanding of the methods and tools for dealing with them in different computing environments. Since the course is also intended for non-technological populations, we will review the concept and motivation of various cyber technologies without going into technical details or math.
In this course we will consider the different elements of Big Data and its political implications. Concepts such as big data, algorithms and AI have become popular during the past decade but the politics that surrounds them is still not clear enough. We will therefore examine various elements of big data and understand their political motives and implications. Throughout the course we will combine between theoretical works which explain the architecture of big data and algorithms and policy papers which show how governments use them. We will begin by defining basic concepts in the study of big data. Then we will see how they are used by governments to streamline bureaucratic procedures and focus on specific fields such as education, healthcare, policing, and national security. The final part of the course will be dedicated to a critical appreciation of big data?s impact on some social issues such as liberty and equality.
The goals of this course are to provide the students understanding of Definitions and meanings of the cyber threat evolution. In addition, a broad understanding of the threat development from the 1990s to present, including a description and analysis of the implications of the threat to the future in the global economic sectors, social, commercial and commercial aspects, national aspects and critical infrastructures, including actual experience with analysis of ‘War Game’ events.
The course is divided to four parts: 1. Two sessions devoted to identifying the main characteristics of strategic thinking on national security; 2. Four sessions demonstrating the evolution of national security considerations in the second half of the 20th century before the new reality profoundly changed the strategic environment. This part will start with a detailed discussion of the revolutionary changes that make the new age; 3.It will focus on the technological instruments and the almost universal accessibility that have often profoundly changed important parts of the social, political, economic and military landscape; 4. Discussing the revolutionary impact of the computing and all-encompassing connectivity, its ever-escalating effects on the cultural, social, political, economic and military environment and the implications of this revolution to national security strategic thinking.
The course does not assume a technology background; however it is technological in its essence. The goal is to provide an overview of the technology aspects of the cyber world and its various components without going into deep math.
We will cover a wide range of topics and specializations including: understanding of the main security objectives and the need for defending computerized systems, fundamental cryptography, computer structure and communication networks, as well as, their limitations and vulnerabilities.
The course gives a holistic knowledge of the internet, it’s evolvement, its operational model, and its future.
Special focus will be given to the web network, and its inherent dangers, the use of crypto within distributed Ledger technology, as well as to common attacks, attack infrastructures, and defense (protocols and tools).
The aim of the course is to introduce participants to "Cyberlaw" from a theoretical and practical perspective.In the course we will describe and analyze the interplay between technology, markets, public policy, global trends and the law.This field develops in the context of broader discussions about the roles of governmental and non-governmental actors in cyberspace, evolving understandings of privacy, free speech, autonomy, anonymity and the role of law in a constantly changing domain. In order to be relevant and effective it requires an interdisciplinary approach, combining policy, technical, and legal insightsThe course will survey and analyze "Cyberlaw" from a domestic and international perspective. The discussion of each topic is based on two common themes ? a theoretical perspective as to the evolvement of law and policy in a specific field, and a practical theme as to navigating compliance in the specific field.The course will be based on lectures and classroom discussions including theoretical materials and case studies, spanning issues such e-commerce, information law, national security and law enforcement, privacy and data protection, cybersecurity and regulatory frameworks in Israel, US and the EU. Participants will be expected to take an active part in the discussion. (Up to 7 points bonus for active participation).Participants will be required to submit a final writing task (between 2500 and 3000 words) on one of several policy or corporate compliance topi that will be approved by the lecturer The final paper will discuss the chosen issue from a policy and legal point of view applying the tools and materials discussed during the course.
The goal of this course is to revisit fundamental ideas in political science and examine how they are challenged by new forms of technology. By comparing classical texts in political science and contemporary discussions about the same subjects, we aim to understand how questions that were raised by political scientists throughout history are understood differently today. What is still deemed relevant and what has fundamentally changed? By paying close attention to actual case studies we will reflect on how real politics challenge political science literature. By the end of the course, we shall try to chart a clearer trajectory for politics and society in the 21st century, leaning on the past but looking into the future.
The rapid development of sensors, huge data bases, and artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy. The recent launch of generative AI solutions is disrupting business, education, health, defense and government processes. New business models are created, balance of power is changing, opportunities & threats are created, and even money itself is changing. In this course we will analyse the impact of AI & big data on our economic future. Concepts such as creative destruction, knowledge versus data, network effect, dominant design, competence block, and information asymmetry will be reviewed. We will implement Porter’s cluster model and check how it is relevant for AI businesses. We will meet (in perso and via case studies) entrepreneurs who are transforming the transportation, health, financial, and education markets via AI & big data. We will review and analyse creative business approaches empowered by data. We will discuss the major challenge this transformation is creating for our government regulatory bodies, as power is quickly shifted towards entities that have not existed two decades ago, and we will review what regulators are doing and should do to overcome that challenge. We will meet in person with some regulatory representatives and will invent transformational new ‘big data businesses’ together
The purposes of this course are to provide students with useful tools for engaging in empirical research in political science and to help students understand literature that uses a range of research methods. Students will learn how to think about theoretical problems in terms of empirical models – theory, hypothesis testing, data collection, presentation of research, writing research papers and a thesis. Finally, this class is intended to give students an opportunity to develop their thesis.
In recent years, the field of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been affecting many aspects of our lives, alongside the cyber revolution. These two fields boost each other. Significant breakthroughs in AI have only been made possible thanks to the development of computing power and the ability to obtain large data volumes in the cyber era. On the other hand, many cyber applications rely on AI algorithms. This course will survey the implications of AI in the cyber era on politics and international affairs. For example, influencing public opinion, cyber operations, and military affairs.We will extensively introduce AI topics and various machine learning (ML) methods, without going into technical details or math. The course will focus on understanding the idea, motivation, and applications of each method, along with a comprehensive discussion of the real power of various algorithms. We will also examine which cyber applications are based on different AI algorithms, where do they fail, and why. The student will gain a broad understanding of these topics, and ability of critical reading of articles dealing with various aspects of AI methods and their impact on the cyber era, and our lives.
This course focuses on the conduct of dominant countries in cyberspace to reshape the post-World War II world order and the balance of power by exploiting cyberspace to achieve security, economic, and political gains internationally. The first part of the course is dedicated to introducing some leading theories and concepts on international security. These theories and their relevancy for the cyber age will be tested by an examination of the broader geopolitical interests of the major cyber powers and some other key players, and the centrality of cyberspace in the global struggle for security and power.the second part of the course is dedicated to understanding the complexities of cybersecurity governance, as reflected in countries' positions at the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) dialog. The final part is dedicated to the challenges of regulating dual-use technologies, as realized in other security domains, such as lethal autonomous weapons.The purpose of the course is to understand the global cybersecurity landscape in the broader context of current geopolitics and the power struggle, and the national strategic interests that shape countries' strategic choices and the global cybersecurity environment.
The main purpose of this course is to provide students with an overview of the link betweencybercrime and security. Cybercrime has a complex, borderless nature and is an evolving form oftransnational crime that can be found in different regions all over the world. The effects, inparticular on security, are immense and highlight the need for urgent national and internationalresponses at all levels of the private and public sphere.Cybercrime consists of criminal acts that are committed online based on the use of electroniccommunications networks and information systems. Examples are crimes that are specific to theinternet (e.g. attacks against information systems or phishing); online fraud and forgery thatencompass large-scale fraud that can be committed online through instruments like identity theft,spam and malicious code; and illegal online content, including incitement to terrorist acts andglorification of violence, terrorism, racism and xenophobia or child sexual abuse material.Several countries and organizations like the European Union fight to stop cybercrime and try tomake systems and communication networks more secure. However, many challenges remain.The course seeks to answer the following major questions: (1) what are the causes, effects, andchallenges of cybercrime and (2) how are they related to national and international securityissues? (3) How does Israel perform regarding cybercrime and prevention strategies?This course gives an overview of the different aspects of cybercrime, trends, its investigation andprevention to increase national and international security. We will analyse existing legal andoperational tools as well as international, national and regional policies and look for ways oflimiting cybercrime and increasing security both from a short- and long-term perspective.
Technological developments were always a major component in the economic growth of countries around the world. Nowadays, many believe that the current digital revolution is the greatest since the invention of Steam power, that gave birth to the first industrial revolution. Changes in the global economy are significant and are happening fast in a way that reminds us of the notorious industrial revolution. The effects of this revolution are already present in the labor market, payment systems and the widening gaps between countries and within the countries. However, these technological developments are closely related to the political sphere and its guidance. The course is designed to explore these developments and their implications on the structure of the global economy.In the first part of the course, we will build a theoretical framework by introducing the dominant political economy theories. We will also present the relations between politics, economy, and technology. In the second part, we will discuss the main characters and themes of the global economy, from globalization to international sanctions and the changing nature of them in the cyber age. The third part of the course will focus on the digital economy, and the fourth industrial revolution. These sessions will examine the developments through the lens of the theories. We will also explore the impact of the developments on the economy and try to answer key questions that arise in recent years. For example, how the digital economy changes the labor market?
Information is power—also in politics. This course explores the role of information
technologies in politics and governance from the perspective of political economy, a
discipline at the crossroads of economics and political science. The class has two goals: (1) to provide
an analytic framework to think about the relationship between information and politics and
(2) to provide a toolkit to critically read contemporary empirical research on the effects of information
technologies and social media on politics. We will read cutting-edge (sometimes unpublished)
empirical research on the following questions: Is social media undermining democracy? Can information
technologies improve democracy? What’s the role of social media in political protests?
Does social media cause political polarization and misinformation? How can we fight misinformation?
How do authoritarian regimes employ information technologies for political control? What
are the political effects of AI and automation? The course should be of interest to students who
want to pursue research, seek to design policies dealing with information technologies, and anyone
who wants to have a solid scientific understanding of some of the most pressing questions of our
time.
For more information
Contact
Program Coordinator
