Jeffrey Lewis

This course will examine contemporary issues relating to nuclear arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation in Northeast Asia. Topics to be examined include China's strategic modernization, North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and US extended deterrence commitments to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

This course, on the evolution of Chinese nuclear policy, is divided into three parts. The first part outlines early Chinese attitudes to nuclear weapons, proliferation and disarmament, prior to and immediately following China’s nuclear test in 1964. The second part examines enduring concepts in Chinese nuclear policy, such as No First Use, and introduces students to important debates in China since the 1980s on nuclear deterrence. The third part focuses on contemporary issues and challenges that shape Chinese nuclear policy, from ballistic missile defense, to the South Asian nuclear tests in 1999, and the North Korean nuclear crisis. The nature of the US-China nuclear relationship will also be explored. The principal objective of the course is to give students a better understanding of China’s nuclear policy, both past and present. A secondary objective is to introduce to students key literature and sources, both in English and Chinese, on this issue.

The MANPTS Honors Thesis is a highly selective program through which a limited number of students will design and conduct individual research projects of professional length, scope, and quality under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Applications for the honors thesis will be accepted in the Spring from students in their second or subsequent semesters in the NPTS MA program who are currently maintaining a GPA of 3.7 or higher. Applications will require a personal statement, academic transcript, sample of research writing, proposal for the thesis, and recommendation from a member of the faculty or research staff. In recommending a student for the honors thesis, a faculty or staff member must agree to serve as the student’s thesis advisor if the student is selected for the program. The NPTS Program Chair will appoint a selection committee composed of NPTS faculty and staff from the appropriate MIIS research centers to review applications. Students will be selected for the honors thesis on the basis of GPA, demonstrated proficiency in research and analytical writing, and any other relevant criteria as determined by the selection committee. Throughout the Fall semester, thesis advisors will provide students enrolled in NPTG 8662 with individualized supervision of their thesis projects in a manner similar to a directed study. Thesis advisors will set a schedule for research and writing of the thesis and will meet with students as needed to review progress and provide comments and advice. At the end of the Fall semester, students will present their projects to the Monterey Institute community in a symposium at which invited experts will provide comments and suggestions for further development and publication of research.

Student must obtain a faculty advisor, complete a Directed Study proposal form, obtain signatures, and submit to the Associate Dean of Academic Operations for approval.