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 See the final timetable here! (pdf, 169 KiB)

in collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and  is conducting a 3-day training session on: “Government, Security, and Conflict in the Cyber Age”, during May 28-30, 2015, at Tallinn University (Narva mnt 29, Tallinn). 

This training session is the first in the series of eight Oxford University's training sessions on the Modern Information Society, especially created for Estonian students of social sciences. The training series is funded by the European Social Fund.

The registration and participation is free of charge and in completing the course students will recieve a certificate for 1 ECTS studies from Tallinn University and a letter of participation by Oxford University Department of Politics and International Relations. Furthermore, a small number of students will be invited to participate in the research and publication activities of Oxford University’s Cyber Studies Programme.

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Goals of the Course

The challenges and opportunities of the information society are not solely or even primarily technical in nature — they also involve elemental questions of political culture, public policy, ethics, law, and diplomacy. 

The training session will discuss innovative uses of information technology in Estonia and elsewhere to identify, clarify, and model how changing configurations in cyberspace influence the structures and processes of political systems within and across national borders.

The course will merge technical insights with theoretical and empirical knowledge in the political and social sciences to clarify the non-technical aspects of cyber security and e-government. Instructors will draw from and apply social science research to clarify how innovations in information technology affect the security and welfare of states and citizens. This will enable social science students to relate information society issues with their primary studies.

The Course Aims to:

1. Provide students with skills to identify, clarify, and model how changing configurations in cyberspace influence the structures and processes of political systems within and across national borders, by providing an overview and comparison of the innovative uses of information technology in Estonia and elsewhere.

2. Give students practical insights and recommendations for action under the simulated pressure of events.

See also the learning  of eight Oxford University's training sessions on the Modern Information Society.

Course Structure and Schedule - updated on May 27!

See the final timetable here! (pdf, 169 KiB)

The training course will run for 3 days at Tallinn University (Narva mnt 29), accordingly:

May 28: Lectures, from 10:00 - 16:00 (Tallinn Hall, Mare building, room M-218)

May 29: Lectures, from 9:00 - 18:00 (Maximum Hall, Astra building, room A-002)

May 30: Simulation exercise and summary, from 9:00 to 17:00 (rooms will be indicated during the training). 

Before attending the lectures students are expected to read thorugh the articles chosen by every lecturer. 

Please see the updated reading list - modified on May 27!

During the first two days of lectures the aim is to demystify the technical rudiments of cyberspace while developing students’ theoretical and applied understanding of the workings of the information society.

Lecture topics include the following:

• Computing and Networks: The Basics
• Code as a Weapon: Worms, Viruses, and Stuxnet
• International Security and Conflict in the Cyber Domain
• Rules of War in Cyberspace
• Cyber security and the Age of Privateering: A Historical Analogy
• Origins and Development of the Estonian Information Society
• Principles and Functions of the Estonian State Information System
• The Future of the e-State: Digital Embassies and e-Residency

The third day of the course consists of a simulation exercise. This will apply classroom understandings to the management of a major practical event — such as an international cyber crisis or a breakdown in state information systems — requiring a coordinated response across the public and private sectors. The aim of the exercises is to develop practical insights and recommendations for action under the simulated pressure of events.

Teaching Staff

The course teaching staff comprises faculty and researchers based at Oxford University’s Department of Politics and International Relations as well as lecturers from Tallinn University’s Institute of Informatics.  

Evaluation criteria

The Evaluation criteria is Pass/Fail, based on the following:

• Attendance is required for all lectures and the simulation excercise.
• Completed individual written assignments, demonstrating a general grasp of the issues and problems discussed during the course.

For more information:

Katri Tammsaar - Tel (+372) 6409 428, E-mail: tammsaar@tlu.ee

Tallinn University, Institute of Informatics