Exciting New Selected Topics Course Fall '24!!!!

This course is an in-depth seminar on Pakistan’s domestic politics and foreign affairs since 1947. We'll begin our coverage by examining the position of South Asia’s Muslims during the British Raj. Next, our journey will take us through the movement for "Pakistan," the partition and independence of India and Pakistan, the uneven course of democratization, two India-Pakistan wars over Kashmir, the 1971 Bangladesh wars (civil and international), the rise and fall of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s, military rule under General Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s, the Soviet war in Afghanistan, unstable democracy in the 1990s, the return of military rule and 9/11, the U.S. war in Afghanistan, Islamist radicalism and the Army’s crackdown on the "Pakistani Taliban," and Imran Khan and the evolution of today’s so-called "hybrid democracy."

Why study Pakistan? With 240 million people, Pakistan has the world’s 5th largest population and 6th largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. Bordering Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran, the country is situated in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Of the 49 Muslim-majority states around the globe, Pakistan has the longest history of trying to sustain democracy. Political development in Pakistan has also featured efforts to infuse governance with elements of Islamic law. The country’s attempts to promote economic development have been disappointing. In the early 1960s, Pakistan's economy was considered on par with that of South Korea. Today, South Korea’s per-capita GDP is over $34,000 per year, while Pakistan’s languishes at $1,461 per year, far behind every other South Asian country except Nepal and war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Pakistan is especially interesting from the standpoint of international and human security. Its ongoing strategic competition with a nuclear-armed India, history of terrorism, decades-long pivotal role in Afghanistan’s civil and international wars, and growing susceptibility to the severe security effects of the climate crisis make it a crucially important country to study in terms of the 21st century’s most challenging security issues. For this reason, upon request, Dr. Hagerty will approve the course for Security Studies (SEST) certificate credit. 

To ensure that students are prepared for the demands of a 400-level seminar with a substantial research component, instructor permission is required to enroll. Please email Dr. Hagerty (dhagerty@umbc.edu) so he can review your transcript and other preparation for the course.