Baltic Security

About

The security environment of the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—has rapidly evolved in recent years and has become one of the most important regions in European and broader transatlantic security policy. The course Baltic Security offers a comprehensive overview of these developments, providing students with both a structured theoretical framework and a practical understanding of the region’s strategic challenges.

The course focuses on key issues in the defense and security policies of the Baltic states, including military strategy, the role of national and allied force structures, regional defense planning, and NATO’s presence and deterrence posture. It also examines the diplomatic processes of the European Union and Europe more broadly that shape the region’s security architecture and forms of cooperation.

Special attention is given to Russia’s influence and contemporary hybrid threats, which include information warfare, influence operations, cyberattacks, and strategies for societal resilience. The course also analyzes the importance of energy security, discussing how vulnerabilities in supply chains and geopolitical energy relationships affect the independence and crisis resilience of the Baltic states.

Teaching relies on a diverse set of methods: case studies, simulations, scenario analysis, and discussions based on expert assessments and real policy documents. The aim of the course is to develop students’ ability to interpret the Baltic region’s security situation, assess threats, and offer well-informed and strategically grounded policy recommendations

Course leader

Madli Vain, PhD in Politics and Governance, specializes in International Relations and European Studies. Dr. Vain is a part-time lecturer in International Relations and European Studies at Tallinn University and currently serves as the Chief of Data and Insight at the Force Transformation Command of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF). Throughout her career, she has held various positions across different commands within the EDF as well as in the Ministry of Defence.

Target group

The course is suitable both for those who wish to specialize in regional security and for students with broader interests in international security, transatlantic relations, and crisis prevention.

Undergraduate and graduate students. Size limit of group: 25 students

Fee info

Accommodation and meals are not included in the price