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Excellence in Education for Defence, Industry & Government

We’re building a portfolio of Security & Defence PLuS educational offerings including short courses, executive education, and advanced degrees using curriculum from all three partner universities: Arizona State University, King’s College London, and the University of New South Wales.

Short Course Offerings

Analytical Writing for National Security Professionals

If there’s one skill employers in a range of security and policy-related fields are looking for most in new analysts, it’s the ability to analyze information and communicate it clearly. This online, self-paced 4-course series from Arizona State University demonstrates how to turn analytical ability into a demonstrable skill you can use in applications, resumes, and on the job.

Artificial Intelligence in National Security

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a fast-moving field, with dramatic research breakthroughs emerging regularly. Many of these have utility for national security actors, whether in the military, intelligence agencies, or policy-making communities. Accordingly, AI has a longstanding and deepening connection with national security. This King's College London course contextualises these developments, explores the striking changes that AI is bringing to national security, including to military tactics and strategy, investigates the ways in which culture shapes the employment of AI, and considers some ethical implications of AI in national security affairs.

China-West Relations: Dilemmas and Lessons

The rise of China in the Liberal International Order has caused much frenzy and uncertainty across Western civil society. Citizens, policy-makers, and military are still catching up on their knowledge of China and cannot confidently deconstruct the complexity of a country that hosts a fifth of humanity and whose foreign interactions have been characterized by much ambiguity. This King's College London course seeks to explore those areas of ambiguity where Chinese actions are causing security dilemmas for Western citizens, administrators, policy-makers and the military and to expand knowledge on China but also to learn lessons that can be applied in other areas of foreign/security policy.

Cyber Security Fundamentals

Take your cyber security education to the next level with the Cyber Security Fundamentals course from UNSW Canberra. Fully online, this self-paced course is held over five weeks requiring ~six hours per week of effort. This is a micro-credential course that covers the evolving cyber security threat landscape; the confidentiality, availability, integrity triad, attach surfaces & vectors; governance, risk & compliance frameworks; best practices and controls; and hands-on lab sessions.

Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) of Ex-combatants

This King's College London course offers an overview of the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants in countries recovering from conflict. It outlines the concepts, definitions, and types of DDR approaches that are followed by various international, and national agencies to demobilise armed groups, and to return and reintegrate their rank and file into civilian society. This course will also map the evolution of programmatic efforts over time, and how the various shifts have influenced DDR effectiveness.

The Indo-Pacific: Culture and Decision-Making

The Indo-Pacific is emerging as one of the key regions in which international politics are redefined. It encompasses some of the world’s fastest growing economies, top world military powers, and rich cultures. This self-paced online course from King's College London focuses on what is meant by the term "culture", how do people embedded in different cultures think, make judgements and decisions and when, why, and how culture matters in engagement with the Indo-Pacific region.  

Introduction to Naval Combat and Weapons Systems

At a time when the Australian Defence Force is moving to a fifth generation of technological capability and Australia is embarking on a massive naval shipbuilding program as part of that evolution, the need in government, industry, academia and the media to understand the way maritime warfare works has never been greater. This UNSW Canberra course familiarises participants, especially those with limited prior exposure to naval combat and weapon systems, with context necessary to more effectively support naval combat and weapons systems across all phases of capability management.

Introduction to Satellite Operations

Explore the fundamentals of satellite operations in this beginner-friendly course, gaining comprehensive insights into satellite systems and operational phases, and providing a foundational understanding for aspiring aerospace professionals. Through four modules, learners will have a well-rounded knowledge base to advance their understanding of satellite operations. This Arizona State University course was developed by experts from the ASU Interplanetary Initiative and Qwaltec.

Introduction to Satellite Operations (Teaser Course)

Learn about satellite operations with a beginner-friendly short course covering satellite types, onboard subsystems and the challenges of the space environment. This is a teaser course that offers a glimpse into the full Introduction to Satellite Operations course. This Arizona State University course was developed by experts from the ASU Interplanetary Initiative and Qwaltec.

Negotiation

Everybody wants to meet their own needs. Sometimes, though, those needs can conflict with each other. That’s when negotiation becomes most valuable. In these situations, some skills become crucial: planning for others' ideas, offering alternatives, and meeting the needs of both parties. Ultimately, you can use this knowledge to change your outcome for the best. With the expertise of ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, the Negotiation course will put the tools, knowledge and strategies for parleying directly into your hands.

Principles of Character-Driven Leadership

In this course from Arizona State University, learners have the opportunity to master the key concepts and interrelationships of values, ethics and leadership which lead to earning trust, which is the essence of leadership. The course provides the student with the core concepts of character-driven leadership defined as the commitment to do the right thing, the right way for the right reasons. The course focuses on values; individual, organizational, and national, along with ethics; culminating with a clear understanding of leadership. The course is led by a former U.S. Army Lieutenant General with leadership experience of over 36 years in the Army and over 10 years in higher education.

The Process and Lifetime of a Space Mission

Learn the process and lifetime of a NASA space mission, from ideation to flight, in this course from Arizona State University. The only prerequisite is an interest in space exploration and the behind-the-scenes planning for a space mission.

Quantum Technologies for Executives and Leaders

Through this course from Arizona State University, learners will explore emerging applications of quantum information science and technology, or QIST, and its potential to revolutionize academia, government and industry. Embark on a journey of innovation and leadership, and become better equipped to drive quantum progress, create competitive advantages for your organization and propel your career to new heights.

Resolving and Transforming Conflict

Conflict forces people to respond — but responding the right way can be another matter. When faced with conflict, you need to brainstorm or collaborate to get an appropriate solution. You also need to respond appropriately in the first place — and follow through with your chosen solution. With the expertise of ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, this course puts the tools, knowledge and strategies for responding to conflict directly into your hands.

Sanctions and Statecraft

This King's College London course seeks to provide students with a general understanding of sanctions, defined as the restrictive measures imposed by states or groups of states to achieve coercive influence in the international system. Sanctions are among the most frequently used tools of diplomacy. For many states, they form an important part of foreign policy and they are regularly deployed in pursuit of foreign policy objectives.

SciTech Space Leadership Certificate

Learn to lead successful space missions and projects with this SciTech Space Leadership Program. Develop the skills needed to lead teams and manage change, to analyze and utilize financial data to enhance decision-making capabilities, and to effectively plan and manage complex aerospace projects. In a series of three comprehensive courses, learners will be equipped to assume leadership roles and effectively lead space missions and projects. This program was designed by the ASU Interplanetary Initiative for science and engineering professionals ready to step into new roles and effectively lead space missions and projects.

Strategic Communications

Strategic communications seeks to shift and shape long-term discourses in society and is ever present as states seek to gain advantage over other states, or as revolutionary and insurgent groups struggle to overthrow the status quo in their appeal to populations. In this course from King's College London you will be introduced to the core concepts of strategic communications, frameworks of analysis, and different perspectives on strategic communications around the world such as China, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa.

Wargaming and Strategy

Wargaming is undergoing a renaissance. Not since the interwar period (1919-1939) has the method been so popular with not only governments, militaries, and NGOs, but also with a host of public and private institutions. The purpose of this course from King's College London is to consider how wargaming might be used to analyse and develop strategy. First, it considers what strategy is, how it flows from one’s understanding of victory, and how it is influenced by the choices of others. Second, in applying wargaming to strategy, it unpacks wargaming as method by understanding its history, its unique features, and how it can be best applied to questions of strategic analysis.

Past Courses

AUKUS in Context: Security and Strategy Implications for the Indo-Pacific and Globally

May 15-19, 2023 The course is focused on both furthering participant understanding of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, launched in September 2021, and its potential impact on regional and global security. It will examine key aspects of the partnership including the joint development of nuclear submarines and other advanced technologies, providing a basic technical introduction for non-specialists, while also examining some of the challenges that are likely to be encountered in their development. It will also explore the strategic value of the pact for each of the member countries and how AUKUS fits into the regional security architecture in the Indo-Pacific and globally.

Intensive course

Irregular Warfare - Intensive Course

August 28-30, 2023 Australia Irregular Warfare (IW) is defined in US doctrine as “a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence over the relevant populations.” The absence of publicly available guidance pertaining to ‘grey zone’ competition is an urgent policy, training, and education gap to which this course responds. This course will be conducted using a wargame in the Indo-Pacific to draw out key learning outcomes. Theory components will include insights from experts at Kings College London and Arizona State University – PLuS Alliance partners of UNSW.

F-35 stealth fighter

Future of War Seminar

11 - 13 April 2023 AEST The School of Humanities and Social Sciences, UNSW Canberra will deliver a seminar on the Future of War between Tuesday 11 and Thursday 13 April 2023 in Canberra, Australia. The seminar aims to inform policy, strategy, operations, and training relating to the defence of Australia, and participants will have the opportunity to hear from world-leading scholars and practitioners.