From James Bond to Jason Bourne, the spy has been a consistent feature of popular culture for decades. But what is the relation between fact and fiction? Who are the spies; what do they do; and how do they do it?Getting %E2%80%98behind the scenes%E2%80%99 of major historic and contemporary events, we will study intelligence in democracies and dictatorships, the impact of technology, the relationship between spies, politicians and the media, and debate what is right or wrong in the spying game.We will examine the public understanding of spying, how the media reflects reality and the spy agencies of some of the major intelligence powers - the USA, Britain and Russia.Then we will delve deeper into the relationship between spies and government, asking who is in charge and why things go wrong. We will examine key recent events like the 9/11 attacks, and whether or not they can be considered %E2%80%98intelligence failures%E2%80%99. Finally, we will examine how spy agencies conspired to overthrow governments in the 20th century; what technologies they have developed to spy on friends and enemies; and how we discover these secrets.

Course leader
Dr Huw Dylan

Target group
This course should appeal to a broad range of students from undergraduate and masters level to political scientists, historians, military officers, area studies specialists and anyone else interested in this captivating field.

Course aim
By the end of this course you will: - Gain insight into the world of espionage and politics in statecraft in peace and war; - Be aware of the methodologies used in the study of intelligence; - Understand the operations and methodologies of intelligence agencies in collecting, analysing, disseminating, and acting upon information; - Be aware of the relationship between the 'secret world', the 'open' and popular culture more broadly; - Critically assess sources, including primary sources, relating to intelligence studies; - Be aware of the political context in which intelligence agencies and spies operate.

Fee info
GBP 1500: tuition fee only

King's College London
Address: Strand, London
Postal code: WC2R 2LS
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/summer
E-mail: summerschool@kcl.ac.uk
Phone: +44 20 7848 1533