THE HENRY JACKSON SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Russian, East European and Central Asia Studies
and
SCHOOL OF MARINE AFFAIRS
R U S S I A N O C E A N P O L I C Y
SISRE/SMA 555
Course Syllabus - WINTER 2004
Instructor:
Prof. Vlad M. Kaczynski
GENERAL INFORMATION
CREDITS: 3
COURSE TIME: Wednesdays
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
ROOM FRT 030
INSTRUCTOR: Vlad M. Kaczynski
INSTRUCTORÕS ADDRESS: 3707 Brooklyn Ave N.E. (South
Campus), Mail Stop 355685
127 MARINE STUDIES BUILDING
PHONES: (206) 543-O115 (office),
(425) 486-2968 (home office)
FAX: (206) 543-1417 (office),
(425) 485-4221 (home office)
Email address vkaczyn@u.washington.edu (office)
vkaczynski@msn.com (home)
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course undertakes multidisciplinary analysis of the Russian socio-economic transition from the centrally controlled to the free market economic system and its impact on the marine and coastal environment, domestic Russian economy, security and international relations. The course's conceptual design is based on two major factors:
a) In the international arena, the end of the Cold War and changes taking place in the World have contributed to a substantial change in Russian ocean capabilities, the state of marine and coastal environment and countryÕs present position in regard to its place as an ocean power. From its role as a major player in the global ocean affairs todayÕs Russia is looking to the West as a source of foreign capital that is so needed to restore declining Russian marine economy and prevent further deterioration of its coastal and sea resources.
b) Domestically, socio-economic reforms increased role of the private sector, freedom of business decisions, contributed to an opening to the West, and introduced less restrictive international trade and travel opportunities. These changes did not fully restructure the Russian economy but rather they have lead to the development of the shadow economic activities, particularly in the area of finances, illegal natural resource use and their huge, uncontrolled exports.
A hallmark of the last decade of changes in Russia, however, have been adverse changes in the Russian economy, worsening living conditions and persistent decline of the Russian population.
Freedom of economic activity accompanied by inadequate management measures lead to the depletion of many natural resources in Russia. In fact, the major characteristic of the environmental problem in Russia is that renewable resources such as forests and marine resources are subject of non-sustainable exploitation. It presents a clear and immediate threat to the long-term productivity of these resources and therefore to the economic growth of Russia that largely depends on them. The coastal region most affected by these trends is the Far East where natural resources were originally abundant but the local people including indigenous populations did not benefit from them and remain much poorer than in other Russian regions.
Deterioration of the ocean and coastal environment is compounded by nuclear and industrial pollution that together with mismanagement of coastal and ocean resources (overfishing, clear-cutting of forests and illegal exploitation) can undermine the future of such sectors as fisheries, aquaculture, eco-tourism, marine recreation, investment in ports and land infrastructures, sea trade and other commercial activities. The quality of marine environment will affect Russian economy and its international cooperation with other nations.
2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
a) To improve studentsÕ understanding of the Russian domestic and international marine affairs with particular focus on environmental and human aspects as well as with their international security implications.
b) To familiarize students with socio-economic factors affecting the present and future development of the Russian marine economy, its institutions, and the transition process from the centrally controlled to the free market economic system,
c) To provide faculty guidance for students in their research on most important marine resource management, socio-economic development and marine policy problems of the Russian Federation.
3. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS
The course will:
a) Contribute to increased awareness of changes taking place in the Russian marine sector, natural environment and market-oriented reforms particularly in those areas that might have international implications such as transbounadary resources, fishing and merchant marine fleet expansion, international sea trade and foreign investment in off-shore oil and gas exploitation.
b) Identify Russian policy interventions that affect marine environment, patterns of the natural resource use, international sea trade and economic integration with the West, particularly with the North Pacific countries such as the U.S., Japan, Korea and Canada.
c) Analyze major changes taking in marine policy of the Russian Federation in the North Pacific and what are international security implications of these changes for the United States and other neighboring countries.
4. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students are expected to prepare:
a) Class Presentation: Each student is expected to make presentation of the selected course-related topic and prepare 1 page summary. The topic should be agreed with the Professor and selected from the available reading material of the course (Course Reader) or it can be based on sources that the student will identify on his/her own. This presentation should include a critical evaluation of issues presented and conclusions. Criteria for topic selection are: student's personal interest, long-term research objectives and desired term paper's topic, availability of the source materials and instructor's recommendation.
The PresentationÕs topic should be chosen as early as possible so enough time is available for its preparation. It is strongly recommended that the whole presentation is prepared in the Power Point environment and presented using class computer and digital projector. The electronic copy of the Presentation should be transferred to the Instructor. Presentation timetable will be agreed with the instructor so student Presentations are - as far as it is possible - harmonized with InstructorÕs own course presentations.
Presentation should not be longer than 30 min. Students are encouraged to make questions and develop discussion on the presented topic. Use of statistical evidence and visual means (maps, graphs, citations) is strongly recommended. Written summary of the Presentation should be delivered to the instructor.
b) Research Paper. Students are expected to write one research paper on selected and important Russian marine environmental, socio-economic or marine policy problem. Selection of the research topic is made using the same criteria as those applied to the verbal Presentation. The Instructor is to advise students on sources of additional information and will help in designing an outline of the study. Students are recommended to identify their own sources of information, statistical data and publications such as articles, studies, books and other materials related to the research topic. Time allowing each student will be encouraged to present his/her research topic during the second half of the course.
The paper should not be longer than 15 pages double space (font 11). The cover page, table of contents and listing of the literature used are not included in the count of 15 pages . The paper should be composed of Introduction, Chapters and Subchapters, Conclusions and Bibliography. The research made to prepare the verbal Presentation can be used for purposes of Research Paper writing. The deadline for submission of the Research Paper is 5 working days after University final examination date. Students are recommended to contact the Instructor in the beginning of the following quarter in to discuss strengths and weaknesses of their studies.
c) Individual consultations
The Research Paper topic, method of analysis, approach and its main objectives should be presented by each student during individual consultations with the course instructor. These meetings can be arranged during the whole Winter Quarter. The timing of consultations will be agreed between the student and Instructor individually.
d) Class discussions are considered as an important component of the course. Students are encouraged to participate in discussions during presentations made by the instructor as well as during studentsÕ verbal Presentations.
.
No examination will be given.
The Class Presentation will contribute in 30% toward the final grade, while the Research Paper's contribution is 50%. Participation in the class discussions contribute to the final grade in 20%
5. COURSE APPROACH, TOPICS AND READINGS
5.1. The Course Approach
After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Russian Federation have inherited developed marine industrial capabilities and well trained cadre of marine specialists. A vast network of international agreements and joint ventures in fisheries, shipping, seafood trading and port access rights for the navy ships were another important assets that Russia could potentially use to continue its presence in the world ocean. In contrast to all newly independent maritime states (Ukraine, Baltic Republics, Georgia, and other) and former satellite countries (such as Poland, Bulgaria, Romania) Russian Federation has very rich fishery resources in its own coastal waters and inherited industrial fishing fleet that allowed to exploit their own and foreign fishery resources, service its seatrade needs and protect coasts using powerful navy and coast guard capabilities.
However, recent changes in this country's economic systems have put severe strains on industrial production, performance and profitability in all segments of the national economy including maritime sector. Restructuring this sector from its global and confrontational orientation to more peaceful and domestic-oriented activity requires massive demilitarization and growth of the private investment. It will also require complete re-education of the society so it will absorb principles of democracy and enjoys benefits of the free market system. Under favorable marine policy environment foreign investment can help Russia to go through the transition period providing capital, technology, management and marketing expertise, all of which are in extremely short supply in the Russian Federation.
International scientific, economic and commercial cooperation with foreign countries could be seen as main channels through which technology, know how and capital can flow from Western world to Russia. This effort can involve both governments and private companies. In an increasingly complex and volatile economic environment of the Russian Federation and newly independent states, the ways we cooperate need to be continuously improved. This is because the free market system that, starting from 1990/91 was gradually introduced in the marine sector is working well only in very few post-communist countries (such as Hungary and Poland) while in others it is in the very initial, unstable phase (Baltic republics). In the Russian Federation, Ukraine and newly independent Caucasian republics reforms are bringing a lot of confusion and breakdown of many marine industries and further depletion of natural resources.
The most dramatic changes in the Russian marine industry have come from its opening to the Western markets and diffusion of new forms of international marine cooperation such as joint research projects, commercial ventures, vessel chartering, ship conversions and seafood trade. Evolution from state owned and controlled system to privately owned enterprise is rather slow in Russian Federation. At present the Russian marine sector is undergoing a complicated period of transition from the centrally managed planned economy to the pluralism of properties: private, state-owned, foreign, mixed, and other. The effects of these changes are frequently confusing for foreign businesspersons and discouraging them in investing there because of high risks.
In the increasingly interdependent world of ocean affairs, Soviet oceanic activities in the international arena have become a significant concern for many governments, international multilateral agencies, local administrations and private industry. Today Russian navy is undergoing substantial reductions but at the same time scrapped nuclear submarines are damped on beaches of the Far East or disposed in the Arctic islands. Several catastrophes of Russian nuclear ships could produce serious environmental damage in international water areas. Russian navy specialists are hired in some foreign countries to help in increasing local naval capabilities. Russian seafood is sold at a very low (frequently dumping) prices overseas initiating the crisis in the international seafood markets for some products such as salmon and groundfish fillets.
The Russian Federation's regional (basin) administrations and local entrepreneurs, trying to become more independent from the MoscowÕs dictate and to maximize benefits from relations with foreign markets, have turned to industrialized countries for their partnership and this foreign involvement is expected to accelerate the pace of privatization undertaken by Russians and to reduce the costs of this transition.
This course's primary objective is to make a case that the well-defined and stable national marine policy is necessary to provide with adequate legal, financial and administrative environment for successful transition of Russian maritime economy to the free market-oriented activity. Such an environment is necessary to facilitate the reconstruction and conversion of marine capabilities in Russia from those designed to expand Soviet ideological and military influence and attend political interests to more business-oriented activities that would be guided by the open market principles. It is considered as an important national strategic, long-term objective of the central Government, local administrations and the Russian private sector.
5.2. COURSE TOPICS AND READINGS
The course is divided in four parts and 9 topics. They are to be discussed by the Instructor or by students making Reading Report presentations. Each topic is supported by recommended reading material. Remaining time will be used for presentations of students' Research Paper topics and as well as for the class discussions.
Note: Course topics and readings may be adjusted following availability of new materials.
Topic 1: Performance of the Soviet Economy in International Perspective
Readings:
Yergin Daniel and Gustafson Thane ( 1993, 1995), Russia 2010, Chapter 8, The Rough Road to the Market, and Chapter 15: Caitalism Russian-Style: 2010 and Beyond.
Golenpolsky G. T, et al. (1995, 1996) Russia at the Crossroads, Chapter 1 in : Doing Business in Russia, pp. 1-35.
Topic 2: Marine and Coastal Environmental Challenges in Russia
Readings:
Kaczynski, V. M., (2002) US Ocean Policy Toward Russia (Manuscript) School of Marine Affairs, University of Washington.
Thomas Nilsen, Nils Bohmer, Sources of radioactive contamination in Murmansk and Archangelsk county, Bellona Report, 1994.
Sten Nilsson, Shvidenko Anatoly, (1998) Is Sustainable Development of the Russian Forest Sector Possible? IUFRO Occasional Paper, No. 11, Chapter 1. Vien, Austria.
Topic 3. Transboundary Environmental Problems Involving Russia
and Neighboring Countries
Loksha, Victor, B. Transboundary Environmental Problems in the Former USSR Asian Part, The World Bank, August 1994.
Josh Novell and Emma Wilson, The Russian Far East, (1996) Chapter: Primorsky Krai, pp. 45 Ð 64, and Chapter: Khabarovsky Krai, pp. 69 Ð 87, Friends of the Earth.
Topic 4. Changing Merchant Marine, Sea Ports and Regional Policies
Readings:
Peresypkin, V.I., Buyanov, S.I. (2001) The Russian Merchant Fleet: Now and On.
Overview of Ports and Port Projects in the Russian Far East, US Embassy in Moscow, December 1996, www.bisnis.gov
The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Denmark (2003) Memorandum.
Topic 5. Russian Fisheries in the Time of Reforms
Vaisman Alexey, Trawling in the Mist, World Wildlife Fund, 2002.
Topic 6. Russian Far East EconomicManagement
Chang K. C., (1999) The Russian Far East Endless Winter, in: Orbis, pp. 77 - 110
Topic 7. Economic and Strategic Significance of the Russian Marine Economic
Renewal in the Time of Reforms
Readings:
Kaczynski, V. M. (2000) Financing Fishing and Support Fleet Renewal in the Russian Federation: The Case of ÒGijonÓ Class Super-Factory Trawlers ( Manuscript),
Topic 8. The US and Russian View of the Ocean Policy with Focus on the Pacific
Readings:
Recommendations for the US Ð Russia Policy, www.bisnis.gov
Wedel Janine, (1999) US Assistance for Market Reforms. Cato Institute.
Topic 9. Commercial Overview of Maritime Russia: The US Perspective
Readings:
Akaha Tsuneo, The Postwar Japan-Soviet Fisheries Regime and Future Prospects (1991) , Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, Ca.
NOTE: New reading materials and sources for studentÕs presentations or research studies will be added as needed.