Teaching Political Geography and Geopolitics: is a “Reset” Needed?

From a resurgence of violent ethno-territorial conflicts and increasingly contested elections, to contentious struggles about identity and politics and the very question of human survival itself in the anthropocene, the study of political geography and geopolitics has never been more important. How should it be taught in higher education at a time when the lecture hall and classroom itself is increasingly a site of political contest?
This session invites submissions that address any aspect of these questions. Contributions which reflect on both pedagogical and historical studies of our discipline, and also those that reflect on personal experience of teaching in different contexts, are particularly encouraged. Papers may address (but are not limited to) the following topics:
- How are political geography and geopolitics taught in different contexts internationally, and how has this changed over time? The majority of textbooks are published in the USA and UK. What are the problems associated with this, and how can they be addressed?
- Why do political geography and geopolitics continue to be perceived sometimes as peripheral in both geographical and social sciences, despite the importance of territorial aspects of politics? How can this situation be changed? What should be the place of these disciplines in academic knowledge and the educational process?
- What is the subject of political geography and geopolitics? How are these disciplines divided in different linguistic traditions? Is there a need to rethink—expand or narrow—the subject field of political geography and geopolitics?
- How can we teach the political geography and geopolitics of contemporary events that are particularly polarised and politicised in our national and educational contexts?
- How to structure knowledge in the field of political geography and geopolitics? What principle – chronological, regional, comparative, problematic, etc. – most suitable for teaching the modern student?