ICONS will give students the opportunity to serve as diplomats attempting to organize a relief effort and navigate through political tensions during a hypothetical school bombing as part of a just-released simulation, “Baltic Security Crisis.”
“The simulation is intended to highlight the complexity of ’gray zone’ conflict; conflict that doesn’t rise to the level of overt armed warfare, but exceeds normal peacetime circumstances,” said Alexis Li, the simulation coordinator for the ICONS Project.
The Baltic Security Crisis, which can accommodate 10 to 25 students, will allow students to understand the internal dynamics of the Baltic security environment, familiarize themselves with Russian conflict tactics, manage partner reluctance and resource sharing, and find truth from a situation where information is limited, according to the primary author of the simulation Egle Murauskaite.
Murauskaite said, “The players are challenged to pursue their team objectives in light of limited intel and mixed media narratives, managing allied concerns while maintaining stability in the Baltics.”
The simulation explores political and regional disputes between Latvia, a country with a sizeable Russian minority, and Russia. When a Russian school in Latvia is attacked, Latvian allies must maneuver the hostile political climate in order to prevent further Russian aggression and prevent the attack from becoming a turning point in an already tenuous relationship.
This simulation adds to ICONS’s growing library of more than 20 ready-to-use simulations aimed at improving students’ comprehension of course materials and crisis decision-making and negotiation abilities.
For more information about the simulation follow this link.