The Content of Professional Training of Masters in National Security at the UK Universities

Abstract The article deals with the content of training Masters in National Security at the UK universities. The problem of the state’s national security in the context of the state’s general development and the realization of its national interests has been actualized. It is noted that maintaining the national interests of any state world provides an adequate response to the challenges and threats of today, namely the implementation of an effective national security policy. It is found that the UK’s national security strategy lists all the key threats that the government believes are threatening the state. Terrorism has been the top problem since the terrorist attacks in London in 2007. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and other types of weapons of mass destruction causes much anxiety, too. The UK strategy also includes threats such as transnational organized crime, global instability and conflictogenity (in the Middle East and Africa), global climate change, energy shortages, poverty, etc. The conducted research proves that the UK seeks to identify and eliminate such threats as transnational organized crime, global instability and conflictogenity, global climate change, energy shortages, poverty, etc. The UK National Security Strategy is based on such key values as human rights, the rule of law, a lawful and responsible government, justice, freedom, tolerance and equal opportunity for all. As a result, the UK universities aim to diversify professional training of specialists in national security incorporating into the field such areas as peace or war studies, conflict studies, terrorism, insurgency, etc. The content of professional training for national security specialists, namely masters, provided by King’s College London, the University of Leeds and Coventry University are characterized by the following features: adherence to the nation-wide principles of national security, the conceptual diversity of degree programmes (national security studies; peace and conflict studies; security, terrorism and insurgency), focus on humanities, profession-oriented compulsory modules, a wide range of optional courses, flexible combination of study and work and personal commitments, research challenges, taking into account the dilemmas and challenges of globalization and integration, promotion of human rights, etc. The relevant recommendations have been singled out to improve the content of professional training for such specialists at Ukrainian universities.