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In 2005, SAFE introduced Oil ShockWave, a groundbreaking simulation exercise that examines the potential consequences of U.S. oil dependence by bringing former senior government officials together into a fictional Cabinet that is forced to contend with a series of international events that result in a rapid and sustained increase in the price of oil.
Since then, simulations have been held around the country and the world. The circumstances presented in each scenario have changed, but the lessons learned and their relevance to real-world problems have remained remarkably consistent. That is why, in 2008, SAFE and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School have introduced Oil ShockWave: College Curriculum.
Oil ShockWave: College Curriculum is a box set package that includes all of the multimedia components, background materials, and instructions needed for college and university professors to conduct Oil ShockWave in their classrooms. It provides students with an opportunity to step into the roles of senior government officials and, in those roles, think through simulated emergency situations-in this case involving oil supply disruptions-and try to find solutions even as the crises continue to develop and unfold.
By participating in this exercise, students will quickly discover the challenges and opportunities facing government leaders today as they deal with one of the world's most urgent questions: How will we balance competing security, economic and environmental priorities while ensuring the stable supply of energy?
There are two fundamental benefits that students will take away from Oil ShockWave: College Curriculum:
The first is a hands-on demonstration of the complexity of decision-making in public policy. There are no easy solutions in Oil ShockWave. As the crises escalate, competing interests - economic, military, diplomatic and political - fight for the participants' attention.
The second is a deeper understanding of how and why individual nations define national and economic security differently, and why that is important for policymakers to consider as they contemplate a variety of international problems.
The Oil ShockWave: College Curriculum box set is designed for maximum flexibility and ease of use. The set includes all of the material needed to run an oil crisis simulation in a single class session; the only equipment required is a DVD player or laptop computer. In addition, for instructors who choose to make energy security and the geopolitics of oil more central, long-term themes of their course, the set provides a list of suggested student exercises, reading materials and projects.
Oil ShockWave: College Curriculum is available to college and university instructors. For information on ordering, please visit www.oilshockwave.com.
