Teaching European Energy Security from the Western Balkan Frontier

This paper presents the pedagogical framework and outcomes from a three-year experience of teaching European energy security courses at the International University of Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) with a focus on the undergraduate 6 ECTS course IR467 Energy Security, which was taught from 2023 to 2025. The curricula were specifically developed to address challenges inherent to the institutional context, including small class sizes, a multinational and multi-disciplinary student body, and the absence of a comprehensive textbook. The pedagogical model described in this paper used traditional lectures anchored by a core text and supplemented with primary sources. A central component of the coursework was a term project that required students to research and present on energy security issues directly relevant to the region, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Turkey. Assessment methods were also refined to promote continuous learning. The results demonstrate steady growth in course enrollment and successful completions across Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral levels. Analysis of student projects and formal evaluations indicates high student satisfaction and deep engagement with the subject matter, grounded in the tangible geopolitical realities of their environment. This case study concludes that contextual challenges can be leveraged to create an effective and responsive teaching model, offering an adaptable framework for educators in other specialized academic fields.