China places a temporary oil rig in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone, and Vietnamese citizens respond with anti-Chinese demonstrations. A Vietnamese and a Chinese ship suddenly disappear in the South China Sea, and China sends a flotilla to the Philippine Whitsun Reef. These and other (fictional) incidents needed a solution during the two-game days of the course Strategic Gaming: The South China Sea Dispute, convened by the EcoS lecturers Alfred Gerstl and Martin Mandl.

Sixty highly motivated bachelor and master students from different study programs represented ASEAN, China, the US, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, India, Japan, the EU, and the United Kingdom. The high-ranking "diplomats" were surprisingly successful in finding innovative and realistic solutions. However, not all problems were solved, and there seems to be a need for a new Strategic Gaming in 2023/24.

To see all the photos from this course, visit our Facebook official post.