Risk Management of Emerging Technologies

Our current society is intrinsically linked with and dependent on technology. Safety and security risks are often associated with these technologies, such as earthquakes associated with gas extraction, the risks of nuclear waste, hacking of self-driving cars, or cybercrime on the internet. This causes society to be constantly exposed to 'risk'. Often, the risk level only becomes known after the technologies have been deployed and undesired events occur. Contrary to relatively well-understood risks in organisations, the introduction of new technologies in society may imply uncertain, unforeseen, and ambiguous (safety and security) risks, and may give rise to societal and political debate.

In this course, you will learn to identify possible (safety and security) risks associated with new technologies, and provide suggestions for responsible design and deployment. In addition, you will learn to investigate the side-effects of technologies, and their potential effect on moral values, such as surveillance technologies and their effects on privacy and inclusion.

Technology evaluation and assessment report – Group work – 50% total grade

A technology evaluation and assessment (TE&A) report will be written in a group. This report counts for 50% of the total grade. For this report, you will work in a group of approximately five students.

During the weekly working classes, where attendance is mandatory, you will receive assignments and guidance to develop the TE&A report.

Handing in the report late will result in a correction of the grade by one point (out of ten) per day. Three days after the deadline, submissions are no longer allowed.

Problems with group cooperation should be reported as they occur and will be taken into account if necessary.

A resit of the report is only possible if you achieved a minimum score of 4.0 during the first submission opportunity. If you participate in the resit option, you can achieve a maximum grade of 6.0.

On-campus exam – Individual – 50% total grade

An individual, on campus exam counts for 50% of the total grade. The exam is closed-book. The exam is digital and will be administered via the ANS platform. The exam will consist of several open-ended questions that need to be elaborated in a restricted time period.

You can only attend the resit of the exam if:

• You have scored lower than a 5.0 on the first exam

• You scored between 5.0 and 6.0, and the combined score with the technology evaluation and assessment report is not sufficient to pass the course. If you scored higher than 5.0, and the combined score with the technology evaluation and assessment  report is sufficient to pass the course, you cannot attend the resit

• You were unable to attend the first sit of the exam

Grading and passing the course

For all courses of the minor PRD, final grades are rounded off to the nearest half point, except between 5 and 6. At both universities, for grades between 5.0 and 6.0, a 5.5 and higher will be rounded up to a 6.0, and grades below 5.5 will be rounded down to 5.0. No final grades between 5.0 and 6.0 will be given.

In order to pass the course, the grade on the individual exam has to be 5.0 or more out of 10, and the grade on the group report has to be 5.0 or more out of 10. Furthermore, in order to pass the course, the mean of both assessments (individual exam and group report) has to be at least 6.0 out of 10.

If the final score is a passing grade, students are not allowed to the retake to obtain a higher grade, unless given explicit permission by the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University).

This course is part of the minor Public Risk and Disaster. This minor needs to be completed in one academic year. It is not possible to retake courses that you have not passed during the following academic year. If you think an exception to this rule applies to you, please contact the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University).

No matter what academic institution a student comes from, the minor Public Risk and Disaster falls under the course and examinations regulation of the bachelor Security Studies of Leiden University. These course rules are further expanded on in the rules and regulations of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (Leiden University). This Board of Examiners is also the relevant body for disputes.

Upon request, students have the right to inspect their assessed work for a period of 20 working days after the announcement of the results of the exam or the report. During the inspection of the assessed work, it is not permitted to copy the underlying examination questions. If a student wishes to inspect the results, the student needs to contact the module manager via e-mail to make an appointment within the period of 20 working days after the announcement of the results. This appointment cannot take place online.