Testing the Strategic Simultaneity Conundrum: Insights into Crisis Management from a Classroom Simulation
By Gorana Grgić, Sascha Nanlohy and Anastasiya Byesyedina, The University of Sydney
This article examines a large classroom simulation that placed students in the roles of EU and NATO leaders confronting simultaneous crises in Ukraine and the Taiwan Strait. Designed to test how future practitioners prioritize under pressure, the exercise combined expert briefings and scholarship with the practical demands of negotiation, coalition-building, and scarce resources. Results showed strong engagement but surprising priorities: many students focused more on Taiwan than Ukraine, displayed muted concern about nuclear escalation, and framed NATO and EU responsibilities primarily toward the Euro-Atlantic. The study highlights simulations’ pedagogical power and exposes shifting generational perspectives on transregional security dilemmas today.
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