Formation/Cours

The aim of this course is to make the familiar fascinating. I have no doubt that you are all already very knowledgeable about the European Union. But the way in which the EU is often dealt with in academic analysis of legal texts and treaties. These are undoubtedly important, but they can also be rather dry an unexciting.

This course tries to focus much more on the political and policy dynamics of what is going on with European integration. It deals with key contemporary political problems and crises, such as Brexit, Ukraine, and migration. But in order to do so, it starts with some preparatory discussion of the historical context of European integration and of the political structures on which the EU is built.

The aim is to give you the opportunity to explore integration in a dynamic and contemporary manner. A key theme will be the subtle and shifting relationship between the European Union and its constituent member-states, and the analysis will explore the potentially constructive inter-relationship between nationalism and internationalism in contemporary Europe.

During the course of this programme, you should develop:

– A developed understanding of the historical context of European integration

– A deeper comprehension of the institutional structures and dynamics of the EU

– A stronger awareness of how the challenges affecting Europe can impact on integration