European Politics and Economy
Central to the course is the European Union (EU), a political partnership between 28 democratic European countries with almost 500 million citizens which has become a major player in global politics. Students will be introduced to the history, institutional structures, current aims, and future challenges of the European Union. Lectures will discuss the historical background of the European Union and the various stages of integration. Other issues are the role of European leaders the future political expansion of the EU, transatlantic relations, and the development of a shared foreign policy and development aid.
This course offers students an introduction to the political landscape of Europe. Central to the course is the European Union (EU), a political partnership between 28 democratic European countries with almost 500 million citizens, which has become a major player in global politics. Students will be introduced to the history, institutional structures, current aims, and future challenges of the European Union.
Students will discuss the historical background of the European Union, which originated from a long process of political and economic integration that started after the Second World War and culminated in the formation of the EU by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993. Lectures will discuss the various stages of integration, will evaluate the role of European leaders and will also examine euroscepticism and the resistance to the European project which resulted in the French and Dutch refusal to ratify the European Constitution. Other issues are the future political expansion of the EU, transatlantic relations, and the development of a shared foreign policy and development aid.
Students will also discuss the system of governance within the European Union by the European Parliament (representing the people of Europe); the Council of the European Union (representing national governments); and the European Commission (representing the common EU interest). But they will also learn about the role and function of the various other European institutions such as the European Court of Justice and the European Central Bank.
Other lectures will analyze regional and cultural diversity within Europe, discuss the position of various countries and regions within the larger European family, or look at the role of Europe in the world.
The main venue for the course is Utrecht. The program includes an excursion to Brussels, including a visit to the European Parliament and the NATO headquarters.
You will experience an intensive two-week program with lectures and seminar groups. Together with other students you are expected to work on group presentations and assignments.
Student profile/target group
The programme is especially designed for students coming from countries outside Europe. The course has a focus on political sciences, and in offering this as a broad framework it is an excellent preparation for summer courses in the field of culture and European studies.
Prerequisites
None
Course language
English
Course Requirements
Grading
Reading
Course structure
A minimum of:
7 lectures; 120 minutes
4 seminars; 90 minutes
1 day excursion
1 exam
1 certificate ceremony
This course can be combined with
For more information
info@chinaeuropesummerschool.com
Required application documents
- Passport Copy
- Home University Transcripts
- CV
Application deadline
1 June 2017
Course code
C15
Course director / Lecturers
-
Dr. Jaap VerheulDr. Jaap Verheul is associate professor of cultural history and director of the American Studies program at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He is coordinator of the minor in Atlantic Europe. He was Fulbright scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, and has taught at UCLA and other American universities. He has published on American, Dutch and transatlantic cultural history. He edited Dreams of Paradise, Visions of Apocalypse: Utopia and Dystopia in American Culture (2004) and co-edited American Multiculturalism After 9/11: Transatlantic Perspectives. (2009) and Discovering the Dutch: On Culture and Society of the Netherlands (2010). His current research interest is in American perceptions of Europe. He coordinates the digital humanties research project: Translantis: The Emergence of the United States in Public Discourse in the Netherlands, 1890-1990 (translantis.nl) and the HERA-funded project Asymmetrical Encounters: Digital Humanities Approaches to Reference Cultures in Europe, 1815-1992 (AsymEnc). He is also applicant and project leader of a number of NLeSc-funded digital humanities research projects, such as Facilitating and supporting large-scale text mining in the field of Digital Humanities (Texcavator) in 2014 and Mining Shifting Concepts through Time (ShiCo): Word Vector Text Mining Change and Continuity in Conceptual History in 2015.
12.00-18.00 Key Pick up
12.00-18.00 Key Pick up
10.00-10.30 Course Introduction
10.30-12.00 Lecture 1: Introduction to European Politics and Economy
13.00-15.00 Seminar 1: Introduction
10.00-12.00 Lecture 2: Human and Economic Geography in Europe
13.00-15.00 Lecture3: Core Issues in European Politics and Economy
10.00-12.00 Lecture 4: The Structure and Decision Marking Process of the European Union
13.00-15.00 Lecture3: Seminar 2: European Institutions
10.00-12.00 Lecture 5: Migration and Mobility
All Day Excursion
10.00-12.00 Lecture 6: The European Economy in Times of Crisis
13.00-15.00 Seminar 3: Contemporary Europe in a Global Context
10.00-12.00 Lecture 7: Inherent Vice in Finacial Markets
13.00-15.00 Lecture 8: Transatlantic Relations
10.00-12.00 Lecture 9: Realities of the European Union
13.00-15.00 Seminar 4: Presentations
13.00-15.00 Final Exam
10.00-12.00 Presentation of Certificates
