What is European integration, and how does this concept exist in Europe today, especially amidst present challenges including security concerns such as the war in Ukraine? This interdisciplinary course explores European integration from a number of perspectives: political, economic, social and cultural integration, as well as its effects on the fabric of contemporary Europe. This course utilises lectures and interactive tutorial sessions to introduce theory, practical understanding and case studies to develop students’ knowledge of Europe and the European Union (EU) today. In addition to lectures by academics from a range of disciplines, presentations and Q&A sessions by the EU Ambassador and MFAT representatives provide additional perspectives to the topics addressed.
This team-taught interdisciplinary course examines key aspects of "integration" and the multi-faceted European Union:
-Historical background on Europe and the European Union
-The institutions of the EU: their structures, legal underpinnings and decision-making functions
-Political challenges presently facing the EU: expansion, Euroscepticism, foreign policy, security and emerging threats
-The European Single Market, EU budget, trade and economy policy
-Culture, identity and citizenship within a diverse Europe
-Responses to current events and the war in Ukraine