LFU:online

BA § 5 (1) 5.b European Integration - Introduction

European Union: Integration, Institutions and Policy-Making

Students will become acquainted with the EU's main procedures and institutions, their respective role in European policy-making, and their function in the larger integration process. They will be able to apply concepts from comparative politics to relate the EU's unique (yet commensurable) institutional setting to domestic political systems and international institutions. Thereby, students will develop a basic understanding for how institutional factors encourage some of the policy patterns typical for "Europe", such as patchwork policy, incrementalism, and asymmetrical integration. Students will also learn to understand, critically evaluate, and research academic literature, both individually and through teamwork.

European Environmental and Sustainable Development Policies

1.    Session: introduction into the overall seminar topic, content, style and syllabus; distribution of paper topics; introduction into environmental policy, sustainable development and the political system of the EU
2.    Session: Discussion of selected EU policies
3.    Session: Scientific reflection on selected EU environmental policies through in-class presentations by participants and related discussion; academic workshop style I
4.    Session: Scientific reflection on selected EU environmental policies through in-class presentations by participants and related discussion; academic workshop style II

Key seminar objectives are to:
▪    introduce students to key elements of the concept of sustainability;
▪    analyse the conceptual characteristics and policy quality of EU environmental and sustainable development policies;
▪    encourage students to assess the EU’s environmental and sustainable development policies approach;
▪    provide students with an opportunity to explore areas of special interest through their individual research papers;
▪    further develop students’ research and writing skills via their papers.

During the seminar students will:
▪    acquire knowledge on the EU’s EU environmental and sustainable development policies;
▪    gain a general overview and understanding of sustainability;
▪    understand basic policy analysis practices and techniques and apply them in a workshop simulation;
▪    acquire academic presentation competences and workshop experience;
▪    practice free presentation and argumentation;
▪    improve language skills through active communication in English.

Class Participation: 30%
Presentation: 30%
Final Essay/Research Paper: 40%

Students will have to actively take part in the single seminar sessions and present a selected topic in class (or online). Moreover, they will write a research paper on a topic chosen from a suggested list of topics proposed by the instructor. The papers (4,000 words) will present in-depth analysis of and reflection on the theoretical and empirical aspects of the chosen topic. They shall be submitted by 31 August 2021.
Regular participation in the scheduled sessions is compulsory. Students are expected to be fully prepared to actively participate in the class discussions and exercises (including recommended reading, review of key study questions, and positive contributions to the discussions).

(Full list will be shared in OLAT)
Initial reading:
Burns, C., Eckersley, P., & Tobin, P. (2020); Burns, C., Gravey, V., Jordan, A., & Zito, A. (2019); Delreux, T., & Ohler, F. (2019); Dyrhauge, H. (2019); Jänicke, M., & Wurzel, R. K. (2019); Kelemen, R. D. (2010); Orviska, M., Hunady, J., & Mlynarova, D. (2019); Pawlowski, A. (2008); Redclift, M. (2005); Sen, A. (2013)

successful completion of compulsory module 1

Prerequisites: Please be aware that basic knowledge of the political system of the European Union is expected. Participants are expected to have a good command of English. Yet, although English is the seminar’s working language, please do not worry if you are neither mother tongue nor fluent. You are here to practice and improve, and communicating in English is always a good way to do so.