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The EU is increasingly an international actor in trade negotiations, world security issues, development aid and environmental policy. The course questions how the rest of the world views the Union in these roles is juxtaposed with the way the EU sees itself as an international actor. This is a course where students can gain unique perspectives in what the EU means for the Asia-Pacific and wider world and look at the question of how outsiders define what Europe is and what it stands for.
With the post-Lisbon EU placing increasing value on its external relations, is Europe changing the world? The EU’s ‘normative’ identity combines the rule of law, governance and democracy with ‘hard’ power decisions, giving the EU “a unique opportunity to brand itself as a beacon of civilization and prosperity” (van Hamm 2008: 137). To test this claim, the course will provide a systematic overview of how recognised is EU global authority and model of integration, environmental initiatives, human rights and democracy – with a specific focus on EU recognition and reception in the Asa-Pacific. The course examines a baseline of perceived EU ‘normative’ importance among third-countries around the world and in Asia-Pacific specially; evaluate the influence of EU visibility on international policy-making towards the EU and attempt an early assessment of the impact of the Lisbon Treaty and the most recent crises (among those the ongoing Sovereign Euro debt crisis, the looming political crisis of Brexit, and the nascent migration crisis) in EU external relations.The course aims to develop and expand research expertise in the EU Studies among post-graduate students. The EU is increasingly an international actor in trade negotiations, world security issues, development aid and environmental policy. The proposed course questions on how the rest of the world views the Union in these roles is juxtaposed with the way the EU sees itself as an international actor. This is a course where students can gain unique perspectives in what the EU means for the Asia-Pacific and wider world and look at the question of how outsiders define what Europe is and what it stands for.The course has a special focus on EU public diplomacy, as one of the most salient political communication tools in the 21st century. It is closely linked to the concept of ‘soft power, which is based on intangible or indirect influences such as culture, values, and ideology and involves activities in the fields of information, education and culture that are not directed towards the government (Rasmussen, 2009). The course is informed by the original internationally recognised comparative research project “EU Global Perceptions” (www.euperceptions.canterbury.ac.nz) led from the NCRE in 31 countries in the world over 10 years. Students will be trained in the original research methodology to conduct a comprehensive media analysis – a skill highly valuable at diplomatic, governmental, business, civil society and media careers.
The course provides an avenue to increase competency in a core academic discipline of the students’ degrees that focus on the study of the EU and its international identity and interactions in the Asia Pacific. Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and research reflections on the global processes, and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts from a research-informed standpoint. The course will expose students to the EU’s global presence and assist them in gaining greater knowledge and understanding of the EU’s global influence. Students will be exposed to the main findings and methods of the NCRE leading research projects and deepen their knowledge and understanding of the EU’s external impact in the world, and in the Asia Pacific in particularStudents will enhance their graduate research capacities through the individual projects requirement and promote original, high-quality research by emphasizing the intellectual importance of transnational, multidisciplinary approaches to the study of the EU. The course will enhance the research training of graduates and provide research methods and training specifically relevant to studying the EU. Research skills and attributes in the focus of this course are sought by employers as they can used in a range of applications. In addition to these skills, the course also targets skills in IT, information search (including library use and bibliographical skills), discussion/debate, oral presentation, writing.
Subject to approval of the NCRE Director.
EURO402 before 2014
Katharine Vadura and Serena Kelly
There is no exam for this course.
There is no single text book for the course. The collection of selected readings will be available for the students prior to each tutorial. Students are strongly encouraged to form their own bibliographies. The course involves the most recent resources (academic publications (books, chapters, articles), as well mass media outputs (news publications, televised materials, movies, Internet materials, etc.) Relevant material, which may be helpful, can be found at the Library Subject Guide for European Union Studies (see link below). Information about European Union programme (EURO) at the post-graduate level can be found at the website of the National Centre for Research on Europe
Library portal
At 2pm every Friday during term the NCRE hosts a research seminar open to anyone interested in European issues. The seminars range from presentations by Ambassadors, visiting professors to NCRE thesis students covering a wide range of contemporary European topics. Students enrolled in this course are encouraged to attend and participate.
Domestic fee $942.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see National Centre for Research on Europe .