EURO402-20S2 (C) Semester Two 2020

The EU in Europe and in the World: The EU's External Identities

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 13 July 2020
End Date: Sunday, 8 November 2020
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 24 July 2020
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 25 September 2020

Description

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.

Learning Outcomes

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 particular

Students 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.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the NCRE Director.

Restrictions

EURO402 before 2014

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Regular attendance and participation in class discussions 10%
Research Report & Presentation 35% Research Presentation at the Round Table (oral) + Research Report (written, 2,000 words)
Presentation at the Colloquium "Theoretical Models to Study EU External Identity and Recognition" 20%
Case Study & Presentation 35% Case Study(2,000 words) + presentation of the case study findings


There is no exam for this course.

Textbooks / Resources

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

Course links

Library portal

Notes

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.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $942.00

* 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 .

All EURO402 Occurrences

  • EURO402-20S2 (C) Semester Two 2020