Project Europe at a Crossroads: Building up open structures or breaking down into local identities? (4694)
Basic information
Project Europe at a Crossroads: Building up open structures or breaking down into local identities?
Variant code (CID): 5252
admission procedure terminated
Orientation: Lifelong learning programme - Interest-oriented
Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
Institute of International Studies [23-IMS]
full-time
English
The objective of the Spring University Prague 2019: “Project Europe at a Crossroads”, is to provide students with a broad understanding of the most significant political and social issues in contemporary Europe.

Instead of relaxing at the “End of History” after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc in 1989, Europe is facing new challenges at the beginning of the 21st century. These new challenges – including the economic and financial crisis, ageing population, growing separatist/devolutionist tendencies in Scotland, Catalonia and other European regions, complicated relations with Russia and Turkey, terrorist attacks connected with the activities of the Islamic State, and the strong immigration flow – are raising concerns and leading to significant political radicalization and social unrest.

This challenging period raises feelings of uncertainty: How should Europe tackle these challenges? Europe stands at a crossroads. Should it build open structures and intensify the project of European integration? Or is it more likely to break down into local identities and follow regional and national interests?

What will “Europe” mean in the future? How many people from outside can Europe welcome and still be Europe? What are the prospects for future cooperation and negotiations between Europe and its neighbours, and between Europe and other global actors like the USA and China? Are the current populist and separatist sentiments more threatening than those which arose in past decades? Whence come Europe's problems: are they self-inflicted, external, or bubbling up from the member states?

This “Age of Uncertainty” is an ideal time to revise common approaches and look for new perspectives. We will, together, analyse and discuss the current development of Europe in an inspiring environment made up of students coming from countries all over the world.

The course provides an interdisciplinary approach and combines multiple learning methods, such as lectures, workshops, round-table discussions, field work, group-work and student presentations. Students will not only have the opportunity to explore a range of interesting topics and gain valuable insights into the current challenges and risks to the development of Europe, but will also have occasion to improve their research and presentation skills.
Project Europe at a Crossroads: Building up open structures or breaking down into local identities?
Date: April 7th – April 18th 2019

Syllabus:

1/ Europe at the Turn of the Millennium
• Lecture: Facing New Challenges instead of Relaxing at the End of History
• Workshop: From Solid to Liquid Times?
2/ European Integration
• Lecture/Workshop: European Dis/Integration after the Brexit Referendum
• Workshop: Does a Common European Identity Exist?

3/ Frontiers and Immigration
• Lecture: Frontiers in an Integrated Europe? – From Iron Curtain to Schengen and back?
• Field work: Uncovering Cultural Heterogeneity in Prague

4/ Populism as a Challenge
• Lecture/Workshop: Populism – A Threat to European Democracy?
• Workshop: Europe and the USA: so close – so far

5/ Dealing with Uncertainties
• Workshop: V4 Countries - Troublemakers from the EU Perspective?
• Excursion & Discussion: Visit to the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic

6/ EU and its Neighbours
• Lecture/Workshop: EU and Turkey
• Lecture/Workshop: EU-Russia Relations
• Lecture/Workshop: EU and China

7/ Understanding Europe
• Group work (3 tutorials during the course)
• Final Group Presentations & Political Discussion Simulation


Requirements for successful participation in the course:
1/ Preparation for lessons (reading materials)
2/ Attendance, activity in discussions
3/ Final group presentations
(+ 4/ Seminar paper)

More is to be found on our website www.spring-university.fsv.cuni.cz.
Requirements:
The programme is intended for students who are currently enrolled in a college or university or recently graduated. A very good level of English is essential for successful participation in the course.

Required documents:
1/ CV (in English language)
2/ Motivation letter
3/ Proof of student´s enrolment in a college or university or of his/her recent graduation
4/ Proof of student´s knowledge of English (if he/she is not a native speaker). We require at least the B2 level of The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Students should note that the spring school classes are not part of the standard curriculum and we therefore have to charge them to cover our costs. Everybody who wishes to attend these classes must pay a fee of EUR 860.


Schedule details
Course requirements and qualification acquired
other
Certification: Osvědčení o absolvování programu
3 ECTS kredity bez psaní seminární práce/6 ECTS kreditů včetně seminární práce
získání dalších odborných znalostí v oboru
Guarantor and venue
doc. PhDr. Tomáš Nigrin, Ph.D.
Department of German and Austrian Studies
Institute of International Studies
Dates and duration
2018/2019
summer semester, April
Short-time
45 (total number of hours)
Fees and financing
860 EUR / kurz
Application
on-line: www.spring-university.fsv.cuni.cz/how-to-apply
Mgr. Anežka Brožová, BA
summer.university@fsv.cuni.cz
00420251080250
25.02.2019