Eastern European and South Caucasus Countries Between the EU's Eastern Partnership and Other (geo)Political Projects (SZF_060)
About Study Course
Objective
To provide students with knowledge, concepts and analytical tools that will enable understanding of the development of the six Eastern European and South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine) in a broader regional context. To stimulate critical thinking on current development and future trajectories of the six countries and the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) policy, linking it to broader debates in political science such as democratisation and regionalism.
Prerequisites
General knowledge of the theories and methods in the field of international relations, as well as basic knowledge on Russia, the United States and the European Union.
Learning outcomes
Using in-depth knowledge gained in the study course on the development and operation of Eastern European and Southern Caucasus countries in the cooperation formats and organisations created by the EU and Russia, students will compare the domestic and foreign policy challenges of Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus considering domestic and foreign policy challenges among different centres of power.
Students will compare and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the cooperation formats offered by the EU and Russia, as well as their mutual interaction. Students will compare the explanations of functionalism, neofunctionalism, transactionalism and federalism in the context of regional integration projects.
Working in a group, students will select, read and critically evaluate scientific literature, justify their choice, interpretation and analysis of literature about the historical development of Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus and its impact on cooperation with the EU to group members.
Through individual and group work, students will identify in oral and written form, compare and evaluate alternative arguments and points of view, formulate, explain and justify their opinion on regional cooperation and integration projects based on different systems of values.
Students will develop a report based on interdisciplinary scientific literature, analysing the opportunities and challenges of the countries of Eastern Europe and the Southern Caucasus in the framework of the EU Eastern Partnership Programme and Russia’s regional projects.
Students will evaluate the interdisciplinary nature of complex problems and combine research results and methods from different fields to analyse complex problems in professional, academic and business environments. These competences will not be limited to the regional and global actors covered, but also to other regions and global actors, both in Eurasia and on other continents.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia and Eurasia Studies, RESMeng | 1 | Master’s | Limited choice |
