European Union and the World, 5 op

The course consists of lectures by academic researchers as well as key experts. In this years course guest lecturers and visitors in the classroom include Tytti Tuppurainen, current Minister for European Affairs and Toni Alaranta, Senior Researcher Finnish Institute of International Affairs. We study peer reviewed publications as well as primary sources written by experts. The course addresses themes such as colonialism and Europe´s global colonial past, development of international law and regulatory powers, industrial policies and crises mediation which have made major contributors to European economic, social and political integration. The course deals with the emergence and development of the European Union's institutions, especially from the perspective of how international and foreign policy tasks have become part of the Union's activities. Examples such as the Lisbon Treaty (2007) and the creation of the European External Action Service (2009) shed light on the nature of development of the EU as a global actor. The course conducts various case studies from recent history such as an overview of the European Community's reactions and negotiations in the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) and EU action to tackle the Ebola crisis (2013-2016). The course considers the relationship between the founders of the European Union and international politics. We examine whether the union was intended to mediate international relations after the Second World War.