European Union Foreign Policy

Overview

This course will assess the development of the European Union’s foreign policy since its emergence in the 1970s. The course will introduce students to theories of understanding foreign policy and its development in the EU, before analysing the emergence of the EU as a foreign policy actor. The module will cover a range of topics related to EU foreign policy including:
1. Introduction to the course
2. How do we understand the EU as a foreign policy actor? Theories and concepts
3. The EU’s emergence in the European Security order post-WWII
4. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the hour for Europe – the EU’s foreign policy awakening
5. Building the Common Foreign and Security Policy
6. The break-up of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo War – Europe’s response
7. Operationalising military capabilities
8. War in Ukraine
9. International Order and the EU’s role
10. Summary – an emerging or forever limited international player?

Learning Objectives

Students will be comfortable with the main theories and concepts associated with the development of the European Union and European Union foreign policy, in particular
Students will understand the development of the post-Cold War European Security order
Students will understand the complexities of the EU’s emerging international role.

Skills

Intellectual skills
• Managing, Understanding & Prioritizing Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage and use such information in an independent manner
• Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments in the context of theoretically informed knowledge
• Critical & Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field

Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing
• Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning
• Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment
• Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon ones own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development
• Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT to source data and produce coherent information
• Data management: ability to source timely and relevant information from international organisations and databases

Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines
• Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information
• Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear argument; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way
• Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments in innovative ways

Assessment

None