EU EXTERNAL RELATIONS: DIPLOMACY, GLOBAL TRADE AND STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION
EU EXTERNAL RELATIONS: DIPLOMACY, GLOBAL TRADE AND STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION
Thomas Christiansen, Flavia Lucenti
Thomas Christiansen
tchristiansen@luiss.it
Instructional goals
The purpose of this course is to situate the European Union (EU) and its external relations in the context of global politics, in order to understand both the role the EU plays across a range of thematic and geographical areas of international politics, and the impact that global developments have on Europe.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will have:
A thorough knowledge of the EU institutions and decision-making procedures in the area of foreign policy
An awareness of the opportunities and limitations for EU external action, in particular with regard to the inter-relationship between economic, security and normative considerations
A good knowledge of the variety of relations the EU maintains with the major powers and key regional organisations across the globe
An understanding of the main trends in global politics and the impact that these have on the EU
A capacity to identify the main driving forces in EU external relations and to critically examine the challenges and opportunities confronting the EU in an emerging multipolar world.
Course Contents
The course introduces students to the history and institutions of EU foreign policy making, and then examines in more detail Europe’s role in key area of global governance (security, trade, technology) as well as its relations with major powers and key regions around the world.
Reference Books
S. Keukeleire and T.Delreux, The Foreign Policy of the European Union (Palgrave, 2014);
C. Hill, M. Smith, and S. Vanhoonacker (eds), International Relations and the European Union (OUP, 2017)
Teaching Methods
The course combines a number of educational formats, specifically lectures, student debates and classroom discussion. The emphasis is on interactive and problem-based learning. Sessions will feature lectures by the instructor (ca.45mins) which will present key developments in the field and in the literature, and raise questions and problems for subsequent discussion. The remainder of the session will then be devoted to classroom discussion addressing these questions, and any other points that students may want to raise. There will also be sessions during which groups of students – having worked together to research the particular issue – will debate key questions and raise points for subsequent classroom discussion.
Assessment Method
The course will be assessed through a combination of continuous assessment of student participation and a final exam.
Thesis assignment criteria
Min 29/30
Week 1
Lectures on:
• Introduction to the course
• Key concepts in the analysis of EU external relations
• Historical evolution of foreign policy cooperation in the European Union
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 2
Lectures on:
• The Institutional Framework in the area of EU external relations
• Key objectives, limitations and achievements of EU foreign policy
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 3
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Trade and Investment Policy
• EU Development Policy and Humanitarian Assistance
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 4
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Environmental Policy
• The EU’s Role in Global Climate Action
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 5
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Digital Policy
• The EU’s Approach to AI Regulation
• The EU’s Role in the Global Governance of Strategic Technologies
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 6
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Enlargement
• EU Relations with the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood
• EU Relations with Russia
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 7
Lectures and debates on:
• Transatlantic Relations
• EU Relations with NATO
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 8
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Relations with China
• EU-Asia Relations and the Indo-Pacific
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 9
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Relations with Latin America
• EU Relations with Africa
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 10
Lectures and debates on:
• EU Policy on the Arctic
• EU Space Policy
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 11
Lectures and debates on:
• The Geopolitical Turn in EU External Relations
• The EU’s Economic Security Strategy
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)
Week 12
Presentation and Discussion on:
• Review of the Course and Final Discussion
• Overall Evaluation of the Performance in the Debates
• Preparation for the Final Exam
(Detailed reading list will be distributed to all registered students prior to the start of the course)