Information System of Masaryk University 

Course Information

EUP404 Europe and Global Politics

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2009

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 12 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

doc. PhDr. Břetislav Dančák, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Hubert Smekal, M.A., Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Supervisor

PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies - Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Jolana Navrátilová

Timetable

Tue 16:00–17:40 U42

Prerequisites

This course focuses on Europe in the context of global politics. The purpose of the course is to provide students with a theoretically based understanding of the role Europe plays in world politics.

Course Enrollment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

Fields of study the course is directly associated with

• European Politics (Eng.) (programme FSS, N-PL)

Course objectives

The general structure of the course consists of two major parts: theoretical issues, and case studies and applications. At the end of the course the students shall get insights into the nature of European and global politics, become familiar with the recent debate concerning European involvement in global politics, with transatlantic relations and also with different theoretical perspectives on international politics. They shall also gain analytical skills concerning the empirical applications of some of the concepts discussed in the first par (especially in the case of Europe as an actor in world politics).

Syllabus

• Programme
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Europe as a superpower?
• 3. Europe in Global Politics
• 4. Europe and Energy Security
• 5. Europe and International Human Rights
• 6. READING WEEK
• 7. Unilateralism versus multilateralism I.
• 8. Unilateralism versus multilateralism II.
• 9. Central Europe within transatlantic relations
• 10. Europe and the United States: Different Perception of Security Threats or Differing Preferences for the Approaches towards their Resolution?
• 11. Human Rights and development aid in EU’s foreign policy
• 12. Europe, USA and Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)
• 13. BMD in central Europe – current debate
• 14. Course wrap up and evaluation of final papers

Literature

• The EU and human rights. Edited by Mara Bustelo - James Heenan - Philip Alston. 1. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. xxiii, 946. ISBN 0-19-829809-9. info
• RICHARDSON, Jeremy J. European Union : power and policy-making. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1996. x, 300 s. ISBN 0-415-12916-8. info
• Multilateralism and U.S. foreign policy :ambivalent engagement. Edited by Stewart Patrick - Shepard Forman. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002. viii, 509. ISBN 1-58826-018-6. info
• Europe, America, Bush :transatlantic relations in the twenty-first century. Edited by John Peterson - Mark A. Pollack. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2003. xii, 158 s. ISBN 0-415-30943-3. info

Assessment methods

Course Requirements
1) Students are expected to read required readings for each seminar.
2) Active participation in class discussions.
3) Students are required to write short position papers (3600 characters, i.e. 2 pages) for every seminar; totally 11 position papers. Position papers should include a summary of main points of required readings, a critique of these readings and questions for discussion. To sum up – position papers must have three clearly identified sections:
1. Summary;
2. Critique;
3. Questions.
Position papers that do not have this structure will be rejected. Position papers should be inserted into a proper Folder in “Student Papers” (according to the date of the seminar) in IS (Information System) no later than 1 p.m. of the day before the seminar for which the position paper is written.
4) Students should submit a 10-page long (18 000 characters) final paper concenring the topic relevant to the course no later than 10th May 2008 (to a specified folder in IS). The topic of the final paper has to be consulted and confirmed by a lecturer till 10 March 2008. 5) Students have to pass final in-class written exam consisting of six questions based on required readings and discussions in class.
Grading
The final grade will be calculated as a composite evaluation of three parts:
1) 11 position papers and activity in discussions (á max. 5 points, i.e. 11 x 5 points, total 55 points);
2) Final paper (max. 25 points)
3) Final exam (6 questions x max. 5 points, total 30 points) Maximum: 110 points.
Pass: 70 points (64 %).
A 103 – 110 points
B 95 – 102 points
C 86 – 94 points
D 78 – 85 points
E 70 – 77 points
F less than 70 points
Workload
- 11 position papers
- Final paper (18 000 characters)
- Readings and discussions

Language in which the course is taught

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught annually.

Teacher's information

http://eupolitics.fss.muni.cz/docs/europe_and_global_politics.pdf
Compulsory readings for the course is to be found in Study Materials folder of Information System.

The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Spring 2014.

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• Enrollment Statistics (Spring 2009, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2009/EUP404

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