The course is part of the main field European Studies on intermediate level (31-60 credits)

The course builds on the first semester of the programme, which focuses on European historical development, history of ideas and the history of the EU. The course aims to develop further the knowledge and abilities of the students in analyzing and understanding the structures of European Union (EU) decision making and to examine the global role of the EU. For this purpose theories of European integration, of the role and interaction of different EU institutions, as well as policy processes in these institutions, and of the role of the EU on the international arena, are studied.

European Studies II: The Governance of the European Union and its Role in the World is divided into two modules.

The first module – The Governance of the European Union (7,5 hp) – aims to provide the students with (a) an overview of the central theories explaining the integration and regionalization processes within the EU, (b) a theory based understanding of European governance, i.e. the institutional structure and the decision making processes of the EU, (c) theoretical tools to analyze topical events and key issues in European politics. Module 1 is concluded with a EU seminar (focusing the decision making processes of the EU) which gives the students the opportunity to apply their knowledge on a relevant empirical case.

The second module – EU as a Global Actor (7,5 hp) – explores, both theoretically and empirically, the increasingly self-conscious presence of the European Union as an actor in world politics. To achieve this the students are familiarized with the development of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and with different cases of foreign policy actions of the EU (e.g. enlargement and neighborhood policies, climate and sustainability policies, security and development policies). The course is concluded with an evaluation of how the presence of the EU affects the international system as a whole, against the background of the colonial history of Europe.

After finishing the course the student shall:

1. Demonstrate understanding and show ability to describe the institutional structure and decision making processes of the EU, and ability to critically assess the EU as a democratic form of governance.
2. Show in-depth understanding of the different theories that have been developed to explain and understand integration and regionalization processes, with special emphasis on theoretical perspectives on European integration and the political development of the EU.
3. Show ability to analyze and critically reflect on events in contemporary European politics, using synchronic as well as diachronic perspectives.
4. Show broad knowledge of the EU as a global actor on the international arena.
5. Show knowledge of theories applicable to the subject of EU as a global actor and ability to use these theories.
6. Show specific knowledge of the institutional actors and policy areas discussed during the course, and which demonstrate the role of the EU on the international arena.
7. Show ability to identify and critically evaluate empirical instances of the actions of the EU in a global world on the basis of one of the studied policy areas.

The course builds on independent literature studies, lectures, seminars and an EU simulation.

Module 1 is examined through an individual exam seminars and a EU simulation

Module 2 is examined through an individual exam, active participation in seminars and presentations

Module 1: The Governance of the European Union

• Cini, Michelle and Pérez-Solórzano Borragán, Nieves (2022) European Union Politics, Oxford University Press, 7th edn
• Rhinard, M., Nugent, N., Paterson W.E. (2023). Crises and Challenges for the European Union. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Wiener, A., Börzel, T.A. & Risse, T. (red.) (2019). European integration theory. (Third edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Module 2: The European Union’s Role in the World

• Gstöhl, S. & Schunz, S. (red.) (2021). The external action of the European Union: concepts, approaches, theories. London: Macmillan Education.
• Hill, Christopher and Smith, Michael (eds.) (2017), International Relations and the European Union (3rd edition). Oxford University Press.

Beyond the reading list scientific articles in the field may be added to the course literature

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.

The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.