Admission requirements
This course is designed for the minor Global Affairs. For both Dutch based and exchange students, it is not possible to follow single courses of this minor. You need to be enrolled in Usis for the minor to be accepted to this course. There are 200 places open for registration, on a first come, first served basis, where LDE students are given priority.
This course is also open for inbound exchange students if they wish to take the entire minor Global Affairs. Exchange students must be admitted by the FGGA International Office prior to the start of the minor; priority will be given to direct exchange partners of FGGA. For more information about the application procedure for exchange students, please contact the FGGA International Office.
Description
This course will introduce students to the European Union as an external power and the various ways in which the EU makes an impact in the international arena. The EU has been described in the past as inadequate and weak in foreign policy, partly due to the great expectations ascribed to it given its size and economic power. Arguably, the ‘capability-expectations’ gap is still a problem, as security challenges in Europe have become more pressing. Since 2016, the EU has a Global Strategy and specific strategies towards countries and regions. In 2022, the EU adopted a Strategic Compass including, for the first time, a joint threat assessment in the face of multiple security threats.
Given the return of geopolitics in Europe, the Union has also developed institutions and instruments to add some hard power to the soft power which it claimed for the first several decades of its existence. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU has mobilized instruments and sanctions to address a security challenge bigger than any threat it has faced since the end of the Cold War. This course will present an overview of these developments and the changes in EU institutions, strategies and the Common Security and Defense Policy.
Beyond foreign and defense policy, the Union also has other ways to make an impact beyond its borders. These are based on different policies and instruments: from enlargement governance – exporting rules and norms to enlargement candidates, to external governance - engaging in regulatory networks and association agreements with third states. Therefore, next to the institutions and capabilities that constitute the EU’s still uneven foreign policy, the Union’s engagement with neighbours and candidates for accession will be discussed and analysed in this course. In addition, the course will look at perspectives and perceptions of the EU beyond its borders and examine to what extent the EU’s own view of its power is shared by others. Bringing these different aspects together, the course will enable students to critically assess the EU’s impact in the world.
Course objectives
After successful completion of this course, students should:
Demonstrate knowledge of the various ways in which the European Union interacts with third states;
Demonstrate knowledge of key developments in recent years that affect the Union’s power in the international arena
Be familiar with various theories and concepts used to assess the EU’s role and impact in the international arena
Understand the decision-making rules under which the EU makes decisions in the Common Foreign and Security Policy, in enlargement and European Security and Defense policy
Understand the dynamics of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Security and Defense policy and the way the relevant EU institutions and capabilities have evolved in recent years
Be knowledgeable of the different modes of governance that the EU has developed in addition to foreign policy that contribute to its impact in the world
Apply knowledge of developments in the EU’s external action to make arguments accessible to a broader public
Critically assess the EU’s impact in the world using different analytical perspectives.
Timetable
The timetable will be displayed with a link on the website, Brightspace and on the page of this minor programme.
Mode of instruction
7 lectures of 2 hours, complemented by discussions, additional sessions, guest lectures and online video materials where appropriate.
Total course load: 140 hours
Hours spent on:
7 lectures x2= 14
3x2 guest lectures or in class games or discussions = 6
Preparation for each lecture: 2 readings, approximately 25 pages each, 7 hours before session, for 7 sessions: 49 hours
Preparations for mid-term assessment: 32 hours
Preparations for the final assessment: 45 hours.
Participation in lectures, discussions and exercises is required in order to obtain a grade. One lecture may be missed. Being absent more than once may likely lead to expulsion from the course.
Assessment method
Mid-term assignment
30% of total grade
Covers the course themes
Re-sit not possible
Grade must be compensated
Final assignment:
70% of total grade
covers the course themes
Grade must be 5.50 or higher to pass the course
Re-sit possible
Re-sit will take the same form
Students will also be permitted to re-sit the main assignment if they have a calculated overall course grade lower than 5.50 or with permission of the Board of Examiners. There is no re-sit for the mid-term, which needs to be compensated.
Late hand in penalty: 0,5 minus per day, and after seven days we do not accept papers any longer.
In the case of written assessment methods, the examiner can always initiate a follow-up conversation with the student to establish whether the learning objectives have been met.
The Course and Examination Regulation Security Studies and the Rules and Regulation of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs apply.
Reading list
Articles and papers available via the University electronic journals library or open access.
Registration
Registration via MyStudymap or uSis is possible from Monday 17 July, 13.00 h, after registration for the entire minor. Register for every course via MyStudymap or uSis. Some courses of the minor have a limited number of participants, so register on time.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
After registration for an exam you still need to confirm your attendance via MyStudymap. If you do not confirm, you will ultimately be de-registered and you will not be allowed to take the exam.
More information on registration via MyStudymap can be found on this page.
Please note: guest-/contract-/exchange students do not register via MyStudymap but via uSis. Guest-/contract-/exchange students also do not have to confirm their participation for exams via MyStudymap.
Contact
Remarks
All sessions will be in English.
Assignments need to be written in English
Please note that the re-sits of this minor will be organized in January