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Confused
about Europe?
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Get to grips
with the key issues on a new evening course "The European Union has ceased to be an entity that interests only business elites, farmers and Eurosceptics," says Dr Christoph Meyer, Lecturer and Programme Director in International Studies at Birkbeck's Faculty of Continuing Education. "If we open the newspapers today, we find debates about Monetary Union, a European army and the accession of Turkey - yet it is difficult to find background information about how the EU has developed, how it works, what it does, and what role Britain plays within it. Not least because of the referendum on the European Constitution, I felt there is a real need to extend our suite of courses on the European Union and its evolution." Dr Meyer continues: "In addition to the existing one-term courses on European integration and institutions, Birkbeck's new two-term course, 'Understanding the European Union: Evolution, Politics, and Problems' will address the major topical issues and provide the necessary background. It will give participants the knowledge, the concepts and the confidence to engage in a critical and informed way with issues raised by European integration and governance." Course details: Understanding the European Union: Evolution, Politics, and Problems Takes place
over two terms, every Thursday for 20 meetings: The European Union has ceased to be an entity that interests only business elites, farmers and Eurosceptics as debates about the Euro, the constitutional treaty or the accession of Turkey demonstrate. Yet, governance through the European Union and Britain's influence within it are poorly explained in much media coverage. This course seeks to foster a better understanding of the European Union and will revolve around four main questions: How has it evolved? How does it work? What does it do? What are the most important challenges confronting the Union and its member states? In examining these questions, the course will equip participants with the knowledge, concepts and confidence to engage in a critical and informed way with issues raised by European integration, governance and policy. Students successfully completing the required coursework may have their work assessed as part of Birkbeck's Certificate in General Studies. Also offered: two short courses on the EU, details as follows: The European Union and the Wider European Context Takes place
over one term, every Tuesday for 10 meetings: The achievement of the EU has been to pre-empt the concept of 'Europe' for itself, as if the rest of the Continent were irrelevant. We examine the structure and development of the EU, its successes, failures and future goals, while placing it within the context of Europe as a whole, a Europe which must include the post-communist countries and the new states of the former Soviet Union. Institutions of the EU and Issues for the Future Takes place
over one term, every Tuesday for 10 meetings: This course will build upon topics covered in the course on 'The EU and the Wider European Context'. It will, however, focus in greater detail on some of the more important institutions of the European Union, how they are organised, and what they do. This represents the organisational dimension of the European process, which is, of course, incomplete and controversial. The prescribed role for these institutions depends very much on one's idea of what Europe should aspire to become. Course contact details: General
information about enrolment: Further
course details:
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| Last updated: 1 December 2004 | |
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