European Union Studies

Description: Overview:

Our 10th anniversary program marks a turning point: we will partner with the University of Bonn in Germany, enrolling our 2009 summer participants at their European Summer Academy. The four-week summer academy combines course work in Bonn with excursions to German, European and international institutions in Berlin and Brussels. Two classes, one on European Institutions, one on Transatlantic Issues, form central pillars of the ESA program. Additional classes, such as an Intercultural Workshop, guided tours of Bonn, Berlin and Brussels, museum visits and trips to Cologne and Aachen give students the opportunity to explore Germany and other European countries first-hand.

The intensive 5-week program begins with a week of study and visits in Paris and Strasbourg, France. This in order to prepare students for their month of classes in Bonn. Before focusing on the institutions of the EU and Europe since 1989 (fall of the Berlin Wall), our discussions and visits in France will look at Europes immediate post-WWII past: what was the state of Europe in 1945 and how was it able to meet the new challenges of a post-war society? Our visit to Paris will reflect on the French capitals historical moment during Liberation and its post-WW II reconstruction. Our visit to Strasbourg will examine the birth of European cooperation with visits to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. Frances role in the early formation of the European unity--from the Schumann Declaration through the formation of the European Community--will also be assessed. Finally, in the spirt of the EUs highly succssful European City of Culture program in existence since 1985, we will enjoy several cultural excursions to major monuments and museums in Paris and Strasbourg.

After Strasbourg, students will travel to Bonn to begin their intensive in-class study at the Universitys European Summer Academy. Courses will consist of lectures, panel discussions, briefings, and excursions on the theme of Europe Beyond Borders. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing end of the Cold War, the European Summer Academy (ESA) will not only deal with the European Union and the transatlantic partnership in general, but will also look more closely at the role of walls, borders and frontiers in the past, present and the foreseeable future. During the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was considered both the symbol of a divided Germany and of the all-embracing East-West conflict as well. In 2009, in our globalized world, national borders seem to lose their importance more and more. The EU especially, appears as the model example of the diminishing need for national seclusion. But have borders and frontiers, both with regard to their literal, as well as their symbolic meaning, really disappeared? ESA participants will discuss this question in classes and with visiting speakers from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from academia to the media and business.

During their excursions to Berlin, Frankfurt/Oder and PoznaD in Poland, students will get a chance to learn more about Germanys history and its development since the end of the cold war. By traveling to cities on both sides of the border, students will also learn about the Polish-German border region, which has been at the center of many European conflicts in the past. During the excursion to Brussels, ESA participants will meet with representatives of NATO and the European Commission and will get a first-hand impression of the two institutions work and their role in transatlantic relations and the European Union respectively.

Students will be evaluated on course attendance and discussion, exam, and a research paper (to be turned in later in the summer).

Highlights: Bonn and the University

Bonns charms are hard to miss: it is not only a beautiful historic city, located peacefully on the banks of the Rhine, but at the same time offers a vibrant and engaging environment in which to live, work, and study. As the former seat of government, it still houses various governmental institutions as well as a number of international organizations such as important UN-organizations and some major corporations like Deutsche Telekom and Deutsche Post. Furthermore, Bonn is an internationally recognized scientific region. Bonn is Ludwig van Beethovens birthplace and proud of its rich cultural life with its own opera house, several theaters, concert halls and a wide range of museums.

With a student body of about 27,000, the University of Bonn is one of Germanys largest universities and with about 5,000 foreign students from all over the world also one of the most internationally-oriented ones. A wide range of course offerings, an outstanding reputation in teaching and research and a unique location make the university an especially attractive place to study.

Academic Program:

All students enroll in two 3-credit hour courses. Students may enroll in credit in any of the following departments: European Studies, History, Politcial Science

Students choose one of the following 3 credit-hour courses:
EURS 604 The European Union
EURS 511 Topics in European Studies: The European Union
POLS 689 Topics in: The European Union
HIST 510 Topics in: The European Union

Plus one of the following 3 credit-hour courses:
EURS 503 Europe Today: Europe Beyond Borders
POLS 689 Topics in: Europe Beyond Borders
HIST 510 Topics in: Europe Beyond Borders

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Cost in US$: Approximately $6,190

Additional costs: Airfare, additional meals, passport, books, personal expenses and optional cultural events students attend on their own.

Note:
All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Experience Required: no

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Transcript
• Written Application