Welcome to the Jean Monnet Chair for Political Science and EU integration studies at the University of Innsbruck.  The Jean Monnet programme stimulates teaching, research and reflection on European integration at higher education institutions worldwide. With generous funding from the European Commission, we carry out and supervise EU-related research, teaching, and outreach (…)

2024-03: Brus­sels School 2024: Lead­ers, Coor­di­na­tors, Facil­i­ta­tors, and Agenda-set­ters

A common project of the Jean Monnet Chair for Political Science and EU integration at the University of Innsbruck (Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer), the Representation of the European Region “Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino” in Brussels, the University of Innsbruck, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the University of Trento.

Instructor/Coordinator: Michael C. Wolf
Course number: 800753
Type/hours: EX 2
Format: Virtual sessions (starting mid of March) and excursion to Brussels (24 to 28 June)
ECTS credits: 5 (Please make sure in advance that you are allowed to link these ECTS points to your individual study program)
Working language: English

Target group: Students at master's level

Application deadline: 15 february 2024 - Applicants will be selected by 1 March 2024

Executive Summary

You are interested in European politics, history and culture? You would love to experience EU politics at first hand, looking behind the facades of the Berlaymont, the European Parliament and the Justus Lipsius in order to better understand international diplomacy? Maybe you even aspire a career in fields such as international politics, contemporary history, translation, or cultural studies? You can’t wait to connect your academic knowledge with practical insights and exchange views with the makers and shapers of the European continent? You feel pleasure in building international networks and cross-border friendships? If yes, the "Euregio Brussels School 2024" is definitely the right thing for you!

How to apply? Please send your CV and a short essay to the course instructor (michael.wolf@tirol.gv.at). Find all details below!

DETAILS

Learning Outcome

Students will learn about the functioning of the European Union and its main policies, starting from those EU-institutions and bodies that claim general and specific leadership-, agenda-setting, -steering as well as concrete legislative competences. They understand historic and legal patterns that led to the institutional framework of the political system of the contemporary EU. Participants of the course are enabled to comprehend various multi-level-processes of political coordination in the framework of international and European Law, and to explain those processes based on academic theory.

Contents

The course promotes a theory-based, interdisciplinary and practice-oriented analysis of the European Union, its historical development, its constitutional and political structure and its current policy priorities. The core element of the course is a multi-day excursion to the heart of the European Quarter in Brussels. From there, the "Representation of the European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino" organises tailor-made visits to various institutions involved in the EU legislative process. Different dialogue formats with high-ranking politicians and their administrations aim to provide a differentiated but also comprehensive view of the essential aspects concerning the European decision-making process. The course intends to explain European policy-making processes at the interfaces between history, law and political science and to expand the offer for foreign or Erasmus students. In addition, it is the implementation of the cooperation agreement concluded in 2020 between the Universities of Innsbruck, Bolzano and Trento, the work programme of the Liaison Office of the European Region Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino in Brussels (2024) and the implementation of the Grant Agreement of the Jean Monnet Chair Project AGENDA of the Innsbruck Center for European Research (ICER).

Methods 

The first three virtual sessions of the course serve to introduce to the topic and bring all students together, considering their different (inter)disciplinary knowledge, linguistic prerequisites and (transnational) educational traditions. Within the framework of a multi-day excursion to Brussels, participants are then given the opportunity to personally exchange with representatives of various EU institutions and other stakeholders to familiarise themselves with European topics of contemporary interest by participating in various different workshop formats.

Assessment criteria and prerequisites

Active participation in all virtual and real life sessions, as well as speaking and written contributions before and during the excursion to Brussels. Thus, good (English) language skills are necessary (at least B2 based on thorough self-assessment).

Important remarks 

The excursion to Brussels will be supported financially, whereas the amount of the funding is currently being negotiated. The excursion will take place from Monday 24 June until Friday 28 June. 3 (online) introductory and coordination meetings will take place (one in March, April and May each). Full participation and compliance with all rules of the course are necessary in order to be eligible for the funding and for the receiving of the ECTS points.

Application and Selection

Application: Please send your CV (in English) and your essay (max. 2 pages) to the course coordinator (michael.wolf@tirol.gv.at) no later than 15 February. The subject of the mail should be “Application Euregio Brussels School 2024” and the documents should be sent together in one PDF file (max. 5 MB). The topic of the essay should be “My agenda for the EU 2024-2029” (imagine you are running for becoming the next President of the European Commission and wanting to promote your own visions about the future of the EU to the public).

Selection: All incoming applications from each of the three participating universities (including Erasmus+ students) will be individually reviewed, assessed and ranked. In case of equally good applications (CV and essay will be weighted equally), the selection will be made on a “first come, first serve” basis. All applicants will receive an answer (positive or negative) around beginning of March 2024. Please note that the final selection by the course instructor can’t be challenged and that participants of previous editions cannot be selected again (in order to give other students the chance to take part in the program). Further, the application deadline (15.2.) might be shortened or extended, depending on the number of incoming applications. Any changes will be announced on this page timely.

Start and timeline

Virtual meetings:

• 19.03. (official start)
• 16.04.
• 28.05.

Excursion to Brussels:

• 24.06. to 28.06. (official end)

Bildcredits
Pixabay
European Commission

The Innsbruck Center for European Research (ICER), housed within the Department for Political Science at the University of Innsbruck, brings together research and university teaching facilities on European integration and European Union studies. ICER aims to strengthen the critical and multidisciplinary analysis of the EU, examine the EU’s frameworks for poly-archic, multi-level and –actor governance, provide a forum to stimulate the development of innovative analytical tools and teaching resources, increase the accessibility of information sources on the EU, and to stimulate the debate and research on the EU. The Center is an integral part of Innsbruck University’s Research Center “Governance and Civil Society”, and cooperates with the Research Centers “Föderalismus – Politik und Recht” and the Research Cluster “Alpiner Raum - Mensch und Umwelt“.

Research carried out by ICER focuses on three core subjects:

Development of and theorizing the EU's primary law and its related socio-political bases

• Processes to render the EU, both the Member States’ and its supranational institutions, instruments and procedures more democratic, efficient and effective,
• European “soft law” or “tertiary law”, i.e. inter-institutional agreements , rules of procedure, and other informal, inter- and intra-institutional arrangements as constitutive parts for developing European primary law ,
  
• Interparliamentary cooperation with regard to the changing roles and functions of the European Parliament and (sub)-national parliaments ,
• Political parties and EU integration, right-wing populist, nationalist and eurosceptic parties in the EU.
• Discussions about the future development of the EU and theoretical concept building concerning conditions, drivers and brakes for EU integration and disintegration.

Decision-making processes, negotiation strategies and conceptual problems regarding the implementation of EU policies

• Balancing EMU and reforming European Economic and Social Policy
  
• Common Agriculture Policy and structural reforms in the alpine regions
• International Agreements and the EU’s Common Commercial Policies
• European Environmental Policy
• Linking the Open Method of Coordination with traditional, legally binding instruments
• Consistency of supranational and intergovernmental structures, instruments and processes in the EU's external relations
• Balancing Security, Freedom, Civil Rights and Justice in EU Justice and Home affairs

Policy preferences of state and civil-society actors in the EU member states

• Intercultural processes and conflicts
• Processes of direct democracy in European Policy
  
• Trans-Alpine and Trans-Arctic cooperation in European Policy
• EU policy making in Austria and inter-ministerial coordination