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What is the European Union? How important is it in Global Affairs? Why is the EU expanding? What lead to the BREXIT vote and what influence will it have? Through the use of traditional and online teaching methods, this course introduces students to the identity, structure and function of the EU, its key challenges and its role and impact on the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
Established after the end of WWII, the European Union (EU) has grown from the initial six members to now encompassing 27 Member States. With International Relations (IR) in a state of flux, in the midst of this change and upheaval, the European Union remains an important economic, political, and social leader. However, it finds itself needing to react to pressures both within its Member States (for example, in the area of climate change and the rise of populism) as well as those outside – it has been heavily impacted by the war in Ukraine.The British decision to leave the European Union forced the EU and New Zealand to reevaluate the relationship, which had previously been dependent on the historical and cultural links between the United Kingdom and New Zealand (New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti O Waitangi, was signed between the British Crown and Māori). More recently, New Zealand has signed a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, which includes several world firsts, such as an indigenous chapter and the right to hold each party to account in their climate change policies. With new foundations for engagement gradually being established, this course will introduce students to the European Union and its Member States, considering their role and relevance. This course is designed as introduction to the process of post-1945 European integration for students who have never studies the European Union previously. As well as contextualising the course around the two recent developments in the relationship, it will examine the geographical, historical, political, and social processes that have led to the construction of Europe; European, and national; identities and values; the emergence of European regionalism and national minorities; the internal and external projection of European values; and crises confronting Europe. The course content will adapt depending on current events in Europe.The Course Coordinator, Dr Serena Kelly has received a competitive Jean Monnet grant for this course. Professor Martin Holland, and Dr Milenko Petrovic are leading experts in their field and also contribute to the programme. The course is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
This core course is designed to introduce students to key concepts and ideas about the European Union providing an important framework for students intending to major in European and European Union Studies. On completion of the course students will demonstrate an understanding about how and why the European Union was created, how the EU works and what competences it has been assigned by Member States. In addition, students will be able to discuss the EU’s enlargement prospects as well as critically analyse the complexities of European identity.The course introduces students to a range of ideas, concepts and tools for analysing Europe and the European Union, which can then be fed into, and assist, with other fields of study. Students will emerge with a greater understanding of an important actor and leader in the world, the European Union, how it operates and the challenges it faces. The course encourages students to challenge ideas and stereotypes.Where appropriate, the course reflects on biculturalism. The inclusion of bicultural and multicultural perspectives will result in the students being competent in engaging in multiple perspectives of society, both locally and internationally (especially Europe). Students will also be able to interact confidently and appropriately with persons from a background different from their own as well as the ability to understand their selves and how this impacts engagement with others, tangata tū tangata ora, helping students to engage with global and multi-cultural contexts.The assessment is designed to encourage students to develop key skills for the workplace. All tutorials are based on ako (a teaching and learning relationship, where the educator is also learning from the student and where educators’ practices are informed by the latest research and are both deliberate and reflective). Oral presentations help students to develop their analytical presentation and communication skills, viewed as vitally important for their future careers and benefits the community (please discuss the oral presentation with Serena if you have anxiety around public speaking).Students are encouraged to conduct an independent research report, interviewing community members about their perceptions of European identity. This enables students to not only develop key academic skills but means making connections with the wider community and promotes cultural understanding and awareness. A further assessment criteria – online forums – means students must develop their digital literacy in order to complete the course.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Biculturally competent and confident
Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.
Engaged with the community
Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
EURO101
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Serena Kelly
Martin Holland and Milenko Petrovic
Although there is no set text for the course, supplementary readings are provided by the lecturers to be discussed in that week’s tutorial. Readings will be made available to students via the course page on LEARN. In addition, students are encouraged to keep up to date with what is happening in the EU on a day-to-day basis, particularly through a news feed from EUobserver.com.Almost all of the course information is available on AKO|LEARN. There is a page set up for every week. This is where you can find the reading materials for the tutorials as well as the recorded lectures and other weekly tasks.Other material, which may be helpful, can be found in the euro Library Subject Guide: http://canterbury.libguides.com/euro Introductory Reading:There is no set text for this course. You may want to check out the Library Subject Guide for European Union Studies. The webpage includes a list of books that have been recently acquired by the University of CanterburyHome - European Union Studies - Subject Guides at University of Canterbury (libguides.com)
Library portalAKO|LEARN Library Subject Guides
Domestic fee $894.00
International fee $4,100.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .