Contact
Center for European Studies
3324 Turlington Hall
PO Box 117342
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 294-7142
(352) 392-8966 (fax)
Email
Instructors: Dr. Amie Kreppel & Dr. Petia Kostadinova
The development and teaching of this course is funded by the Jean Monnet Program of the European Union and the Center for European Studies at the University of Florida.
Short Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with a unique perspective on the ongoing process of European Union enlargement. It combines the study of the history and politics of the European Union with the social, economic and political transformation of Eastern Europe, with a focus on the intersection and interaction of the two.
The class begins with a summary of the historical development of the European Union and a review of its formal and informal institutions. The second part of the class overviews the recent history, political and economic transitions of Eastern Europe, including the role of the EU in determining the shape of those transitions. The third section of the class focuses on the process of European Union enlargement, summarizing recent enlargement experiences, as well as offering perspectives on the far-reaching social, economic and political effects of enlargement from representatives of both “old” and “new” Europe. The final portion of the class is devoted to a practical simulation where students, divided into several teams representing various national and institutional actors involved in the process, “play out” the future enlargement of current European Union applicant counties.