The project ‘European Integration: learning theories in negotiation role-plays’ bridges different disciplines and knowledge, namely history and theories of European integration, comparative politics and European law. It is built following the philosophy 'learn by doing'.
The unit aims at developing students’ communication oral and written skills in English. In particular, the course brings to students the necessary theoretical, analytical and practical knowledge on EU decision-making processes and European integration. Overall, the course is designed to encourage students to develop a critical and insightful analysis about the democratic nature of the European institutional functioning. To this end, the course ends by the organization of a role-play game simulating a negotiation at the EU level. The role-play offers students a fertile ground for experimenting with the EU institutional complexity at the light of European integration theories.
The main objectives of the course are the following:
1. Understanding the history of EU decision-making processes;
2. Explaining the national position of EU Member States;
3. Defining Member States’ institutional and political features;
4. Understanding inter-institutional EU decision-making processes;
5. Acting in negotiations (role-play);
6. Acquiring the necessary oral and written communication skills to present a Member State’s position and to negotiate a common position with the other Member States’ delegations.
The course takes place over the entire academic year and is divided into 5 complementary modules. Each module provides students with the specific knowledge and necessary skills for the role-play. Specific covid-19 measures might be adapted introducing e-learning teaching methods.
- Module 1: Understanding the history of EU decision-making processes
- Module 2: Explaining the national position of EU Member States
- Module 3: Defining ‘Country profiles’
- Module 4: Understanding (inter-institutional) EU decision-making processes
-Module 5: Acting in negotiations (role-play)
Tutorials and Coaching sessions are provided for each module.
The details are available via WebCampus.
In parallel of these modules, students further receive the support of:
- coaching sessions with a teaching tutor that gives (i) complementary sessions on specific aspects of the European and/or on national political systems and (ii) feedback on the students’ work;
- coaching sessions with Prof. Foissac to work on the student’s (written and oral) communication skills in English.
|
|
Responsible |
Focus of the exam |
Evaluation |
|
|
Module 1 |
Prof. Dodeigne |
Crash course on EU history (+ coaching) |
Written exam at the end of the module (week 5). |
/5 |
|
Module 2 |
Prof. Dodeigne Prof. Foissac |
Comparative politics (oral skills & content) |
Group oral presentation (with a poster) on the institutional architecture of their Member States: Two group research notes (800-1,000 words) comparing two countries, mobilizing concepts and empirical materials covered in Module 2 |
/5
/2 |
|
Module 3 |
Prof. Dodeigne Prof. Foissac Ms. Mosca |
Comparative politics and coordination systems of Member States |
Country profile paper (per group) presenting the key characteristics of one EU Member State and their implications on EU negotiations |
/8 |
|
|
|
|
|
/20 |
|
Module 4 |
Prof. Randour
|
EU decision-making processes |
Individual written exam at the end of the module (week 6).
|
/5 |
|
Module 4 |
Prof. Foissac |
EU decision-making processes |
Group oral presentation (with power point) on EU institutions |
/5 |
|
Module 5 |
Prof. Randour Prof. Foissac |
Role-play & participation |
Group & Individual assessment during the role-play game and the coaching sessions |
/10 |
|
|
|
|
|
/20 |
All mandatory and optional references are available via WebCampus.
| Formation | Programme d’études | Bloc | Crédits | Obligatoire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelier en sciences politiques, orientation générale | Standard | 0 | 10 | |
| Bachelier en sciences politiques, orientation générale | Standard | 3 | 10 |