DAKOWSKA Dorota & ZIELONKA Jan - Europe and Its Neighbourhood : Concepts, Borders and Political Constructions (25h)

Professors: Dorota DAKOWSKA & Jan ZIELONKA                                    Academic Assistant: 

This course explores the European Union through historical and political lenses. It situates the EU within the longer trajectory of European state formation and imperial legacies, while analysing the political, economic, and symbolic processes that have shaped its development. Building on the competing conceptualisations of ‘Europe’, the course investigates the logics underpinning successive waves of EU enlargement, focusing on the transformations induced by the end of the Cold War. The course also explores the EU’s neighbourhood as a dynamic and contested space, particularly in the context of recent geopolitical crises, such as Russian aggression. It engages with the concept of bordering as both a material and discursive practice, with specific reference to migration governance and the delineation of political and social boundaries. The course also addresses the role of memory and memorialisation in shaping European political narratives. Overall, the course aims to equip students with the analytical tools necessary for critically assessing the evolving nature of the European project and of its political and spatial configurations.

General informations of the courses are here. 

ECTS Card & Outline