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Master's Thesis
Every student of the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies programme is required to write a substantial Master's thesis, which is to be submitted in early May. The thesis, written in either French or English, must be an original piece of work between 15,000 and 20,000 words in length, dealing with an issue relevant to the study programme. It counts for 15 ECTS.
The thesis is written in the framework of an optional or compulsory course and supervised by the professor teaching that course. Most students benefit from the proximity of Brussels and conduct interviews with experts from the EU institutions, NATO or national representations.
When submitting the thesis, students may apply for two of the many thesis awards dedicated to specific subjects. Some of these awards come with a paid internship for the winner at the sponsor’s organisation. Only theses with at least a very good mark will be eligible.
The best Master's theses of the past academic years were:
Devastating Divorce or Blessing in Disguise? The Impact of Brexit on EU Diplomacy through the EEAS – Focus on the EU’s Engagement with the Middle East via the MEPP and the JCPOA
» download abstract
(53.62 KB
application/pdf)
A Holistic Security Provider? Assessing the Implementation of the European Union’s Integrated Approach to External Crises in the Sahel
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(53.82 KB
application/pdf)
Beyond Effectiveness – The EU’s Actions in Niger Regarding Irregular Migration, 2015-2018
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(52.08 KB
application/pdf)
Bringing Europe to the Balkans – The Europeanisation of Croatia and Serbia Compared
» download abstract
(55.24 KB
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Which Role for Rural Development in Euro-Mediterranean Relations? Reflections from ENPARD in Tunisia
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(54.37 KB
application/pdf)
A Means to an End or an End in Itself? The EU Integrated Approach to Conflict in Mali
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(53.76 KB
application/pdf)
The European Union versus External Disinformation Campaigns in the Midst of Information Warfare – Will the EU Win the Battle?
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(53.6 KB
application/pdf)
Institutionalisation as a Result of External Triggers? The Refugee Crisis and the EU’s Externalisation of Integrated Border Management to Neighbouring Buffer States
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(53.26 KB
application/pdf)
A War of Words: The Role of Public Diplomacy in Promoting EU and Russian Human Rights and Democracy Narratives in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood
United in Growing Diversity: How the EU Takes Intercultural Relations into Account in its Western Balkans Enlargement Policy
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(54.26 KB
application/pdf)
Into Uncharted Waters or Close to Familiar Shores? Brexit and the Future EU-UK Defence Partnership
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(53.98 KB
application/pdf)
Breaking the Ice: The EU’s Non-Recognition and Engagement Policy for the Georgian Breakaway Region of Abkhazia
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(54.37 KB
application/pdf)
Not Russian to do anything? The EU Response to Strategic Narratives and Disinformation in the Wake of the Russia-Ukraine Crisis
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(45.41 KB
application/pdf)
Constructing a New EU-Mali Migration Partnership: A Need to Understand the Strategy and the Risks of Externalizing ‘Our’ Crisis
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(46.24 KB
application/pdf)
Le leadership politique dans la diplomatie européenne : L’Union européenne face à la crise ukrainienne
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(49.18 KB
application/pdf)
‘Lost in Trans(Atlantic Re)Lations’: Euro-Atlantic Relations and Russian Reassertion in Light of the Syrian Conflict: Great Power Struggles in a Contested Middle East
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(48.89 KB
application/pdf)
The European Union and the Colombian Conflict: The EU’s Impact in Fostering Peace
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(48.12 KB
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Knocking on Closed Doors: An Examination of the Extent to which the External Opportunity Structure Conditions EU Effectiveness in International Procurement Liberalisation
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(50.16 KB
application/pdf)
A Black Swan in North Africa: A Review of the EU’s Democracy Promotion Policies in Tunisia
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(29.26 KB
application/pdf)
The Language Diplomats Speak: A Discourse-Theoretical Approach to the Negotiations in the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly
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(29.33 KB
application/pdf)
Shedding Light on the “Shadow of TTIP and TPP”: Why Have Negotiations on the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement Been Less Politicized?
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(29.36 KB
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The European Air Transport Command: A Model for Improving European Military Cooperation?
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(30.23 KB
application/pdf)
United in Ambiguity? EU and NATO Interpretations of, and Policy Responses to, ‘Hybrid Warfare’ and ‘Hybrid Threats’
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(38.46 KB
application/pdf)
The European Union’s Arms Trade Policy: consistent with its principles? From CFSP to the Arms Trade Treaty
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(76.71 KB
application/pdf)
I Love You, I Love You Not. Exploring the Icelandic Public Opinion towards EU Accession
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(75.16 KB
application/pdf)
The EU's response to piracy in the global maritime domain: Are the lessons learned in the Horn of Africa a model for the Gulf of Guinea?
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(64.65 KB
application/pdf)
The EU at the UNFCCC: a new paradigm? An interdisciplinary analysis of climate negotiations since Copenhagen
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(65.26 KB
application/pdf)
EU-Africa Regionalism Diplomacy: Understanding the troubles of post-Westphalian Eurafrica
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(78.67 KB
application/pdf)
Une analyse des motivations européennes en faveur du TTIP, ou Comment l’Union européenne a appris à ne plus s’en faire et à aimer le bilatéralisme
A Black Knight in the Eastern Neighbourhood? Russia and EU Democracy Promotion in Armenia and Moldova
‘In Ga(s)a We Trust’? Placing the Palestinian ‘Gas-State building’ Dichotomy on the Eastern Mediterranean Geopolitical Map
Riding or Reaping the Whirlwind? An Account of the EUʼs Engagement with Insecurity in Northern Nigeria
Countering Radicalization in the EU's Southern Neighbourhood: Giving Teeth to the ‘Paper Tiger’?
Defying the Treaty: the Influence of the Polish and Lithuanian Council Presidencies on the Development of the Eastern Partnership
How Is the EU Doing in Africa? A Methodology to Evaluate Policy Impact
High Steaks: The European Commission and Agricultural Trade Negotiations at the Doha Round
Corporate Diplomacy in the EU: The Strategic Corporate Response to Meet Global Challenges
Market Power or Bazaar? Market Power Europe and the Natural Gas Sector in Central Asia
The Evolution of Cyber Security: A Comparative Analysis of the Securitization of Cyberspace in the United States and the European Union
Le transatlantic trade and investment partnership annonce-t-il le renouveau de la relation Etats-Unis – Union européenne ? Le cas de la régulation financière
2012 - 2013
EUnited We Stand? Member State Embassy Relations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
The EU and Hezbollah since the Arab Spring: Maintaining Stability in a Sea of Turmoil
“Winning the Hearts and Minds of Ukrainians”: The Saliency of Public Diplomacy for the Conduct of European External Relations
Restrictive Measures ‘The EU way to go’?
» download abstract
(111.49 KB
application/pdf)
2011 - 2012
Commercial Shipping in the High North: An Assessment of the EU’s Foreign Policy Towards the Arctic
The Process of Negotiating Military Intervention in Libya: How NATO Unites on ‘Unified Protector’
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(114.38 KB
application/pdf)
Theory on Trial: Why Has the EU Emphasised Cooperation with the ICTY for the States of the Former Yugoslavia?
Reaching for a Calculator or a Mirror? : Why Does the EU Join International Human Rights Treaties? A Case Study
» download abstract
(124.69 KB
application/pdf)
EU Micro-Rule-of-Law Policies in Lebanon: Abiding by the Rules of the Sectarian Game?
2010 - 2011
The EU’s Gas Security of Supply Risk Analysis and Management
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(112.14 KB
application/pdf)
Background Vocals. The Role of the Rotating Presidency in the EU’s External Relations Post-Lisbon
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(117.51 KB
application/pdf)
L’accord de libre-échange UE-Corée du Sud : la demi-victoire d’un accord ambitieux face au benchmark néo-protectionniste de la clause de sauvegarde
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(115.9 KB
application/pdf)
The Eu as a Civilian Power Plus in the Post 9/11 International Security Environment. A Critical Assessment of the CSDP Missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia
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(118.55 KB
application/pdf)
As Time Goes By: EU Climate Change Actorness from Rio to Copenhagen
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(114.5 KB
application/pdf)