88091 - History Of European Integration (C.A.)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to give students a comprehensive understanding of the history of the European integration process. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the causes and key elements that led to the establishment of the European Communities. They will also be equipped to employ the appropriate tools for conducting a historical analysis of the European Union's external relations, focusing on trade instruments, conditionality, and systemic alliances.

Course contents

This is an advanced course on the history of European integration. Its primary objective is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the history of European integration, enabling them to appreciate the complex interplay between national histories and the international system that has shaped the European integration process.

The course also examines the evolution of the main European institutions and common policies from a historical perspective. Guest lectures delivered by European officials and practitioners will provide students with first-hand insights into the functioning of the European Union, offering both academic and professional perspectives.

Following a general introduction to the history of European integration, the course focuses on the external relations of the European Communities from the Treaty of Rome (1957) to the creation of the European Union and the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). This historical perspective is essential for understanding the international role of the European Communities/European Union and the relationship between internal integration and external action.

The course begins by exploring the relationship between European history and the construction of a shared European memory, examining how this has evolved, particularly following the major eastern enlargements of 2004 and 2007.

Particular attention is devoted to EU enlargement, the European Communities’/European Union’s most significant external policy instrument, which is currently facing one of the most challenging periods in its history. All successive enlargements will be examined through a combination of lectures and small-group seminars based on the analysis and interpretation of key historical and diplomatic documents.

This teaching methodology is designed to develop students’ advanced historical research skills, as well as their ability to analyse diplomatic and international documents independently. Document analysis activities will be supported by historians, subject specialists, and European diplomats, providing students with direct exposure to both academic expertise and professional practice.

Readings/Bibliography

Reference text:
Giuliana Laschi, History of European Integration, Le Monnier, 2021

Complete bibliography:
A full list will be provided during the first lecture.

Teaching methods

The course is organised into lectures and seminars, according to the programme outlined below.

The first component consists of 20 hours of lectures, designed to provide students with the fundamental conceptual and theoretical framework of the subject.

The second component consists of 20 hours of seminar-based teaching, aimed at consolidating and deepening students’ knowledge through the reading, analysis, and discussion of historical and diplomatic documents.

The course adopts a highly interactive teaching approach. During the seminars, students will work in small groups under the guidance of historians, subject specialists, and European diplomats. The objective is to enable students to acquire both advanced academic knowledge and transferable professional skills, particularly in the analysis and interpretation of historical and international sources.

Students are expected to attend each class having completed the assigned readings in advance and to participate actively in discussions and seminar activities.

Assessment methods

AAssessment Methods Attending Students

The final grade will be based on the following components:

• Class participation: 30% of the final grade
• Written examination: 30%
• Final oral examination: 40%

The written examination will take place at the end of the course, in December. The exact date will be announced during the first class and published on the instructor’s course webpage.

The examination consists of a two-hour written essay, for which students will choose one of three essay titles.

The final oral examination will be based on the readings, primary sources, and other materials discussed during the course, as well as on students’ lecture notes.

Non-Attending Students

Non-attending students are required to take both a written and an oral examination on the same day.

The written examination lasts 45 minutes and consists of 10 semi-open questions covering the course textbook and the compulsory reading. Students may proceed to the oral examination only after successfully passing the written examination.

The oral examination is based on an assigned monograph.

Please contact the instructor for the complete reading list.

Teaching tools

The teaching methodology used is highly interactive.
Throughout the course, experts and scholars will be invited to deepen specific topics and discuss them with students, who will come to the seminars having read the documents and readings proposed by the guest speakers.
PowerPoint presentations.
Analysis of archival documents.

 

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Giuliana Laschi