Target group: Students of the MA program "Political Science", Department of Political Science, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".
Course aims: This course aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of the structure and processes of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, to identify and critically examine outstanding issues in the contemporary European integration process in this field. Another goal is to present to the students relevant theoretical approaches and insight to the scholarly literature on the subject. This course also aims to contribute to the development of students’ analytical, critical and communication skills.
Course outline: This is a one semester elective course - 30 academic hours (15 weeks). It will present an overview of the evolution of the CFSP since 1991 and the international political context in which this policy has emerged and developed. The course will contain an introduction of the mainstream theories of European Political Integration and the specifics of the Foreign Policy and National Security domain (high policy). The course will provide an overview of /1/the structure and processes, /2/ the institutional and legal setting, /3/ the current activities within the framework of CFSP. There will be a part devoted to the debate on the further development of the CFSP (the deliberations of Working Group VII – External Relations and VIII - Defense of the European Convention 2003). The issue of the different logic of development of the two tiers of CFSP will be discussed. Additional seminar will be allocated to the effects of the fifth enlargement of the EU and the introduction of the European Neighbourhood Policy – the issues of EU conditionality and EU sanctions. Special attention will be paid on the EU – NATO relations in the context of the strained transatlantic ties since the international crisis of 2003. In order to illustrate the main critical issues in the development of CFSP relevant cases will be examined.
Teaching method: The course will offer an integrated curriculum, combining lectures and seminars. In the beginning of the course students will be assigned presentation topics or cases to be developed. At the seminars there will bestudents’ presentations followed by discussion, as well as presentation and examination of relevant case studies.
Teaching method: The course will offer an integrated curriculum, combining lectures and seminars. In the beginning of the course students will be assigned presentation topics or cases to be developed. At the seminars there will bestudents’ presentations followed by discussion, as well as presentation and examination of relevant case studies.
