EU-Russia Relations Today
July 6 – 17, 2020
2 ECTS, 20 contact hours in total
If you would like to learn how EU-Russia relations have been developing during past decades and what political forces lay behind one or another decision on both sides this course is definitely for you!
Course Description
This course explores the problems and potential solutions driving EU-Russia relations covering not only the dynamics between Brussels and the Kremlin but also talks of the inner workings and foreign policy models of the EU and Russia. The course is open to anyone interested in global politics and EU-Russia relations. There are no prerequisites to enroll except for English language proficiency.
The course is taught by Anna Dekalchuk, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Academic Supervisor of the Bachelor's Programme 'Political Science and World Politics' HSE.
We will talk about the internal workings of both the EU and the Russian state, define their foreign policy modes, and trace the way the relations unfolded since the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. If you want to learn why Corfu Island is so important for the relations between Brussels and the Kremlin, what EU-Russian Common Spaces are, or trace the role of the Russian national champion Gazprom in EU-Russia energy relations, this course is for you
Why Choose This Course?
The course not only covers a number of spheres and dimensions — Soviet heritage, regional conflicts, gas diplomacy, etc. — but also gives students an opportunity to share their views on key aspects of modern EU-Russia relations. Students who choose to take this course are given a very broad basis for understanding of the subject.
Content
- EU-Russia relations in the 1990s
- The turn of the century and the Kosovo crisis
- EU-Russia relations in the early 2000s and the issue of Chechnya
- Cooperation and conflict at the brink of Eastern Enlargement
- Colour revolutions of 2003-2005
- 2006-2008: gas diplomacy
- Russian-Georgian conflict and the Partnership for Modernization
- The current crisis in EU-Russia relations
- Sanctions in EU-Russia relations today
Skills and Competence
Having completed this course, students will be better equipped to both pursure research in EU-Russia relations and develop policy expertise and advice.
Prerequisites
The course has no formal entry requirements.
Teaching Methods
One lecture per day, 9 days of classes in total and a final exam on the 10th day. Final assessment will be done upon the results of written test.
Final Assessment
The final assessment comes in the form of a test. This test consists of two parts and lasts 1 hour 20 min. Part one is a simple one correct answer quiz. Part two consists of open questions where students have to demonstrate their deeper knowledge of the subject. Grading system:
- Part one: student gets 1 point per one correct answer (and 0 points otherwise).
- Part two: depending on how comprehensive the answer is, a student gets from 3 to 0 points per one question.
Final Grade Background
In order to complete the course students have to attend no less than 70% of the classes. Percentage points gained for the final test will be transferred into the 10-point grade:
100,00 % – 95,00% — 10 points
94,99% – 90,00% — 9 points
89,99% – 80,00% — 8 points
79,99% – 75,00% — 7 points
74,99% – 65,00% — 6 points
64,99% – 60,00% — 5 points
59,99% – 50,00% — 4 points
49,99% – 45,00% — 3 points
44,99% – 35,00% — 2 points
Less than 35% — 1 point
Recommended Resources
Films
The documentary ‘Moscow’s Empire – Rise and Fall’ by DW Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
Primary readings
Forsberg, T., & Haukkala, H. (2016). The European Union and Russia. Palgrave Macmillan.
Maass, A.-S. (2016). EU-Russia Relations, 1999-2015: From Courtship to Confrontation. Routledge.
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Anna Dekalchuk
Course Lecturer