European Studies

This course provide a general knowledge of European politics, society, economy and culture between the Renaissance and the French Revolution. It focuses on the most significant events and developments that shaped European history, including the rise of humanism, religious reform, state formation and centralization, overseas expansion, global capitalism, and the emergence of representative government. It looks at the consequences brought by these developments, most notably on European political and cultural practices; and study how they impacted traditional understandings of human nature to give rise to modern ideas of human rights.

This course explores how concepts of mobility, boundaries, and (un)belonging are negotiated in modern travelogues about Europe by afrodiasporic as well as African writers. In the postcolonial fashion of "Irritating Europe", the class examines central ideas of European self-imagery, such as its humanism and supposed progressiveness. Students analyze how Black travel literature not only functions as a deconstruction of colonial discourses but also establishes a new literary geography: the Afropean space.

The fate of the European Union hangs in the balance. The crisis concerns more than economics. Do Europeans feel European, or is Europe simply a collection of states with a history of close interactions and devastating wars? Will Europe overcome its dilemmas? How do contemporary social theorists respond to the political, social, and cultural questions raised by the crisis? The course probes these issues to deepen understanding of Europe in the context of contemporary social theory

The first part of the course deals with the historical development of European integration from WWII through to the Lisbon Treaty and the main actors that contribute to the working and functioning of the EU. The second part focuses on some key policies of the EU: students look at economic and monetary policies, justice and home affairs, the common agricultural policy, environmental and climate policy, trade, and democracy promotion. The third part looks at some current challenges and controversies that the EU is facing. Students consider whether the EU is an efficient and legitimate system, current challenges to the rule of law, Euroscepticism and the increasing domestic contestation. The class then concludes with a discussion on differentiation, (dis)integration, and the future of the EU.

This is a beginners’ course in Icelandic. The focus is on the basic features of language use and grammar. Students also gain some insight into Icelandic culture and society. Students gain practice through language tasks relating to daily life. The course is a combination of classroom study (lectures and assignments) and self study. Active participation is required.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. The program focuses on the protection of healthcare in the European Union and most notably covers the following topics:

• the major constitutional and political issues underlying this subject;
• the competences of the EU in the field of healthcare and the increasing role of the One Health approach in the EU;
• healthcare as an economic freedom;
• healthcare as a fundamental right;
• healthcare as a sectoral policy of the European Union: governance, institutional actors and regulatory framework;
• the case law of the Court of Justice on health services and access to cross-border healthcare; the pharmaceutical and medical devices market;
• the digitization of healthcare systems (e.g., e-Health, m-Health, Artificial Intelligence, and European Health Data Space);
• preparedness and response planning in the event of serious cross-border health threats: the Union’s response to COVID-19.

At the end of the course unit, students: possess an in-depth knowledge about the supranational legal mechanisms concerning health, with an emphasis on patient mobility and the cooperation between Member States to face transboundary health crises; can figure out (and solve) problems affecting the transboundary development of health policies at the European level, especially the provision of health services, and are capable to assess the abovementioned mechanisms in the framework of the applicable international legal regime, in particular the World Health Organization.

This course focuses on the intersection of culture and national identity in Russian and Soviet history. Students examine Russia’s relationship with its ‘others’ – East and West – and their role in the construction of Russia’s discourses around culture and nationhood. Students also explore the role of empire in Russian and Soviet history, analyzing how Russian writers, artists, and intellectuals have questioned, endorsed or contested it. Through the analysis of literary and visual primary sources, the course provides students with a better understanding of Russia’s conflicted identity and its consequences for the present day. 

This course discusses the different aspects of EU's foreign policy such as conflict transformation, financial aid packages and sanctions, geo-strategic investment, energy diplomacy and more, introducing students to the workings of EU's diplomatic bodies and their influence in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Trio. The course considers the candidate countries' regional dynamics and motivations behind their foreign policy alignment. It concludes with a simulation exercise focused on the EU's supranational institutions within a fictional negotiating scenario.