Durée
30h Th
Nombre de crédits
Enseignant
Langue(s) de l'unité d'enseignement
Langue anglaise
Organisation et évaluation
Enseignement au premier quadrimestre, examen en janvier
Horaire
Unités d'enseignement prérequises et corequises
Les unités prérequises ou corequises sont présentées au sein de chaque programme
Contenus de l'unité d'enseignement
The COURSE IS GIVEN IN ENGLISH !
The course attempts to study the European Union as an international actor. The course attempts to unscramble the decision-making process in the field of foreign policy. The latter will be apprehended through a comprehensive approach. In order to reach this goal, the course will analyse the external policies of the European Union (CFSP/CSDP trade, cooperation policies,...). It also aims to analyse the relations of the EU with the Western Balkans (enlargement), with its neighborhood (Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean), with multilateral organisations (WTO), regional groups and third countries from the Americas, Africa and Asia. The course will also handle the relations between the EU and the emerging countries. It will also pay particular attention to the relations between the EU and Latin America. The course will handle several questions such as: Who are de decision-makers ? In what conditions are decisions made ? Are decisions always rational ? What is the relative weight of lobbying/external pressures ? Who controls the process ? What are the international consenquencies of external policies? What is the real influence of the EU in International Affairs? The course will also analyze the nature of the actor, represented by the European Union, through different theories.
Acquis d'apprentissage (objectifs d'apprentissage) de l'unité d'enseignement
The course aims at promoting a better understanding of decision-making processes in the field of foreign policy apprehended in a comprehensive way and in relation with the European Union (EU).
The course also aims at promoting a better understanding of the public policy of the EU in term of foreign policy.
Savoirs et compétences prérequis
The course "International Relations of the European Union" requires both the active and passive knowledge of ENGLISH!
Furthermore, it is preferable, but not required, that students have completed a course of International Relations and have some knowledge of the functionning and policies of the EU.
Activités d'apprentissage prévues et méthodes d'enseignement
The course is an Ex Cathedra one. It will encourage students to participate. It will also try to develop students critical thinking skills.
Mode d'enseignement (présentiel, à distance, hybride)
Cours donné exclusivement en présentiel
Informations complémentaires:
The planned learning activities and the teaching methods are the following:
1. There will be several Ex Cathedra lectures: students are warmly invited to participate.
2. There will be a couple of guest lecturers who will make interventions on target issues.
3. Students will also be required to participate in a limited series of 4 interactive reading sessions led by course assistants. These sessions aim to support students in better understanding both the reading and the material taught in class. It will also help student to prepare them for the exam. Attendance will be taken at each reading seminar.
If needed, students may also have to follow a couple of conferences (inside or outside the university) related to topics tackled during the course.
The presence of the students is needed!
Supports de cours, lectures obligatoires ou recommandées
Plate-forme(s) utilisée(s) pour les supports de cours :
- MyULiège
Informations complémentaires:
The course is based both on notes prepared by the professor in charge of the course and on the following required reading list. You can find the reading list at the University Press (Syllabus: Sebastian Santander, International Relations of the European union, Liège, Presses universitaires de Liège, 2025) or by clicking on the following link: https://hdl.handle.net/2268/335593
- Sebastian Santander, « The EU and the shifts of power in the international order: challenges and responses», European Foreign Affairs Review, vol. 19, issue 1, 2014, pp. 65-81.
- Carolyn Moser, « On the Way to a European Defence Union», VerfBlog, 29 October 2024, DOI: 10.59704/93b90db36bbd0a4f, pp. 1-5.
- Ester Sabatino and Tim Lawrenson, « Russia a Catalyst for EU Defence ? », International Institute for Strategic Studies, 14 March 2025, pp. 1-5.
- Zaki Laïdi, « Why Is Europe Afraid of Defending Itself? », Project Syndicate, 11 July 2025, pp. 1-3.
- Michael Emerson and Steven Blockmans, « A Redynamised EU Enlargement Process, but Hovering Between Accession and the Alternatives », SCEEUS Guest Report, No. 1, CEPS / SCEEUS, 30 January 2025, pp. 1-20.
- Roderick Kefferpütz and Villy Søvndal, « The European Union Looks North », Project Syndicate, 15 August 2025, pp. 1-3.
- The New Union Post, « Iceland, Greenland, Norway. The Arctic Wind EU Relations with its neighbourhood », The New Union Post, 22 January 2025, pp. 1-6.
- Büsra Kiliç, « Differentiation of the Eastern and Southern Dimensions in the European Neighborhood Policy Beyond 2020 », International Journal of New Horizons in the Social Sciences (JOSSCI), vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, pp. 57-65.
- David O'Sullivan, «The European Union and the multilateral system: Lessons from past experience and future challenges», European Parliamentary Research Service, PE 689.365, 2021, pp. 1-8.
- Sebastian Santander, «Unpacking EU-Mercosur Interregionalism: Actors, Policies, and Issues at Stake», in José Antonio Sanahuja (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of EU-Latin American Relations, Palgrave Macmillan, 2025, pp. 250-270.
- Ionela Maria Ciolan and Jason C. Moyer, «Navigating Uncertainty: Where Are EU-US Relations Headed?», European View, vol. 24, no. 1, 2025, pp. 42-51.
- Mitchell A. Orenstein, «The European Union's transformation after Russia's attack on Ukraine», Journal of European Integration, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, pp. 333-342.
- Sebastian Santander and Antonios Vlassis, «The EU in Search of Autonomy in the Era of Chinese Expansionism and COVID-19 Pandemic», Global Politics, vol. 12, no. 1, 2021, pp. 149-156.
Modalités d'évaluation et critères
Examen(s) en session
Toutes sessions confondues
- En présentiel
évaluation orale
Informations complémentaires:
For the evaluation, the professor will consider the following elements:
- an oral examination regarding Ex Cathedra lectures both in the first and second session
- oral examination concerning the conferences given by the guest lecturers both in the first and second session
- oral examination concerning the required literature.
The oral exam will take place on January 2026.
Stage(s)
Remarques organisationnelles et modifications principales apportées au cours
- To succeed the exam it is highly recommended to attend the classes. New issues are tackled each year during the course.
- After each class session, students will receive via MyULiège the slides of the lecture given so that they can supplement their notes taken during the class.
- At the end of the course, students will receive a detailed outline of the entire course. The document will be sent via MyULiege.
Contacts
- Professor:
Sebastian Santander (Office: R71, level 0 - tel. 04 366 30 46) - sebastian.santander@uliege.be
- Assistants:
Vincent Bricart, CEFIR, B31, niveau 0, Bureau R.73 ; Tel. : 043 66 42 59, v.bricart@uliege.be
Alex Arnoldy, CEFIR, B31, niveau 0, Bureau R.73 ; Tel. : 043 66 42 59, Alex.Arnoldy@uliege.be