Climate and demographic change, technological progress and geopolitical realignments have challenged long-held assumptions about Europe's social contracts, economic fundamentals and global standing. The track is built around three overlapping pillars: what drives Europe's long-term prosperity, how Europe holds its own in the global economy, and how the gains from growth are shared across its regions and societies. Grounded in economic analysis and political economy, it offers in-depth study of key EU policy areas, from competition and investment to energy and climate, while keeping in view how policies affect people’s lives and how social and political pressures in turn shape them.

Academic Programme
MA in European Interdisciplinary Studies: Growth, Competitiveness, and Cohesion in Europe Study Track

The College of Europe reserves the right to modify its academic programme subject to the decisions of its Academic Council. The study programmes are reviewed annually to ensure their continued quality and relevance. 

1ST SEMESTER

Introductory courses

• BOBROWICZ, B. – Introduction to Economics  
• BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI, R. – History of European Civilization
• CHRISTIE, E. H. - Elementary Foundations in Economics and Econometrics  
• HAMMAMI, A.; STEINGASS, S. – Introduction to Political Science  
• SCHIRMANN, S. – L'Histoire de la construction européenne  
• SCHUMACHER, T. – Introduction to International Relations  
• SZOSTAK, R. – Introduction to Interdisciplinarity and Transdisciplinarity  
• VAN ELSUWEGE, P. – Introduction to Law  
• WESSELS, W. – Introduction to Theories and Strategies of European Integration  

Core Courses 

European Regional Studies

• BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI, R. – East-Central Europe, 1815-1940 (14h)  
• MINK, G. – L'Europe centrale et orientale depuis 1940 (16h)  

Pluridisciplinary Foundation

• LORD, C. – EU Institutions and Decision-making (20h)
• VAN ELSUWEGE, P. – The EU Legal Order: Rights, Norms and Values (20h)
• WESSELS, W. – EU Economic Governance (20h)

Interdisciplinary Foundation

• HENDERSON, J. – Energy in a Globalised World: Economics, Politics and Policies (20h)
• MARTELLI, A. – Political Economy of Europe in a Changing World Order (20h)

Contextual Courses

• KRUKOWSKA, E. – Media and Climate: Communicating the Green Transition (8h)
• LINDWALL, A. K. – Strategic Communication in a Digital Age (8h)
• MHANNA, A. – Grands enjeux de la liberté de la presse (10h)

European Regional Studies

• CICHOCKI, M. A.; DĘBSKI, S. – Cold War Strategies from the Central Eastern Europe Perspective (10h)

Simulation Games 

• MARISSEN, V. – EU Decision-making and Interest Representation in Practice / Le processus décisionnel de l'Union européenne et la représentation d'intérêts (10h)

Master’s thesis and Research strategies and tools

In addition to the courses they take during the first and second semesters, students must write and defend a Master’s thesis in English or French.

• STEINGASS, S. (coord.); BOBROWICZ, B.; CHABAN, N.; EXADAKTYLOS, T.; LONGHURST, K.; MINK, G.; ROZUMALSKI, J.; SZOSTAK, R.; VAN ELSUWEGE, P.; VANNONI, M.; WINAND, P. – Research Strategies and Tools (20h)
• Master Theses Colloquia

Study trip

The first semester study trip offers students a deeper understanding of European identities and a first-hand experience of policies in practice at the EU’s borders. The study trip is an integral part of the academic programme, participation is obligatory and students are expected to attend all related conferences and activities.

2ND SEMESTER

Specialist Courses

European Civilisation

• CICHOCKI, M. A. – From the Greek Agora to the Ukrainian Euromaidan and War: the History of Ideas of Democracy in Europe (20h)
• LEWIS, M. A. – Crimes against Humanity, Genocide, and International Justice (20h)
• MINK, G. – Histoire, mémoire, usages et mésusages politiques, de la Seconde Guerre mondiale à Poutine (20h)
• MOORHOUSE, R. – Totalitarian Ideologies and Dictatorships in Twentieth-Century Europe (20h)
• SEGRETO, L.R. – Europe and the Global Economy from the Industrial Revolution to the Internet (20h)
• STODDARD, E. – Changing Character of Warfare from Antiquity to the Present Day (20h)
• WONGSURAWAT, W. – The End of Empires: Decolonization of Asia with comparative references to Africa and Latin America (20h)

Sustainable and Resilient Growth

• BACHTLER, J. – EU Structural and Investment Policies (20h)
• BARNARD, C. – EU Substantive Law: The four freedoms (20h)
• GÓRA, M. – The Political Economy of Welfare States in Europe (20h)
• LIANOS, I. – EU Competition Policy (20h)
• MARINIELLO, M. – Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy (20h)
• MARZINOTTO, B. – EU Macro-economic Policies (20h)

Energy Governance & Climate Cooperation

• NASSEF, Y. – International Climate Governance: Foresight and Transformative Change (20h)
• BUZOGANY, A. – EU Energy Governance in the EU’s Neighbourhood (20h)

Advocacy & Engagement

• ALEMANNO, A. – Lobbying and Interest representation in the European Union (20h)

European Regional studies  

Central Europe:  

• DĘBSKI, S. – Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Central European Strategic Thought And Practice (20h)
• DUIJZINGS, G. – Flow and Friction along the Danube: Globalization and its Local Discontents (20h)
• PIĄTKOWSKI, M. – The Golden Age of Central Europe: The Path from Poverty to Prosperity and the Way Forward (20h)

Eastern Europe & Russia:

• GILES, K. – Contemporary Russian Foreign and Security Policy (20h)
• LANOSZKA, A. – War and Conflict in the Post-Soviet Space (20h)
• NOWAK, A. – Russian Ideologies: The Last Two Centuries (from Pushkin and Karamzin to Dugin and Putin) (20h)
• ONUCH, O. – Revolutions and Mass Mobilization in Eastern Europe (20h)
• TYUSHKA, A. – The EU, Russia and the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood: Power, Performance, and Perceptions (20h)
• WILSON, A. – The Making of Modern Ukraine: History, Independence and War (20h)
• WOLCZUK, K. – State-building, Democratisation and Economic Transformations in Eastern Europe (20h)

Mediterranean:

• AYDIN, M. – Turkey Between Europe and Eurasia: Historical and Contemporary Evaluation (20h)
• BOURIS, D. – EU-Middle East Relations: Conflict, Peace and Security (20h)
• DEMMELHUBER, T. – Autocratization in the Middle East and North Africa: Transregional and Global Perspective (20h)
• LANNON, E. – The EU and its Southern Neighbourhoods (20h)

Balkans:

• LEWIS, M. A. – Politics and Diplomacy in the Balkans from the Nineteenth Century to the Present (20h)
• TEOKAREVIC, J. – Western Balkans: EU Enlargement, External Influences, Post-Conflict Transition (20h)
• Nordics & Baltics:
• BERGMANE, U. – The Baltic Region from the Fall of the Soviet Union to the Enlargement of the EU and NATO (20h)

Compact Seminars

• DUMONT, B. ; HOLMES, P. – La règlementation des marchés en ligne (10h)
• LAZZARO, E. – Cultural and Creative Industries and Policies in Europe and Beyond: Challenges and Opportunities (10h)
• LUFF, D.; BAKER, P. – Political Economy of International Trade - Tools and Practices (8h)
• RENDA, A. – Regulation of Emerging Technologies (8h)
• SZWARC, K. – Climate Finance (10h)

European Regional Studies

Central Europe:  

• PUDŁOCKI, T. – The Cultural History of Central Europe from Fin-de-Siècle to Totalitarianism (10h)

Eastern Europe & Russia:

• ISAACS, R. – Central Asia as the EU's Wider Neighbourhood: Power, Politics, and Foreign Policy (10h)
• SABADUS, A. – Opportunity in Adversity: Moldova’s way to energy resilience (8h)

Mediterranean:

• AL-SABBAGH, R. – Investigative Journalism in the Southern Neighbourhood (8h)
• SHEIKH, N. – Religion and the State in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood: Politics, Authority, and Religious Movements in the Middle East and North Africa (10h)
• Nordics & Baltics:
• ALIYEV, N. – Geopolitics and Geoeconomics of the Arctic (8h)

Simulation Game

• FRANZA, L. – Energy and Climate in the Neighbourhood (8h)
• GUIBOURGÉ-CZETWERTYŃSKI, A. – EU Energy Policy-Making in Practice (8h)

Cooperation with external partners

• MIKOS-SKUZA, E. – Introduction to International Humanitarian Law (17h)
• Workshops in history organized in cooperation with the Max Weber programme of the European University Institute (TBC)  

Language courses

In addition to benefitting from a bilingual study programme, students can take advantage of language courses on offer implemented by the Languages and Intercultural Dialogue Office. The following languages are on offer: English, French, Italian, German, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Arabic.