Course Overview

Duration: 8 Weeks (2 Months)
Format: 2 sessions per week (Lectures + Seminars/Workshops)
Total Contact Hours: ~32–40 hours

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Trace the historical evolution of Europe from ancient civilizations to modern states.
• Understand the foundations and development of European political institutions.
• Analyze Europe’s integration process and the formation of the European Union.
• Assess Europe’s cultural identity, values, and philosophical traditions.
• Evaluate Europe’s current global role and future prospects in international affairs.

Course Outline

Week 1 – Origins of European Civilization

• Topics:
  • Geography and diversity of Europe
  • Ancient Greece and Rome: Democracy, Empire, and Law
  • The Medieval Era: Feudalism, Christianity, and the roots of European identity
• Activity: Timeline and map exercise — tracing Europe’s early political and cultural centers
• Reading: Norman Davies, Europe: A History (Intro chapters)

Week 2 – Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment

• Topics:
  • The Renaissance and Humanism: Birth of Modern Thought
  • The Protestant Reformation and Religious Wars
  • The Enlightenment and Liberal Thought: Science, Reason, and Rights
• Seminar: How Enlightenment ideas shaped European democracy
• Assignment: Short essay – “From faith to reason: Europe’s intellectual transformation”

Week 3 – The Age of Revolutions and Modern Europe

• Topics:
  • French and Industrial Revolutions: Nation-building and social change
  • Colonialism, Imperial Expansion, and Global Impact
  • 19th-Century Nationalism and State Formation (Germany, Italy)
• Case Study: The Congress of Vienna and the 19th-century European order
• Reading: Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution

Week 4 – Europe in Conflict: 1914–1945

• Topics:
  • World War I: Imperial decline and new borders
  • Interwar Crises: Economic depression and rise of totalitarianism
  • World War II and its aftermath
• Workshop: Analyzing the Treaty of Versailles and its consequences
• Assignment: Essay – “How Europe’s wars reshaped global power”
• Reading: Mark Mazower, Dark Continent: Europe’s Twentieth Century

Week 5 – The Birth of Modern Europe and the EU

• Topics:
  • Post-war Recovery: Marshall Plan and European Cooperation
  • European Integration: From ECSC to EEC to EU
  • Institutions and Governance: Commission, Parliament, Council, and Court of Justice
• Activity: EU policy simulation – Council debate on energy policy
• Reading: Desmond Dinan, Ever Closer Union

Week 6 – Society, Culture, and Identity in Contemporary Europe

• Topics:
  • European Values: Democracy, Human Rights, and Rule of Law
  • Cultural Diversity, Migration, and Multiculturalism
  • Religion, Language, and Identity in a Globalized Europe
• Seminar: Is there a single “European identity”?
• Assignment: Reflection paper – “Cultural unity in diversity: Myth or reality?”

Week 7 – Europe in Global Affairs

• Topics:
  • The EU as a Global Actor: Foreign, Security, and Development Policy
  • Europe’s Relations with the US, Russia, China, and the Global South
  • Challenges: Brexit, Migration Crisis, Ukraine War, and Climate Leadership
• Workshop: Draft a brief on “Europe’s role in global stability”
• Reading: Ian Manners, Normative Power Europe

Week 8 – Europe’s Future: Integration, Innovation, and Global Responsibility

• Topics:
  • Enlargement, Euroscepticism, and Future Governance
  • Europe’s Green Deal and Digital Transformation
  • Prospects for Europe in a Multipolar World (2040–2050)
• Capstone Project:
  • Develop a 5-page policy or research paper on one theme:
    • The Future of European Integration
    • Europe’s Role in Global Climate Diplomacy
    • European Identity in the 21st Century
  • Presentation and peer feedback

Optional Supplementary Sources

• Journal of Common Market Studies
• European Foreign Affairs Review
• Foreign Affairs Europe Edition

European Commission Reports and Eurostat Data