General information

Target students
The course is designed for advanced undergraduates or Master’s level students of humanities and social sciences.

Synopsis
This course focuses on the current challenges of democracy and the rule of law in the Eastern members of the EU. It will be taught by a group of area studies experts with disciplinary backgrounds in history, sociology, media and cultural studies.

The course provides students with multidisciplinary approaches to study political and societal problems that hinder democratic conduct and undermine the common future of the European community. We address central issues related to governance, populism, nationalism, corruption, poverty, xenophobia, Roma population, environment and gender-related questions.

The course offers an extended temporal and spatial context. It reflects on the dynamic interaction of the underlying historical continuities and fluctuating changes. It also reviews the global and regional challenges and thus reflects on the development in the Western Balkans and Ukraine, with special attention to the impact of the nearby great power Russia.

Learning objectives
The students will gain a broad overview of current societal and political developments in Eastern European EU countries. The purpose is also to discuss critically the concept of democracy, which is sometimes understood normatively. The students will be acquainted with new multidisciplinary approaches and innovative pedagogical methods to understand the complexity of politics and society in this region. The course will also help students looking to specialise in subjects and fields of research covered by the course. The students will learn more about ongoing cutting-edge research projects carried out at the University of Helsinki.

Accommodation

Helsinki Summer School arranges housing for international students. Read more >>

Registration

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ECTS accreditation

6 ECTS