Jean Monnet Module

Jean Monnet Module

BR4022  “The European Union: Broadening the Perspective”

Broadening module, 6 ECTS credits

Module Description
The module will offer students who would otherwise not engage in European Studies an opportunity to learn about and discuss key aspects of the European Union and the process of European integration. While imparting factual information on key aspects of the history, institutions and politics of the European Union will be prominent in the first half of the module, the second half aims to actively engage students in discussions about topical issues, such as migration and Brexit, but also, and perhaps more importantly, in reflections about the future of the European Union. The module is interdisciplinary in nature and will include and integrate the areas of politics, cultural studies and language studies. It aims to counteract the perception of the European Union as a top-down political enterprise by encouraging students to see it as one dependent on the active engagement of citizens (students are also citizens) as well. The module will also address the role of ERASMUS in shaping a sense of EU citizenship. By reserving about one-quarter of the places on this module to ERASMUS students from as wide a range of member states as possible the module will bring the multilingual and multi-cultural European experience into the classroom and make the different national perspectives an integral part of the debate.

The module will consist of an academic part and - as part of the UL Engage initiative - an off-campus element in which students engage both students in Limerick primary and secondary schools as well as the general public in Limerick city in discussions about what it means to be an EU citizen today.

Syllabus