Brussels, Belgium, is home to the major institutions of the European Union. The city hosts the European Commission, Council of the European Union, European Council and a second seat of the European Parliament. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters is also located in the suburbs of Brussels. The program takes advantage of this extraordinarily large concentration of international institutions by providing a set of courses that examines American-EU relations, the nature of federalism and sovereignty within the states of Europe, and the history and effects of conflict on the continent and the world. Indeed, the locale provides a unique opportunity for a “hands on” approach to studying international politics in action.
I’ll be offering 2 classes during the summer 2009 program, and all classes qualify for Political Science and/or International Studies major/minor requirements. Class descriptions are below. Note: if you have taken one of these classes during the regular term, that does NOT prevent you from gaining credit for the courses in Belgium. Please email me regarding this immediately.
PSC 413 American Foreign Policy, Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to familiarize students with the theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between the United States and Europe. The program visits NATO, the EU institutions, the US Mission to the EU, and the British Parliament. We will use these visits, in conjunction with readings that focus on theories of foreign policy, to develop a better understanding of the role of the TransAtlantic Partnership following the Cold War.
PSC 442 International Conflict, Credit Hours: 3
Like PSC413, this courses uses our proximity to the European Union institutions to provide a framework with which to discuss the empirical and theoretical literature on international conflict. Emphasized will be the role of NATO in the world as well as the broader, TransAtlantic relationship.
Weblog for the University of Alabama Summer Program in Belgium 