Course Syllabus

 

Photo: Miłosz J. Cordes

Semester & Location:	Fall 2025 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Short: Northern Germany & Southern Denmark. Long: Brussels and Bruges, Belgium
Major Disciplines:	Political Science, International Relations, Government
Prerequisite:	Two political science courses at university level, with at least one focusing on either international relations or comparative politics
Faculty Members:	Pamela Camerra-Rowe - Current Students: please contact your faculty using the Canvas inbox function
Time & Place:	Monday & Thursday 8:30-9:50, Classroom V7-21

Course Description

The countries of the European Union (EU), which currently has 27 member states, have pooled their sovereignty in a way that is unique in the history of political systems. They have not only removed barriers to trade between the countries, but they have implemented a common currency in several of their members states and gradually developed a common foreign and security policy.  As a result, economic and political integration have made enormous strides in the past decades, and the EU plays an increasingly important role in the domestic politics of European countries and on the world stage. Economic and political integration have also contributed to peace, prosperity, and stability in Europe over the past 70 years. 

However, in the past two decades, the EU has faced serious challenges because of the global financial crisis, Brexit, migration, the rise of populist movements, democratic erosion in some of its members states, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Further challenges lay ahead as the EU seeks to add more new member states, reform its institutions, maintain its economic competitiveness, build its defense capabilities, navigate its relationship with the U.S., and create a European identity.

Studying the European Union is critical to understanding European politics, comparative politics, and international relations. The EU affects both Europe's role in the international system and the internal politics of each of its member states. The internal politics of member states, in turn, affect the EU's operations.  Moreover, the EU is a system of international rule which is viewed by many as a model of international economic and political cooperation. By studying the European Union, we can better understand both the pitfalls and advantages of economic and political integration, the direction in which Europe is heading, and the challenges it and its member states face.    

In this course, we will examine the historical evolution of the European Union from its post-war origins to the present day, the structure and functions of its major institutions, the policy-making process, and some of the major EU issue areas including migration, the war in Ukraine, enlargement, defense and security, and the transatlantic alliance. The course seeks to encourage students to think critically about the EU and to understand the complex ways in which the EU influences the politics and economics of modern European nation-states and is, in turn, shaped by those states.

The course includes a core course week trip to northern Germany and southern Denmark to study historical attempts at economic integration and historically shifting borders, and a week-long trip to Brussels and to Bruges to talk with European Union and NATO officials, national representatives to the EU, academics, lobbyists, and policymakers.  We will apply a variety of methods and tools in this class including experiential learning, guest lectures with experts, field studies, case studies, debates, and simulation games.

Content

The course consists of following modules:

I: Introduction, history of European integration and the European Union 

II: Core Course Week 1: Guest lectures, field studies and short study tour to northern Germany and southern Denmark, followed by field studies in Copenhagen.

III: EU institutions and policymaking

IV: Core Course Week 2: Long Study Tour: visit to Brussels and Bruges in Belgium

V: Current issues and challenges: the EU in a changing international environment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the semester, students will have a better understanding of:

• What the European Union is, how it came into existence, and the role it plays in international relations and the domestic politics of its member states 
• The functioning of the major institutions of the European Union and the role they play in policymaking
• The challenges the EU faces including Brexit, migration, security, the rise of populism, tensions in the transatlantic alliance, and the war in Ukraine
• The tension of balancing enlargement with further integration
• The foreign policy of the EU and its relationship with its near neighbors and its global partners and rivals, including Russia, China, and the U.S., and its relationship with other organizations including NATO
• The significance of the EU for European reconciliation, prosperity, and peace in Europe
• How to analyze and discuss complex issues related to European politics, drawing on history, comparative politics, economics, and international relations theory.

Faculty

Pamela Camerra-Rowe, Ph.D.

Professor of Political Science, Kenyon College, 1994-present.  Ph.D. in Political Science, Duke University; MA in Political Science, Duke University;  BA in Political Science, Davidson College 

Professor Camerra-Rowe has taught comparative and European politics at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH since 1994.  She was a guest researcher and lecturer at DIS Study Abroad in Copenhagen in two previous semesters, spring 2016 and spring 2023, before being invited to return as a visiting professor in fall 2025.  She has conducted research and lived in Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Denmark.

Professor Camerra-Rowe has won numerous fellowships and awards.  She served as an American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate in 2009, where she worked on health care policy and veterans affairs. She served as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow in the European Division of the German Economics Ministry in 1990 and at the Institute for European Politics in Bonn, West Germany in 1989.  She studied politics at the University of Bonn in West Germany under a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grant in 1980-81.  She has received research grants from the Social Science Research Council and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.  At Kenyon, she won the Senior Faculty Trustee Teaching Excellence Award in 2011, the Faculty Distinguished Service Award in 2010 for her work as the faculty liaison for the Fulbright Student Award Program, and a Whiting Foundation Teaching Award. She also served as the John B. McCoy-Banc One Distinguished Teaching Chair from 2011-2015, under which she mentored younger faculty members.  Prior to graduate school, she worked as a journalist for The Charlotte Observer, and later as the U.S. Supreme Court reporter for Education Daily, Higher Education Daily, and School Law News.

Prof. Camerra-Rowe's research and teaching focus on European politics, German politics, political parties and party system change, social welfare and labor market policy, democratic governance and democratic backsliding.  She has written articles, chapters, and papers about business lobbying and regulation in the European Union, German politics, the decline of social democracy in Europe, and social and labor market reforms in Germany.  Most recently, she has been working on a project that examines the responses of center-right parties in Germany and Austria to the rise of populist parties. She is also working on a book on the rise of populism and its effects on liberal democracy.   

Readings

In this course, we will read primarily from two books.  The first should be picked up during the arrivals workshop.  The second is available as an eBook. 

• Kenealy, D, Amelia Hadfield, Richard Corbett, John Peterson.  The European Union:  How Does It Work, Sixth Edition, Oxford University Press, 2022.  
• Federiga Bindi, ed., The Foreign Policy of the European Union:  Assessing Europe's Role in the World, Third Edition, Washington, DC:  Brookings Institution Press, 2022.   

Students will read other academic articles, policy papers, official documents, newspaper articles, and reports related to European politics. 

Guest Lecturers

Guest lecturers are integral to the course.  Policymakers, practitioners and other academics will guest lecture in this class. These experts will provide students with a deeper understanding of the issues we are discussing. 

Field Studies

Field studies will include visits to various governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and advocacy groups to allow students an opportunity to talk to practitioners about how the theoretical material we read in class is applied in practice.  Most of these will occur during the study tours and core course week. 

Core Course Week and Study Tours

Core course week and the short and long study tours are an essential part of this course.  We will take the classroom on the road to see how theory is translated into practice by talking with policymakers, public officials, lobbyists, and academics.  During core course week in early September, you will travel with your classmates, DIS faculty member and a staff member on a short study tour to Lübeck, Germany. During the short study tour, we will explore the history of conflict and economic cooperation in Europe, as well as the examining Europe's shifting borders. We will also visit sites in Copenhagen to better understand the impact of EU politics on member states and the ways in which domestic politics affect the EU.   During the long study tour in early October, you will travel with your classmates, professor, and a DIS staff member to Brussels.  During our time in Brussels, we will visit EU institutions, NATO, think tanks, and advocacy groups, and talk with public officials, policymakers, lobbyists, and academics about the challenges facing Europe.  All students in the class must participate in all of the activities during core course week and on the study tours. 

Approach to Teaching

My goal in teaching is to share my passion for studying European politics with you and to provide you with a more nuanced and deeper understanding of the challenges facing Europe and the European Union.  I also aim to develop your analytical, writing, and oral communication skills so that you can better address the issues facing the world today. My teaching style is based on active interaction with students. I employ different methods to make sure that everybody in the class is engaged.  This includes presentations, in-class discussions, guest lectures, small group exercises, discussion questions, classic readings, written and oral assignments, and interviews. The course requires significant and thorough preparation from the students. It is also designed to be engaging and intellectually stimulating.  I am interested in getting to know you and your interests and to develop your skills to assist you in your future professional careers. We may add readings or activities based on student interests and on current events. These changes will be announced in class.

Evaluation 

Attendance

Attendance in class is mandatory. This also applies to all activities on the study tours, field studies, lectures, workshops, and core course week activities.  Absences from class and activities - whether excused or unexcused - will negatively affect your grade. If you are seriously ill or have a fever, please do not attend class, but contact me before class to let me know you will be absent.  If you are experiencing serious difficulties (illness, family problems) that force you to skip two or more class in a row, please communicate with me and with the relevant DIS units. All readings, guest lectures, field studies, study tours and other activities are crucial to master the contents of the course. Students are expected to be on time for class and to not leave class during the class period.  Lateness to class and to any activities will also negatively affect your grade. 

Class Engagement/Participation

Much of the success of the course depends on your active intellectual engagement, enthusiasm, preparedness, and open-mindedness. They are crucial  to both your own success and the success of the class. Class engagement and participation constitute a significant portion of your grade.  Engagement is not the same as attendance.  Engagement is thoughtful, analytical, and informed participation based on careful reading and consideration of the assignments and experiences. Your grade will be based on the quality of your contributions and the questions and insights you provide, as well as your careful listening and responses to the contributions of others. Students are expected to complete the assignments prior to each class and to submit questions and comments before class to promote discussion. This will give us material to generate in-depth conversations. Class engagement will also include your participation and questions when we have guest lectures, student presentations, workshops, simulations, and field trips.  

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Active class participation (in-class discussions, small group exercises, debates, guest lectures, field studies)	25%
Core Course Week/Short Study Tour - preparation, active participation, and assignments	20%
Long study tour - preparation, active participation, and assignments	30%
Final Project on the Future of Europe	25%

Guidelines and expectations for different kinds of assignments will be outlined in Canvas under Assignments. There is no possibility of obtaining an A grade in this course without active and informed class participation and engagement. 

Course Expectations

• There are no cell-phones or lap-tops allowed in class unless told otherwise.  Please turn off cell phones and close laptop computers when you come into class. You cannot be engaged in serious and analytical discussions if you are looking at your computer or phone. Whenever we have a student presentation or a guest speaker, no laptops are allowed out of respect to the presenters and the speaker. There is no recording of guest lectures, site visits, or class sessions. 
• We will often be discussing controversial topics.  We want people to be willing to take risks in expressing various viewpoints and in exploring different explanations of phenomena. I therefore expect all students to be respectful of the other participants in class, of our speakers, and of me. This means paying attention and listening carefully when others are speaking, asking informed questions, and remaining analytical in your comments. 
• As a courtesy to other students and to me, please do not leave during the class period, do not come late to class, and do not eat in class.
• Students are expected to keep up with current events in Europe.  We will be discussing these in class.  A student subscription to The Economist is highly recommended.  If you read an article that you think is applicable to class, please email it to me and the class. 
• All work for this class must be your own and done explicitly for this course.  No use of artificial intelligence is allowed in the writing or creation of any assignment for this course unless explicitly authorized by me. All ideas and information gleaned from other sources must be cited.
• Students must complete all of the assignments in order to pass the class.  

To facilitate communication between me and the group, we will elect two class representatives in the beginning of the semester. We will discuss their role during our first meeting.

DIS Accommodations

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please do not hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org