The European Union:
National and International Perspectives.
A National Workshop

The Contemporary Europe Research Centre (CERC),
The University of Melbourne

in association with the

Contemporary European Studies Association of Australia (CESAA)

A National Workshop
to be held

Friday May 30th 2008

CONTEMPORARY EUROPE RESEARCH CENTRE
Jean Monnet European Centre of Excellence
The University of Melbourne
Level 2, 234 Queensberry St, Carlton

About the Workshop

The Workshop will consist of three sessions:

Session 1: The EU as a Global Actor

This session will examine how the EU is developing into a Global Actor. It will address some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the EU and its interlocutors in the short to medium-long term, as well as conceptual debates concerning the EU’s international role.

Papers in this session may address:

• Is it possible to talk of the EU as a ‘Global Actor’ or is it better understood as a ‘Regional Actor’.
• Is the EU a normative actor?
• Can we talk of the EU as more than an economic superpower?
• How effective are the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in projecting the EU globally?
• What are the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the EU’s foreign policy?

Session 2: New Perspectives on EU-Australia Relations in the 21st Century

The relationship between the Australia and the EU has become more multifaceted, dynamic and broad, particularly over the last decade. This aim of this session is to examine how the relationship has evolved and areas of future cooperation.

Papers in this session may address:

• EU-Australia – more than economic relations?
• Growing relationship within areas of soft and hard security (immigration and people-smuggling, counter-terrorism, civilian and military operations)
• Is there scope for developing common interests in Asia?
• Climate change
• Perceptions of the EU in Australia and of Australia in the EU. How are they changing?

Session 3: European Studies in Australia

Following the first National Workshop on European Studies, held in August 2007, this session will work towards establishing initiatives aimed at fostering greater support for scholars working in European Studies in Australia

Suggested themes include:

• What is the state of European Studies in Australia?
• What are the major rewards in developing European Studies
• Approaches for strengthening European Studies Programmes in Australian universities
• Examples of best practice and how these examples might be applied nationwide
• Is there a need for the establishment of a network support scheme for scholars working in European Studies, especially for Early Career Researchers?
• How do we research and teach about the EU as a global actor and EU-Australian relations
  

Draft Programme

Registration Form

Download Workshop Brochure (includes registration form)

Queries regarding the workshop that are not covered by our website can be addressed to the workshop convenors via the CERC office.

This Workshop is part of the ad personam Jean Monnet Chair Grant awarded to Associate Professor Philomena Murray (Agreement number 2006-1544/001-001),
with additional support from the University of Melbourne and the Contemporary European Studies Association of Australia