Russia-European Union Relationships

Master 2018/2019

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Delivered by: Department of Political Science and International Affairs

When: 2 year, 1, 2 module

Mode of studies: offline

Instructors: Irina Busygina

Language: English

ECTS credits: 4

Contact hours: 32

Full Syllabus

Abstract

By studying this course students will learn to reflect in a critical way on the Russia-EU relations. The course content will cover all dimensions of relations between Russia and the European Union – political, economic and cultural. At the end of the course, students will: Understand fundamental terminology; Understand institutional systems of Russia and the EU and be able to compare them; Understand decision-making processes in foreign policy in Russia and the EU and be able to compare them; Be able to discuss various policies and dimensions in this dyadic relations.

Learning Objectives

The primary aim of the course is to form a complete understanding of approaches to studying relations between two major powers in Europe and to test them by using different examples from Russia-EU current relations

Expected Learning Outcomes

Ability to engage in professional activities, including research, in the multicultural environment
Able to engage in and manage multilateral communication
Ability to analyse, verify and assess the completeness of information in the course of one’s professional activity, as well as replenish and synthesise any missing details
Able to make managerial decisions and bear responsibility
Able to upgrade one’s intellectual and cultural horizons, build the trajectory of professional development and career
Able to create new theories, invent new methods and instruments of professional activities
Able to reflect on (assess and interpret) acquired research methods and work modes
Student knows about sanctions' role as a power instrument
Student knows about Council of Europe's role in Russia-EU relations
Student is familiar with process of development of Russia-EU relations
Student is familiar with IR theories and their application to the Russia–EU relations
Student is familiar with institutional design and the scope of supranationality in the EU and EAEU
Student is familiar with common background of Russia and EU
Student can distinguish between the EU an EAEU
able to generalize, analyze, perceive information, set goals and choose ways to achieve it
Is able to analyze historical sources, scientific texts and reports, to review scientific literature in Russian and foreign languages
Is able to use social and multicultural differences to solve problems in professional and social activities
Able to perform interdisciplinary interaction and cooperation with representatives of other fields of knowledge while solving research and applied tasks
Is able to create and edit scientific and popular science texts in the humanities and social sciences
able to social interaction based on the moral and legal norms accepted in society, capable of respectful and careful attitude to the historical heritage and cultural traditions of different peoples, be responsible for maintaining partnership, trusting relationships
Able to use social and multicultural differences to solve problems in professional and social activities.
Able to perform research with modern research methods and techniques, using knowledge of the humanities and social sciences and close scientific fields of knowledge

Course Contents

Introduction and Main Concepts
Structure of the course, assignments and evaluation. Main concepts for the course: power and institutions. IR theories and their application to the Russia – EU relations.
Evolution of Russia-EU relations: 1994 - 2018
New Russia and the new EU: starting relations from the zero point. Partnership and Cooperation Agreement. Russia and the EU in 90s: more bilateral than multilateral. EU Common Strategy on Russia. EU – Russia Strategic Partnership. Four “common spaces”. Why no new Basic Agreement and no summits?
Sanctions as Power Instrument
Short history of sanctions. Sanctions instead of military conflicts? Sanctions by democracies and autocracies. Bilateral and multilateral sanctions. Smart sanctions. Are sanctions effective for changes in target countries?
Russia, EU and the Common Neighborhood
What is Common Neighborhood (CN)? The differences in approaches, interests, priorities between Russia and the EU with regard to CN. EU and Russian power tools and their application in the CN countries. What determines the choices (external orientation) of the CN countries? Are these choices consistent and strategic?
Comparing Integration Projects: The EU and the EAEU
How to compare integration projects? Integration with and without hegemon. Integration between democracies and non-democracies. Institutional design and the scope of supranationality in the EU and EAEU. Political vs. economic integration. Perspectives for the future development.
Russia and the Council of Europe
Why autocracies join international organizations (agreements) on human rights? How do they behave in the organizations? Why did Russia join the Council of Europe? Why did Russia not leave the Council? The Council position on Russia.

Assessment Elements

Class activity
Essay
Exam

Interim Assessment

Interim assessment (2 module)
The cumulative grade for this course is calculated as follows: 0.3*Gclass + 0.7*Gessay The final grade is calculated as follows: 0.5*Gaccumulative + 0.5*Gexam

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

Busygina, I. (2018). Russia–EU Relations and the Common Neighborhood : Coercion Vs. Authority. London: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1560734
Busygina, I. (2018). Russian foreign policy as an instrument for domestic mobilization. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.3E5BF2D2

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Helmus, T. C. . V. (DE-588)116357239X, (DE-576)508061792, aut. (2018). Russian social media influence : understanding Russian propaganda in Eastern Europe / Todd C. Helmus, Elizabeth Bodine-Baron, Andrew Radin, Madeline Magnuson, Joshua Mendelsohn, William Marcellino, Andriy Bega, Zev Winkelman ; Rand Corporation. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.508065879
Laruelle, M. (DE-588)133464083, (DE-576)188853340. (2015). The “Russian world” [Elektronische Ressource] : Russia’s soft power and geopolitical imagination / Marlene Laruelle. Washington/D.C: Center on Global Interests. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.46822730X
Leonard, M. (2007). A power audit of EU-Russia relations / Mark Leonard and Nicu Popescu. Berlin: ECFR. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.389632228
Maksim Karliuk. (2015). The Eurasian Economic Union: An EU-Like Legal Order in the Post-Soviet Space? HSE Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.hig.wpaper.53.law.2015
Rácz, A. V. (DE-588)1011154722, (DE-576)341035920, aut. (2018). EU-Russia relations in the new Putin era : not much light at the end of the tunnes / András Rácz, Kristi Raik ; International Centre for Defence and Security, Estonian Foreign Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edswao&AN=edswao.508034523
Smeets, M. (2018). Can economic sanctions be effective? Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.7702D84E
Tsygankov, A. P. (2018). Routledge Handbook of Russian Foreign Policy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1735577

Course Syllabus