This course surveys the present crisis of the Eurozone and the wider European Union, the causes of the crisis and the proposals for addressing the crisis and for necessary reforms. Students will be challenged to engage with the main debates in Europe. Onthe one hand, we will deal with topical issues such as the sovereign debt crisis and the future of the euro, the influx of migrants from the new member states into the old member states and the impact on the European labour market, and the rise of Euro-skepticism and both right-wing and left-wing opposition to European integration. On the other hand, some of the more long-term structural challenges for Europe will also be covered, such as the provision of care and welfare to Europe's citizens and the place of Europe on the world political stage. The course is structured around a mix of activities, ranging from interactive seminars to debate training, and from field research (mostly in Amsterdam and The Hague) to forum discussions.

Period
30-06-2014 - 11-07-2014 (2 weeks)

Target group
Primarily for Social Sciences(including Law and Economics) and Humanities students; students with other backgrounds are welcome. A basic familiarity with historical, institutional and policy aspects of European integration is assumed.

Course aim
After completing this course you will have gained a deep insight into the background and main aspects of the crisis (economic, political, institutional, ideational) and the nature of the reform proposals on the table. The course will enable you to make sense of the often confusing and one-sided news coverage, and train you to formulate your own viewpoints.The course will also contain an introduction on conducting expert interviews, plus a group assignment which will give students practical hands-on experience in conducting an expert interview (to be pre-arranged by the course directors).



Credits
3.0 ECTS creditsECTS is the standard European credit system, each ECTS credit is equivalent to 28 study hours. All courses are worth 3 ECTS. Because some education systems (such as the American universities) base their credits on contact hours, we have included the contact hours in the course description on our website.

Course fee
EUR 1200[Convert to USD]The tuition fee of this course is 1200,- and includes furnished accommodation and the orientation programme. If you select two consecutive courses and study with us for four weeks, you will receive a 10% discount on the second course fee.Some courses will include excursions. We will also organize trips and excursions as part of our social programme, which is a great way to get to know your fellow students and learn more about Amsterdam and the Netherlands. The social programme is not included in the tuition fee.

Course leader
Bart Bes, MSc

VU University Amsterdam Study Abroad in Amsterdam
Address: De Boelelaan 1105 Amsterdam
Postal code: 1081 HV
City: Amsterdam
Country: Netherlands
Website: http://www.studyabroadinamsterdam.nl/en/summerschool/index.asp
E-mail: amsterdamsummerschool@vu.nl
Phone: +31 20 5986506