Courses 2012

European Monetary Union

 

In no other area has European integration advanced as much as in the monetary sphere. By joining the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), 17 countries of the European Union have given up their national currencies and their monetary sovereignty and have created a common monetary area with a joint central banking system (Eurosystem) and a common European currency (Euro). With the introduction of euro notes and coins Europe also got a strong common symbol. At the same time, the US dollar received a competitor for its role as the dominant international currency. The financial, economic and debt crisis has revealed fault lines in the design of EMU. Reforms to address these issues have been undertaken. However, many observers think more radical reform is necessary. In this sense, EMU has moved centre stage in EU’s on-going evolution and further integration.

 

The course aims at providing students with in-depth knowledge of institutional and economic issues related to EMU, so that they can form their own views on this and related topics. Former students appreciated the topicality of this course and its close correspondence to issues discussed in the political and financial community.

 

The course will cover the following topics:

• Stages, history and rationale of monetary integration in Europe
• Costs and benefits of a monetary union – past and future enlargement of the euro area
• The rationale of independent central banks
• The common monetary policy in practice – goals, principles, strategy, decision-making bodies and processes
• The implementation of monetary policy in the Eurosystem
• The transmission mechanism of monetary policy
• The euro as a shield against crises? Policy responses
• Fault lines in the euro area’s economic governance, and reforms in response to the crisis – outlook on future challenges

 

Requirements: Active class participation (20%) and a mid-term and final exam (40% each).

 

This course is regularly organized with the support of the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank).

 

 

The Institutional Framework of the European Union

“On paper” and “in practice”

 

The course will focus on the unique political system of the European Union. Students will be introduced to the main institutions playing a role in the policy process and to some of the main decision-making procedures. The course very much builds on the active participation of participants. Group work, open debates and simulations form an integral part of the program.

 

The first part of the course will focus on the Institutional Framework of the EU by examining:

• The main sources of Community Law and their possible repercussions on the institutional framework.
• The role of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Court of Justice within the EU’s institutional framework (and where relevant their evolution during the process of European integration).
• This section will conclude with a debate within small groups, where issues such as legitimacy of the institutions will be discussed.

 

The second part will concentrate on decision making within the European system by looking at:

• Some of the main decision making procedures with special focus on the ordinary legislative procedure
• The role of actors such as NGOs in the EU’s decision making process
• This part will close with a simulation on a Council Working Party where participants will “negotiate” on behalf of different member states. “Country-mandates” and instructions will be provided.

 

Requirements: Class participation including debate and simulation (40%) and an in class exam (essay questions) (60%).

It is recommended to take this course in conjunction with Prof. Schima’s course: European Union Law.

 

 

Traces of European History

Europe’s Way to the 21st Century

 

Europe of today cannot be understood without the history of the continent we meet in every important question of the present. Especially in the 20th century Europe has undergone a series of dramatic economic, political and cultural changes. The study of some of these developments will allow a deeper insight in the history of European countries and their feeling of identity. Specific problems of Europe and the world of today will be discussed within a historical perspective and in relation to the history and politics of the home countries/nations of the participating students.

 

The course will focus on Central Europe in a broad sense of the term and will cover the following topics:

• General introduction: What can history contribute to the understanding of the present situation in Europe?
• Survey of data on the European History from the late 19th century to the present. How the map of Europe has changed.
• Economic development in Europe since the Age of Industrialisation.
• Nationalism as a long term problem in Europe. National state versus European unification.
• Different ideologies which influenced and still influence European history (Marxism, Communism, Conservativism, Nationalism, Fascism).
• Changes in daily life (housing, food, beverages, sexuality).
• Technological and scientific progress and its price (ecological questions).
• European culture / cultures – one or many?
• Is there a European identity?

 

Requirements: Attendance and participation in class discussions constitute 20%, a short paper 30% and a written final (essay-type) 50% of the grade.

 

 

Minorities, Identities, and Languages in Europe

 

Europe is defined by majority members, their languages and dominant cultures and identities. But the Union and its member states are just as much shaped by various small and big, overt and covert minorities. The course will focus on the many linguistic minorities and cover topics such as multilingualism, language policies, linguistic human rights and discrimination. (No special emphasis will be put on the issue of migration). The approach in this course is shaped by an understanding that all the above mentioned topics are of academic relevance but are also personally meaningful in various ways for each one of us.

 

Therefore, all lessons will tap into our personal resources as well as academic knowledge and are structured so that we can build both. Students will get to know models and examples on the individual as well as institutional level and get acquainted with national as well as European situations and processes. They will acquire tools for linguistic analysis of political language and will build practical competence that is applicable in other micro or macro contexts.

 

Requirements: Attendance and performance in class (25%), homework-type assignments (25%), Quiz 1 (25%), Quiz 2 (25%).

 

 

European Private Law - The Civilian Tradition

 

The course offers a historical and comparative introduction to European Private Law. Today’s variety of legal systems in Europe cannot be properly understood without reference to European Legal History. Thus, one part of the course will be devoted to the development of European Private Law and the specific contribution of the Civilian Tradition. Particular attention is to be paid to the dominant forces of law making in the different legal systems: magistrates and legal experts in Ancient Roman Law, professors and clergymen in Medieval Law, judges in the Common Law and legislators in Modern Continental Law.

 

Furthermore, basic concepts of Private Law such as property, contracts and extra contractual obligations will be dealt with in this course in a comparative perspective. This will be done mainly in form of discussions about specific cases ranging from the transfer of movables to the restitution of assets to Nazi victims, from the discussion about ”good faith” in European Contract Law to claims of an agent of necessity. Special emphasis will be placed on the discussion of possible solutions, the analysis of court decisions and the evaluation of legislative choices.

 

I. The Landscape of European Private Law: Diversity and Common Traditions

• Sources of “European Private Law”
• Variations of a Theme: Transfer of Property in European Legal Systems
• Acquisition in Good Faith
• Art restitution and Acquisition in Good Faith: the Mahler-Werfel Case

 

II. Lawyers, Judges, Legislators. The Making of European Law

• Roman Law: The Jurists´ Role in the Development of Law as a Science
• Medieval Law: The Scholarship of the Professors of Civil and Canon Law
• The Codification(s) of Private Law in Continental Europe
• The Emergence of Common Law as opposed to Civil Law: Judges as Law Makers
• Supranational Legislation: EC-Directives in the Area of Consumer Protection

 

III. Case Studies in European Contract Law

• Liberty of Contract and Equality in Exchange
• Good Faith in European Contract Law
• Extra contractual Obligations: the Witty Genealogist’s Case

 

Requirements: Regular attendance and active participation in class discussions (40%) and an open-book essay exam (60%).

 

Principles of International Economics - A European Perspective

 

This course covers both the (microeconomic) trade and the (macroeconomic) monetary aspects of international economics with European applications.

In the first part we examine standard trade theories (Ricardo, Heckscher-Ohlin, Krugman) and explain the gains from trade, the distributional impact of trade (internationally and among groups within countries), and the pattern of trade. The arguments for free trade and for trade restrictions are evaluated and different trade policies are discussed. EU trade policy serves as an example. We also discuss the conflicts between trade creation and trade diversion. Finally, we look into the economics of the internal market of the EU and the economic consequences of migration and factor movements.

The second part opens with a discussion of balance of payments accounting and analyses the determination of exchange rates and the development of international financial markets. Stabilization policies and their impact on output, employment, and prices in different exchange rate regimes and in different macroeconomic models (Keynesian and Classical) are examined in the final part of the course.

In short workshop sessions students will be invited to answer various questions in short presentations.

 

Requirements: The final grade will primarily be based on a written examination (90%) at the end of the course. Participation in class and at least one presentation in the workshop (10%) are also required.

European Political Systems in a Comparative Perspective

 

This course familiarizes students with the major theoretical, empirical and substantive issues in contemporary European politics.

First, the course examines the different governmental institutions, electoral systems and party systems across Europe and their impact on political processes and the society.

Second, it focuses on the different social cleavages in European political systems and their changes over time.

Third, the course analyzes the recent electoral behavior of the European electorate both in national and European Parliament elections and its repercussions on European party systems.

The course aims at deepening the understanding of the main debates in contemporary European politics using a comparative approach.

 

Requirements: Performance will be assessed on the basis of attendance and participation in class discussions (20 %), an essay to be handed in at the beginning of week 2 (40%) reflecting critically on the impact of electoral systems on democratic institutions, and a written final exam (essay-type) (40%).

 

 

European Union Law

The Contribution of the European Court of Justice

 

This course is designed to help students understand the system of judicial protection in European Union (EU) law and the importance of the contribution of the European Court of Justice to the development of constitutional principles of the Union.

 

This course will:

• discuss the various judicial remedies in the EU legal order with particular emphasis on the infringement procedure and the preliminary reference procedure
• show how the Court of Justice derived the basic constitutional principles of direct effect and supremacy, governing the relationship between EU law and national legal orders
• highlight how the Court of Justice in its case-law has contributed to making EU law more effective for the benefit of the individual by developing the concept of Member State liability for violations of EU law
• examine the Court’s contribution to the development of fundamental rights in the EU legal order
• study the impact of these principles by looking at concrete examples taken from different areas of substantive law (e. g. the internal market, Union citizenship).

 

Requirements: Performance will be assessed on the basis of a short quiz at the end of the first week and a written final exam. Class participation will be taken into account.

This course, which looks at European integration from a legal perspective, is recommended for students with prior knowledge of the institutions of the European Union or who have taken Prof. Christine Neuhold’s course: The Institutional Framework of the European Union.

 

 

European and International Protection of Human Rights

 

Human rights are arguably the only universally recognized value system at the beginning of a new millennium. They constitute the main source of governmental legitimacy and at the same time set limits to governmental power. They represent guidelines for interaction between human beings, groups and people, and they provide limitations to the forces of neo-liberalism in a globalized society.

This is a survey course on international human rights (law) and existing mechanisms to promote and protect them. It deals with the history and philosophy of human rights and their place within the global legal and political system. Using case studies and practical examples, the course focuses on the meaning of selected human rights provisions and introduces the methods and principles of the practical application of human rights. It covers topics such as the UN and regional systems for human rights promotion, protection and enforcement, as well as the role of national institutions, including the judiciary, in implementing human rights.

 

Requirements: Regular attendance and participation in class discussion (20%) and a final exam (80%).

 

This course is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Marina Fistoulari Mahler.

 

 

Law and Information Society in Europe

 

This course will focus on European and global trends in the legal regulation of information and communication technologies. Specific attention will be attributed to copyright, identity management, consumer protection and privacy in a globalized information society. We will work on the relevant European directives and compare them with other legal, technical and social approaches.

 

Topics:

• Law as Code and Code as Law? The relations between technical, social, economical and legal forms of regulation
• Regulation of Information: The European approach
• Transparency, Privacy and Data Protection: outdated concepts in an information society?
• Identity, Authenticity and Security in a globalized network-environment

 

Recommended Reading: Lawrence Lessig, Code and other Laws of Cyberspace; additional texts and cases will be distributed throughout the course.

Requirements: Regular attendance and active participation in class discussions (40%) and an open-book essay exam (60%).

 

This course is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Brandl & Talos.

 

 

Europe and Beyond: Music in the 20th Century

 

This course explores the various radical, rich and revolutionary trends and aesthetic directions of twentieth century European concert music. This study includes concepts, ideas, techniques, compositional materials and analytical principles of the music, as well as contextual perspectives and a historical, chronological survey of the composers and compositions of the modern era.

The objectives of the course are to develop: (1)knowledge of stylistic principles and their development in music of the period, (2) knowledge of principle genres of the period and the vocabulary associated with those genres, (3) an awareness of the historical context in which the music was composed and performed, and (4) to cultivate the ability to define historical issues relating to music and to draw and express informed conclusions regarding those issues.

The course involves a study of the twentieth century masters Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Debussy and Satie, as well as nationalist composers like Bartok, Stravinsky and Copland, and the flowering of the avant-garde since 1945 in Europe.

 

Requirements: Attendance is mandatory. Class participation (20%), Homework (20%), Quiz (20%), Final Exam (40%).

 

 

European Security after the Cold War

 

1. Basic Security Strategies:

• collective defence
• collective security
• cooperative security
• neutrality

 

2. European Security after the Cold War, “9/11” and the Global Economic Crisis:

The new structure of the international system: between unipolarity and non-polarity.

• good news:
  • the peaceful end of the Cold War
  • the new pan-European value platform and the theory of democratic peace
  • progress in the areas of European integration and security cooperation
  • arms control and steps towards disarmament
• bad news:
  • the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
  • new dimensions of terrorism and organized crime
  • ecological security: climate change as a security problem
  • energy security
  • migration and refugee movements
  • health as a security problem
  • food security

 

3. Global, Transatlantic and European Security Institutions:

• the UN: its mixed record after the Cold War
• NATO: the “new NATO” – litmus test in Afghanistan?
• the EU: economic giant – political and military dwarf?
• the OSCE: the possibilities and limitations of pan-European cooperative security

Requirements: Students will have a choice between a final oral or written exam on which the final grade will be mainly based; participation in class during the course will also be taken into account.