Lecturer: Dr. Wulf Reiners

Course Nr.: 15304.0096

Date/Time: Mon., 16:00-17:30

Location: 106 S12

Investments on digitalisation affect personal, political, societal, environmental and economic processes across the globe and have enormous potential to radically change almost all sectors in the coming decades, from agriculture to industry and finance, from education to health, democracy and human rights. They will also influence the success of the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Digitalisation is understood to constitute one of the most powerful facilitators for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The course is an introduction to digital transformation and its relationship with sustainable development in Europe and other world regions. It provides an overview of the impact, the opportunities, but also the risks of digitalisation in three interdependent thematic fields: the economy, the environment, and the society. A particular focus will be put on the societal and political dimension of digitalisation towards sustainable development, for instance with a view to governance, privacy and security in the digital age, or the effects of social media on democratic practices. The course will take up topical initiatives and processes such as the United Nation’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development, the European Union’s Digital Single Market (DSM), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or social credit systems in China. In this way, the seminar aims to combine perspectives from Europe with experiences from other world regions.

Pre-liminary schedule:

Lecturer: Rada Popova

Course Nr: 15304.0097

Date/Time: Wed., 14:00 - 15:30h

Location: 106 S25

The course will give an introduction to public international law and to European Union law. In its first part, by outlining the relevant legal basis, this course will provide insights into the legal mechanisms that govern inter-state relations and the role of international organizations for the international legal order. Part of the course will be dedicated to the legal regime governing areas beyond national sovereignty and international spaces – the environment, the High Seas and the Deep Seabed as well as airspace and outer space. In its second part, the institutional basis, the structure and the basic principles of European Union law will be presented. On the basis of case studies on milestone jurisprudence of the ECJ, the role of European Union Law for Member States will be explained.
The structure of the lessons is interactive, where active participation is both desired and expected.
During the course, every student will prepare a topic related to the program of the course of their choice and present the results orally (10 to 15 minutes). After the presentation, the topic at hand will be discussed among the class.
The course will be concluded with a short multiple choice exam.

Course outline:

I. Definitions and the sources of public international law (2 weeks)

II. The legal basis of inter-state relations (1 week)

III. The law of international organizations (1 week)

IV. The legal order concerning international spaces: the High Seas and the Deep Seabed, the environment, air space and outer space (3 weeks)

V. The genesis of modern European legal systems: historical and economic factors (1 week)

VI. Overview on the system of European Union Law: sources, institutions and principles (2 weeks)

VII. The role of European Union law for the legal systems in Member States: case studies of milestone judicial decisions of the European Court of Justice (1 week)

Presence during the first session is mandatory!

Lecturer: Dr. Oliver Höing

Course Nr: 15304.0099

Date/Time: Wed., 17:45 - 19:15h

Location: 106 S25

The European Union (EU) is a unique project of international cooperation of 28 states in an “ever closer union” that has successfully secured peace and prosperity on the European continent for over 60 years. In the past decade however, European integration has been challenged due to the Euro crisis, increasing Euroscepticism and ultimately the Brexit. The Union has come under pressure to prove its added value and legitimacy to the people.
This course will start out with analysing the institutional structure and historical development of the EU. The democratic quality of the EU decision-making process will guide this analysis. What powers does the European Parliament have in the EU decision-making process? How is it elected and how does it contribute to EU legitimacy? Where do the member states guard their interests and how do they answer to their national voters? These are some of the questions we will critically discuss in this course.
The seminar will cover the case study of EU research policy to exemplify the workings of the EU institutions. Towards the end of the semester an excursion to Bonn will allow an insight into national EU policy-making. The course is designed as an introduction to EU politics.

Due to limited number of participants, it is mandatory to show up at the first session in order to secure your spot.

All students (CGSP, Erasmus, Studium Integrale):
a. Presentation of ~20 min. of one EU institution in a group (3-4 students) including preparation of a 2-page handout

b. Participation in one Tilbury debate (alternatively minutes of one session)

c. Written exam (multiple choice, 20 minutes): Friday, February 1st, 12:00 h.
Additionally for Cologne Global Study Programme

d. Written elaboration (essay) of the topic of one of the Tilbury debates or one of the presentations. Core module: 4 pages,

Lecturer: Dr. Johannes Müller

Course Nr.: 15304.0091

Date/Time: Tue., 16:00-17:30h

Location: 106 S12

This seminar looks at early stages of the transformation processes in Eastern Europe since 1989. Starting with the astonishing revolutionary wave that swept away the soviet-communist regimes, we will discuss and compare political, economic and social change in central and southeastern Europe. Media coverage in the West usually avoids the necessary distinctions and differentiations, providing a narrative of democratization and liberalization, which overstates common trends and suppresses important differences. In this seminar we will try to achieve a general understanding of the post-1989 era by combining detailed case studies with a comparative approach.
During the semester we will also have a series of guest talks via video conferencing from specialists of the respective countries.

Due to limited number of participants, it is mandatory to show up at the first session in order to secure your spot.

Lecturer: Benjamin Naujoks

Course Nr.: 15304.0094

Date/Time: Tue., 14:00 - 15:30h

Location: 106 S25

Talking about neonationalism, uprising right-wing movements, and the manifestation of right parties all over Europe and the World, there is often talk of “Weimar conditions” (“Weimarer Verhältnisse”). While this term refers to the condition of a political system, this course will ask about the whole picture: what does “Weimar” in different times and ages stand for (as lieu de mémoire/memory space)? What does the positive connoted term “Weimar classic” mean in terms of near Buchenwald and the Holocaust? Furthermore, how “Weimar” – as a topos – was used during the German-German division? And, also afterwards since 1990 in global perspectives?

Following these questions, the course has three goals:
1. Giving an overview of the key developments of Modern European history.
2. Providing detailed knowledge about German(-German) history.
3. Embedding the results in global contexts.

“Memories of Weimar” follows interdisciplinary and multi-angle perspectives. While working with concrete examples of different dimensions (culture, politics, economy), the course offers and practices a variety of methodological approaches (culture, Holocaust, and memory studies as well as heritage studies, and questions of political economy etc.)

Introductory reading
• Michael H. Kater: “Weimar. From Enlightenment to the present”, New Haven/Conn., 2014 (online available).
• Peter E. Gordon/John P. McCormick: “Weimar Thought. A Contested Legacy”, Princeton/NJ, 2013 (online available).
• Pierre Nora: “Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Mémoire”, in: Representations, 26/1989, 7-24 (online available).