the Intensive Summer Course: HIROSHIMA and PEACE

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Description: The European Union (EU) is now one of the biggest economic powers in the world, with a population of 489 million and a GDP of 10,948 billion euros (equivalent of 14,256 billion dollars). Because of this huge economic power, European integration has widely been understood as an economic enterprise (e.g., creation of a single market and a single currency). However, one of the core driving forces of European integration after WWII has been to achieve peace and security in Western Europe and to build mutual trust among the countries. Furthermore, since the end of the Cold War, the EU has been trying to extend peace and stability to its Eastern and Southern neighbour countries. Objective: The aim of this lecture is to introduce the nature of European integration from historical perspectives. It first provides overviews on how European integration after the WWII contributed to achieving peace, stability and security in Europe. It then explores the opportunities and challenges facing the EU after the Cold War. Lastly it considers whether other part of world, including East Asia, can 'learn' anything from the European experiences. Recommended Readings: For those students whose knowledge of the EU is minimal, the following website would provide a very good (though very brief) starting point: http://europa.eu/abc/panorama/index_en.htm Name:HIGASHINO Atsuko Present Post and Title: Associate Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Hiroshima City University Final Education: University of Birmingham, Ph.D. Specialized Field: International Relations, International relations theory, European integration, Security studies Recent Publications: *The Roles of Security Discourses in the EU’s Eastern Enlargement’, a PhD thesis, University of Birmingham, May 2005 *'For the Sake of "Peace and Security": The Role of Security in the EU Enlargement Eastwards', Cooperation and Conflict, December 2004, Vol. 39, No, 4. Atsuko Higashino is a Senior Lecturer of International History and European Politics at the Faculty of International Studies, Hiroshima City University. She was a former researcher at the Gendai Advanced Studies Research Organisation (1996-2005), a researcher/adviser at the Japanese Delegation to the OECD (1997-1999), and a class teacher/lecturer of International Relations and European Integration at the Department of Political Science and International Studies, the University of Birmingham (2001-2005). She is currently researching on enlargement of the EU, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and theories of European integration.

Hiroshima City University
Faculty of International Studies
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