Internationalisation / Exchanges


General
The MA European Union Studies started in 2004/5. For the first year we were primarily concerned with monitoring and fine-tuning the program itself. Having satisfied ourselves on that score, we decided in 2005/6 to start establishing a light, informal but effective international network.

The intention of the network is to allow our partners to send one or two students a year, to enjoy the study facilities (and expertise) of our program. At the same time, our partners have agreed to accept one or two of our own students on the same basis. This will help provide a unique study environment to students wanting to write theses comparing integration experiments and experiences in two areas or investigating the foreign relations of the EU with another part of the world.

Several initiatives are running simultaneously, and more results will be announced as they are obtained. So far the countries and institutions listed below have joined the network.
China
  • Chinese Academy for Social Science, Institute of European Studies, Beijing
  • Silk Road Combined Centre of EU Studies, X'ian University, X'ian
    The Leiden program is the European coordinator of a large EU-funded program to introduce advanced university-level EU studies into North West China, centred on X'ian University. Under the scheme, in the course of 2006 and 2007, Leiden hosted over forty visiting academics from the Chinese partner universities, staying for periods from one to six months.

Read the report of prof. R.T. Griffiths of his visit to XinJiang University in September 2006 and of his visit to Xi'an University in September 2008.
European Unions
The program is partner in a Jean Monnet Action project led by University of Rome (Tor Vergata), involving students from seven different universities, entitled "If the ECSC were negotiated today...". The project culminated in a three day simulation game in Rome in June 2008. Read the report here.
Gulf States
Promising contacts made. Program has received a grant to expand its library in the direction of EU-Gulf Relations.
Iceland

The Leiden program is a partner in an annual EU-funded summer school on "Small States and European Integration" which allows us to send 2-3 students each year. Read the report that Julia wrote on her Iceland experience in July 2007. Read the report that Merethe Henne wrote of her research visit in March 2009.
Japan
  • Keio University, Tokyo
  • Kobe University, Kobe (also coordinator of the Kansai Centre for European Studies)

Read about prof. Griffiths visit to Kobe in October 2006.
Malaysia
  • Universiti Sains Malaysia, Centre for International Studies, Penang
  • Negotiating cooperation agreements with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Russian Federation
  • Moscow State University for International Relations (MGIMO), Department of International Relations
  • National Institute "Higher School of Management", Moscow

Read the the articles that prof. Richard T. Griffiths wrote about his last visits to Moscow in September 2006 and March 2007. Read Evert's account of his student reseach visit under the exchange agreement in April 2007. Read Leens's account of the MA student visit to Moscow, Seliger and St. Petersburg in Juni 2009.
South Africa
Initial contacts have been established. Read about Prof Griffiths' visit to Pretoria and Johannesburg in February 2008.
South America
The program is a partner in an EU funded project (Bridges-LAC) to enhance cooperation in Higher Education between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. The project started in January 2008.
Thailand
  • Chulalongkorn University, Institute of European Studies, Bangkok

Read a report of Prof. Griffiths teaching visit in August 2008. Read Dianna's account of her research visit in March/April 2009.
Turkey
  • Middle East Technical University, International Relations and European Studies, Ankara
Additional activities
The Program has also taught EU Studies (Masters) modules at Bilgi University (Istanbul, Turkey) and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand).