EIPAs Antennae in Luxembourg (European Centre for Judges and
Lawyers) and
Barcelona (European Centre for the Regions) cooperate with the
University
of Graz and
EURAC (European Academy of Bolzano) in offering an innovative
Masters
programme entitled Master in European Integration and Regionalism
(MEIR).


The programme targets
mainly
- civil servants from local, regional or national
administrations;
- lawyers, economists, social scientists and people working
for non-governmental organisations; and
- journalists and teachers.

Following a medieval European tradition, MEIR students
will not focus on the European integration process from one
single perspective within the European Union but go on an
exciting trip taking them to centres of excellence in various
EU countries. This will enable them to grasp what is meant
by the European Union being united in diversity.
In joining a small group of participants carefully selected
for this Masters programme, you, as a future leading
expert, will have the opportunity to travel Europe and study
its major trends, underlying legal structures and political
processes in the framework of an interdisciplinary, high-level
programme. This innovative Masters programme
consists of ve modules that will take place in four European
cities: Bolzano/Bozen (Italy), Luxembourg (Luxembourg),
Graz (Austria) and Barcelona (Spain).

The modules

The first module (in Bolzano) on The Enlarged European The Enlarged
European The Enlarged European The Enlarged European The Enlarged
European
Union and Its Regions Union and Its Regions Union and Its Regions
Union and
Its Regions Union and Its Regions will provide an overview of
different
national historiographies by discussing the role of myths
and the (mis)use of history for nationalistic purposes and
exclusion or inclusion mechanisms. The module will also
explore the development of federalism in the history of
European integration. Much attention will focus on the
processes of Eastern enlargement, combining sociological
with legal and economic questions, as well as on the
position of Turkey and the Western Balkans. A thorough
analysis of the concepts of federalism and regionalism in
Europe will lead to a two-day case study, i.e. on the
example of South Tyrol as a strong region in an enlarged
Europe. The module will provide participants from various
disciplines with the necessary foundational knowledge in
politics, law and economics so as to enable their full
involvement in an interdisciplinary programme.

The second module delivered by EIPAs Antenna in
Luxembourg on European Union Law European Union Law European Union
Law
European Union Law European Union Law was originally
designed with the aim of attaining two principal aims: firstly
to provide a comprehensive view of the constitutional
organisation of the European Union (including the
functioning, interrelation and rule-making processes of the
various institutions), and secondly to introduce fundamental
concepts of European Union law (general principles, non-
discrimination,
fundamental freedoms, internal market
harmonisation and competition). In 2005, a third and
new element was included in the module, i.e. an overview
of the implementation of European Union law and the
consequences thereof for the EU Member States in terms of
development of administrative capacities and human
resources. The overall objective of this module is to provide
participants with a practical understanding of current EU
legal issues and the resulting effects on national
administrations.

The third module (in Graz) will be on Political and Political and
Political
and Political and Political and
Economic Aspects of Regionalism and Federalism Economic Aspects of
Regionalism and Federalism Economic Aspects of Regionalism and
Federalism
Economic Aspects of Regionalism and Federalism Economic Aspects of
Regionalism and Federalism and
aim at providing understanding of the different possibilities
for regions not only to determine their own affairs using
instruments of self-government but also to influence decision
making at national and European level. The considerable
diversity of regions in Europe will raise the question of how
a model region should be created. Last but not least, the
federal nature of the EU itself will be thoroughly explored
by examining how greater transparency, accountability
and more active participation in the development of a
genuine European civil society may be achieved.

The fourth module, Regional and Social Cohesion Regional and Social
Cohesion Regional and Social Cohesion Regional and Social Cohesion
Regional
and Social Cohesion,
will provide a thorough understanding of how regions may
steer their own economic destiny. In order to take full
advantage of EU regional policy and funds, civil servants
have to be familiar not only with policies such as those on
technology and innovation, but also with the various
funding schemes of the EU.

  The second part of the module
will deal with the EU measures against social exclusion. The
participants will be familiarised with principles in the areas
of equality, anti-discrimination and affirmative action under
European law. This module will be organised in Barcelona,
the capital of Catalonia, which is one of the 17 Autonomous
Communities in Spain and a prominent example of a
strong and prosperous region. The population speaks
Catalan, a regional language in European terms, and thus
has a strong regional identity. All this makes it well-suited
for studying the EUs regional policy and the issue of social
inclusion at EIPAs European Centre for the Regions (EIPA-ECR).

The last module (in Bolzano) will deal with the complexities
of Cultural Diversity and Minority Protection in Europe,
mainly through discussion of the international and
interregional protection mechanisms of the European Union,
United Nations, OSCE and Council of Europe with leading
experts from these organisations. Moreover, the wide
range of linguistic, educational and political rights to be
found in different national constitutional systems will be
studied. Special attention will be paid to the concept of
cultural diversity under European law since it is gaining
increasing significance beyond the context of minority
protection.

The method
The proposed curriculum will be highly interdisciplinary
and designed to provide in particular a firm understanding
of institutions and fundamental concepts of EU and European
Community law, regional and social policies, regionalism
and federalism, cultural diversity and minority protection in
the context of the European integration process. The sessions
will be of a highly interactive nature, combining theory with
practice and making use of individual and group exercises,
presentations by participants and simulations.
Each module will last 2 weeks, taking place at eight to
ten weeks intervals. Internships at a local, regional or
national authority of an EU Member State, an international
organisation or other bodies at regional level may be
carried out during the programme. Participants who wish
to obtain a formal Masters degree will, during the third
semester, be expected to produce an academic thesis on an
appropriate topic. Research and preparation for this thesis
may be undertaken either at a partner university or as part
of the internship.

Participation in individual modules Participation in individual
modules
Participation in individual modules Participation in individual
modules
Participation in individual modules

Applications may be made for either the full study
programme or for individual modules. Modules may be
collected at a pace suitable to the student and lead to the
award of the Masters title once all five modules and the
thesis have been completed.


The application process will start on 1 March 2006, with the
deadline for applications for the academic year 2006/
2007 being 31 May 2006

Applications for participation in individual modules
may be lodged until 2 weeks before the module will take
place.
The first module of the academic year 2006/2007 will
start on 28 August 2006.
Further information about the overall programme as well as the
application
form can be found at
http://www.eurac.edu/meir
and/or by contacting:
Peter Goldschmidt,
Senior Lecturer, Head of Unit ad interim, European Centre for Judges
and
Lawyers (EIPA Antenna Luxembourg),
Member of Executive Board M.E.I.R.;
E-mail: Kjo adrese e-maili mbrohet nga spam, aktivizoni java script per ta pare
Alexander Heichlinger,
Senior Lecturer & Project Leader, European Centre for the Regions
(EIPA
Antenna Barcelona),
Member of the Executive Board M.E.I.R.;
E-mail: Kjo adrese e-maili mbrohet nga spam, aktivizoni java script per ta pare




crossposted form balkans