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Teaching EU in times of new global realities

Whereas different aspects of teaching and learning in Higher Education are often discussed within an academic community, teaching the EU seems to receive less attention. Especially in recent years we testimony the decreasing interest to EU studies in universities, including some signs of disappearing from educational curricula. Even more sad is the state of teaching the EU in economic faculties and other disciplinary areas. Teaching the EU is not always considered as an important and necessary part of these curricula. At the same time, in the still remaining studies of the EU, mainly situated in studies of politics or international relations, there is a tendency, with a few exemptions, to stick to a rather traditional approach of teaching the EU that does not change for years, no matter what the developments in the world are. In this paper I plea for the change of the existent paradigm in teaching the EU. The new global realities, such as a developing climate crisis and EU green economic transition, war in Europe and changing global security landscape, (still) continuing migration crisis and growing poverty worldwide, radicalization of political systems and intensifying populism, require to change the way the EU subject has been taught in universities. The scholars teaching the EU subject have to rethink the existent answers to the main educational questions, such as what, why, how and who is being taught about the EU. I propose a different approach to teaching the EU that not only redesigns the existent teaching practices of the EU, but also makes the introduction of EU studies in other than political science or international relations curricula, such as economic, business, environmental or many other interdisciplinary studies, possible and indispensable.

The Green Hydrogen Economy: overcoming the obstacles

Proposal for a round table

Sustainable future is impossible without well-functioning sustainable economy that is based on new energy system with renewable and new energy sources. The European Union has put incredible efforts to transform the European economy into a circular, energy efficient and climate-neutral that at the same time provides an optimal business environment for sustainable growth, job creation and innovation. As the European Union has committed to make Europe the world's first carbon neutral continent the question is what are the regional contributions to the achievement of this ambition and making the European economy more sustainable and climate-neutral? The round table, organised by the Jean Monnet Chair in Sustainable EU Economy, brings together experts, policy makers, and representatives from business and academia to discuss different regional initiatives aimed at making the regional economy more sustainable and climate-neutral, and will especially focus on one of the most successful collective efforts to develop a sustainable regional H2 economy in the Northern part of the Netherlands.

Overcoming Challenges in Local Green H2 Economies

Overcoming Challenges in local green H2 economies Organizer: Dr Beata Kviatek, Jean Monnet Chair in Sustainable EU Economy, Centre of Expertise Energy / International Business School / Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the Netherlands One of the main pathways of the current energy transition includes development of regional green hydrogen economy, usually based in the so-called hydrogen valleys. The development of regional green hydrogen economies enables to green up regional industry and mobility, brings new business opportunities for local and regional businesses, redirects regional investments and financial streams, and proposes new avenues for regional education, knowledge, and research institutions. However, the complexity of regional transformation towards green hydrogen economy, poses challenges that require a close cooperation between different local and regional stakeholders at multiple levels, including national and European. What are these challenges in developing regional green hydrogen economies here, in the northern part of the Netherlands, and in other regions of Europe and what are the new pathways to overcome challenges in regional green hydrogen economies? – is the main question of the proposed panel discussion that will involve academics, policy makers, and practitioners from the northern part of the Netherlands as well as some European regions.

Patricia van Rijswijk and Julia Conemans on media literacy within the context of a post-truth society

How do we promote media literacy? How do we combat disinformation in an icnreasingly challenging environment? Join the second episode in our podcast series part of the Jean Monnet Chair EU-ACT DIGITAL, an initiative spotlighting EU digital policy. In the second episode, Patricia van Rijswijk and Julia Conemans from Beeld & Geluid (Sound & Vision) talk about media literacy, digital resilience, and the activities of Beeld & Geluid on media and disinformation while being interviewed by European Impact’s Theo Zijderveld and European Impact's Mihai Postelnicu from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Visit https://eu-act.digital/ to find out more about the Jean Monnet Chair EU-ACT DIGITAL.

MEP Bart Groothuis on regulating digitalisation and the dangers of disinformation

Are we defenseless against AI, deepfake, and the rapid spread of disinformation? Join the first episode in our podcast series part of the Jean Monnet Chair EU-ACT DIGITAL, an initiative spotlighting EU digital policy. Our very first guest, Member of European Parliament Bart Groothuis (part of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy), provides his expert insights on the state of digitalisation in the EU while being interviewed by European Impact’s Paul Schuchhard and European Studies students Francisco van Ruijven and Joana Pereira Grilo from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Visit https://eu-act.digital/ to find out more about the Jean Monnet Chair EU-ACT DIGITAL.