Course 2024-2025 a.y.

The course is worth 6 ECTS credits and is organized in six common modules, for a total of 24 hours of common synchronous on-line lectures across the different Institutions (including dedicated debate sessions grouped by topic), plus 12 hours (six lectures in presence) with activities specific for each Institution. The remaining hours are devoted to the completion of the capstone project assignment.

The six common modules will cover the following topics:

1. Introduction to the main EU challenges (Carlo Altomonte, Bocconi and Arancha González Laya, Sciences Po)

2. Globalization and economic shocks (Arancha González Laya, Sciences Po and Johannes, Johannes Lindner Hertie School – Jacques Delors Centre)

3. Democracy, Governance and Populism in the EU (Mariyana Angelova, CEU)

4. Policy Paper Training Camp (coord. Thu Nguyen, Jacques Delors Centre)

5. Environment, Sustainability and the EU Green Deal (Carlo Altomonte and Sylvie Goulard, Bocconi)

6. Digitalization and Innovation in Europe (Matin Mohaghegh, SSE)

The six local content lectures for Bocconi students (coordinated by Grace Ballor) initiate the course and provide the historical framework of the contents developed in the common modules.

In the second half of the course students will work jointly in cross-campus teams on the Capstone Project. Groups will be formed to ensure balance between backgrounds and institutions, and each group will be assigned a faculty supervisor. Each team must analyze one EU-relevant policy problem of choice (among a given subset of topics provided by instructors) and suggest possible policy solutions. Each team is expected to hand in by 15 December 2024 a policy paper of 2000 words outlining policy position and solutions. Detailed instructions on the Capstone Project will be provided at the beginning of the course.

While experiencing the unique opportunity of having direct interaction with some of the top scholars on policy areas across different countries and institutions, at the end of the course students will be able to:

1. Outline and critically appraise challenging areas of policy-making facing the European Union in the coming years;

2. Identify and analyze the main economic, political and societal challenges posed by globalization, climate change, the digital transition and consider the evolution of the political systems within the European Union in response to these challenges;

3. Explain and evaluate the dynamics characterizing European Union policy responses, with a particular focus on responses in times of crisis.

1. Apply key concepts and insights from the relevant theoretical literatures to the analysis of contemporary European policy challenges
2. Propose evidence-based policy solutions to EU-relevant policy problems, developed working in groups

• Lectures
• Collaborative Works / Assignments
• Interaction/Gamification

The common modules of the course will be delivered synchronously across all the campuses of the CIVICA consortium as a series of live on-line lectures, integrated with local activities carried out face-to-face.

The Capstone Project (group assignment) is developed by teams of (ideally) 6 students across (at least) 3 campuses. The project has to address in detail a concrete policy challenge among those covered during the Course.

During the last module of the course students will be involved in interactive policy discussions on the topics covered in their Capstone Project, so as to discuss and fine-tune their draft policy papers.

The assessment is based on an individual Mid-Term exam covering the local lectures and the first three Modules of the course, allowing students to apply key concepts and insights from the relevant theoretical literatures to the investigation of contemporary European policy challenges

A final Capstone Project allows students, working in groups, to propose in written and oral form evidence-based policy solutions to EU-relevant policy problems.

The mid-term exam is worth 50% of the final grade, and the Capstone Project the other 50%. 

For those students who fail or do not complete the Mid-Term exam, a general exam on the entirety of the course content will be organized during regular exam sessions. This is also worth 50% of the final grade, with the Capstone Project worth the other 50%.  

It is not possible to take the general exam without having participated in the Capstone Project.

The assessment is based on an individual Mid-Term exam covering the local lectures and the first three Modules of the course, allowing students to apply key concepts and insights from the relevant theoretical literatures to the investigation of contemporary European policy challenges

 A final Capstone Project allows students, working in groups, to propose in written and oral form evidence-based policy solutions to EU-relevant policy problems.

The mid-term exam is worth 50% of the final grade, and the Capstone Project the other 50%. 

For those students who fail or do not complete the Mid-Term exam, a general exam on the entirety of the course content will be organized during regular exam sessions. This is also worth 50% of the final grade, with the Capstone Project worth the other 50%.  

It is not possible to take the general exam without having participated in the Capstone Project.

All the teaching materials (slides and reading) will be posted on a common platform developed by CIVICA, to which enrolled students throughout the different Institutions will be given access. The link to the course lectures as well as the course calendar will also be posted there.