Courses at Jag

                                                    Courses at Jagiellonian University

Most of the courses are offered during the fall and spring semesters, however, the final course schedule is subject to change.

Modern European State Formation 1648-2000
This course focuses on the history of the nation-state system as it emerged after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. A milestone of particular interest will be the rise of Empires and Imperialism, incorporating examples from across Europe. The upheavals of the two "world wars" and their effect on the collapse of the state system will be examined. Finally, the current issue of EU integration will be considered in the light of historical notions of nation-state and sovereignty. Are new regional and supranational regimes a threat, a challenge or a new lease on life for the state?

Introducing the EU
Beginning with the motivations for European integration and its early history, this course will chart the evolution of European institutions and their functions. The current institutional structure of the EU and the decision-making procedures in the EU will be examined in detail. The interaction of EU law and the national laws of the member states in theory and practice will be presented. The course will end with a discussion of the preparations for Amsterdam II and the enlargement process.

The Cultural Construction of European Identities
An essay in the anthropology of the diverse peoples that populate the western peninsula of the Eurasian continent, this course will examine how cultural identity has formed in Europe and why. What is the importance of cultural boundaries and what are the effects of integration? How do genealogy, geography, language, religion and politics combine to construct a "nation?" EU Law and Institutions Beginning with the motivations for European integration and its early history, this course will chart the evolution of European institutions and their functions. The current institutional structure of the EU and the decision-making procedures in the EU will be examined in detail. The interaction of EU law and the national laws of the member states in theory and practice will be presented. The course will end with a discussion of the preparations for Amsterdam II and the enlargement process.

Jewish History, Religion and Culture in CEE from the Middle Ages to 1939
The course presents the flourishing culture of Central and Eastern European Jewry before the tragedy of the Holocaust. Highlighted topics include Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, and the messianic movements of Sabbateanism and Frankism that developed from it. Hasidism as well as the Jewish enlightenment of Haskalah will also be featured. Other important topics will include Yiddish culture and literature and Zionist ideology.

Polish Language (various levels)
Polish language instruction will be offered at the beginners, intermediate and advanced levels. Placement tests will be offered at the start of the semester and students will be placed in the best available match to their abilities. Basic knowledge of the Polish language is essential for living in Poland and all students are strongly encouraged to participate.

French, German, Russian, Spanish Language (beginner's level)
Classes will be offered in these languages at the beginners level. Because of the importance of Polish Language (see above), other languages are not recommended for students who do not already have an advanced knowledge of Polish.



The following courses are offered at the MA level and are open to undergraduate study abroad students. Our students have priority over other JU students for places in these courses.

Business and Markets in CEE
The course is designed to provide basic knowledge about the business environment in Central and Eastern European Countries - especially Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary (with a special emphasis on Poland) - from the point of view of a potential investor and/or a researcher. Consequently, the fundamentals of business law, investment climate, development of private small and medium-sized enterprises as well as privatisation and reprivatisation issues will be presented during the course.

Europeanisation and Transformation of Collective Identity
The course deals with the dynamics of collective identities in Europe. Students will get acquainted with theories of identity - sociological and anthropological approaches, with elements of political sciences, and will learn about processes of identity construction in Europe in a broad, historical perspective, but with a special emphasis on the current transformations. The seminar, which complements the lectures, will offer the opportunity to discuss contemporary literature on the subject, familiarise with recent research in the area and analyse case studies. The background for this course is the course on European Civilisation, offered in the first semester of the MA Programme in European Studies. Students are expected to have basic knowledge of European cultural and social history, with a special reference to the European cultural heritage.

Gender, democracy and citizenship in Central Eastern Europe
This course covers a broad range of issues related to the concepts of gender, citizenship and democracy in the context of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Contemporary processes will be presented in the scope of historical development, with particular attention given to the construction of gender under the socialist regimes, democratic transformation, Europeanization and globalization.

EU Administration, Justice and Home Affairs
The main objective of the course is to introduce students to both basic and more detailed topics related to the EU Member States’ cooperation in fields of administration, justice and home affairs. The course is composed of two major parts: - In the first one (taught by Dr. Marcinko), the main emphasis will be put on selected aspects of EU contribution to the Europeanisation of public administration and civil services of Member States. This main stream of considerations will be illustrated by some essential examples, such as the functioning of national regulatory authorities, operation of administrative rules and procedures in implementation and enforcement of EU law and policies. Regulations on civil services in selected EU Member States will too come under analyses. - The second one (taught by Dr. Filipek) is devoted to the creation and functioning of EU area of Justice and Home Affairs in its historical context, as well as to the evolution of Member States’ activity and cooperation within that area. Particular areas of police cooperation, combating crime and judicial cooperation in both civil and criminal matters will be analyzed during the classes, together with major institutional developments, e.g. Eurojust and Europol.

Jewish Identities - Holocaust - Auschwitz
The objectives of the course are: (1) to give the students an overview of the selected issues related to Jewish identities, the Holocaust, and Auschwitz; (2) to introduce the participants to key research problems related to the subject-matter of the course and to present the current solutions to these problems; (3) to create opportunities to reflect upon and to discuss the issues studied; (4) to develop students’ opinions on the issues studied.

The Meaning and Value of Democracy from a Philosophical Perspective
Students will be invited to study the main conceptions of democracy, to identify the main problems of the theory of democracy, to acquire material for their own critical thinking about democracy in a dialogue with classical and modern thinkers, and thus to see that there is more to democracy theory than meets the eye of many observers of current political events.

EU-Russia Economic Relations
The EU is the main trade partner for Russia and the main source of imports for the Russian Federation. On the other side, Russia is the leading exporter of natural gas and oil for the EU. The course is aimed at the identification and then exploration of key areas/fields of economic cooperation between EU and Russia. The major objectives of the course are: ? to introduce students to the nature of the Russian economy, its strengths and weaknesses ? to raise students' awareness of mutual relationships between economic policy and Russian politics ? to familiarise students with key challenges the EU economy is facing and EU dependence on Russian sources of energy   The economic and political profile of the Russian Federation will be followed by discussion of EU-Russia bilateral trade, EU-Russia common spaces and Partnership and Co-operation Agreement. Special emphasis will be put on EU energy policy and the role Russia is playing in this respect. Where applicable, the related issues will be placed in a broader context of international policy and foreign relations, for example Russia- China and EU-China relations.

Qualitative Methods of Social Research
The central goal of this course is preparing students to design and conduct qualitative methods projects. In class, students will develop research goals, practice individual in-depth interviewing, conduct focus group interview, analyze data, write small report and present research results. Main objectives are as follows: 1. Understand steps involved in designing qualitative research 2. Know and be able to use qualitative research techniques, including observation, individual in-depth interviewing, group interviewing, qualitative content analysis 3. Be able to analyze qualitative data 4. Be able to conduct their own (small) qualitative research project 5. Acquaint students with exemplary readings in qualitative research

PLEASE NOTE!
Other courses are offered throughout the university and are open to students on a space available basis.
Here are some examples of other courses taught in English :Courses in English