European Studies - Politics, Societies and Cultures, Bachelor's Programme

Looking beyond the headlines

There has never been a more interesting time to study Europe, agree teachers on the programme Derek Hutcheson and Inge Eriksson. “Never a day goes by when you don’t switch on the television and see something which in some way impacts on or has been impacted by the EU,” said Derek.

“The key point is that students will learn to look beyond the headlines and day to day events, and start to interconnect causal links between one event and another. These events might appear different on the surface, but once you look at the chain of events which led to each of them, you can start to understand what the connections are,” he added.

The programme combines different disciplinary approaches to give students a broad understanding of European culture, history and identity.

The benefits of historical context

“If you do not understand the past and the power of political memory, then you will get lost in the conflict line. The programme gives students tools to act within institutions, because politics is connected to memory, to different backgrounds and different political cultures.

“Sometimes there is a focus only on the formalities of institutions, but in negotiations, for example, you need to have an understanding of other aspects of whom you are negotiating with,” said Inge.

Derek concentrates on the political science elements of the programme, whereas Inge tackles Europe’s historical context.

"At times it is necessary to go back as far as the mid-17th Century and the Westphalian period, which saw the formation of nation states and the change from fragmented sovereignty to a modern concept of sovereignty. This gives a better understanding of what is going on in Europe today," explained Inge.

“All these things fit together; you cannot understand what is unique about the EU until you can understand that up until 70 years ago, European states frequently went to war which eachother, and the EU’s ancestors — the European Coal and Steel Community and European Economic Community — were major attempts to pool sovereignty together and build institutions above the level of individual states,” said Derek.

As political and trade borders have become increasingly blurred, one focus of the programme is on the Öresund Region, which effectively demonstrates how an economic hub can be created between two countries.

The ever-changing Europe

“In the Europe of the past, there were boundaries, borders, and passport controls. Over time, it has become easier to move across the continent and at the same time there are different links over borders. This region is a good example; you have Sweden and Denmark and an infrastructure — the bridge — linking the two together. So increasingly, the state boundary between Denmark and Sweden is not a factor, but what is important is that there are common economic and cultural interests on each side of the water. And across Europe you can see similar things happening,” said Derek.

“For the study of regionalisation, we are perfectly situated to use this example as a case study. As well as our location in the region, we also have great academic links to regional and local government and other organisations,” added Inge.

“I valued the international atmosphere”

Hana Biberovic chose the European Studies programme to deepen her knowledge about EU questions and get a foundation to pursue a career within the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She would recommend the program to those who are determined and interested in learning more about Europe and how the EU functions on the global as well as local level.

Why did you choose to study the European Studies programme?

My interest in the European Union started when I visited Brussels and the various EU institutions. After this visit, I wanted to learn more about Europe as a whole and how the EU is functioning and affecting the everyday life of the European citizens, but also people outside the EU. The European Studies programme seemed like a perfect fit for me. 

What was your favourite part of the programme?

It is hard to specify since a little bit of everything has been interesting. However, I remember that I enjoyed diving into EU legislation (Directive on the Safety of Toys) to examine what it really says, while a myth about ‘EU forbidding toys for children’ blossomed up in the British media.

What I came to appreciate more during my latest traineeship is the first semester of the programme that focused on western political thought. I remember that I did not like Plato, Aristotle or Socrates, but they became my best friends when it was my job to understand a completely different and complex society from the Swedish one. ‘Plato’s Cave’ has answered very complex questions that I have been asking myself in the last years.

Where have you been doing your internship, and how has the programme benefited you in your work?

I did my first internship at the European Commission Office in Stockholm where I worked with different EU questions. Here, I learned a lot about communication and the relationship between the EC and Sweden. The daily assignment was to report to the EC what is on the agenda in Sweden, as well as communicate to Swedish citizens, authorities and journalists what is on the agenda in the EU. I benefited a lot from my studies during this internship since I, for example, had knowledge about the EU institutions and how they function, as well as different EU policies such as EU enlargement and Brexit (of course).

I recently did an internship at the Embassy of Sweden in Belgrade, that is regulating both Serbia and Montenegro. Since I worked at the department of politics, trade and public diplomacy I have been conducting political reporting, handling strategic communication and administration, as well as participating in various project developments. During my studies, I gained a lot of knowledge of different theories on EU enlargement and integration. This was very fruitful to have in the back of the mind when I, for example, attended enlargement negotiations between the EU and Montenegro, who is a frontrunner in EU integration.

The benefits of doing an internship are big and I would recommend this to everyone. During your internship, you will first and foremost get an insight of how it is to work with questions related to your field, but you will also most importantly gain working experiences which are highly demanded when you graduate and start looking for a job.

What is the classroom experience like?

The classroom experience was very good! You study with students from all over the world, which is very fruitful when you, for example, have a discussion or presentation in class. Perspectives and arguments are brought up through people with different experiences, which I think is crucial if you are to for example work with EU questions in the future.

What was your experience like studying at Malmö University?

Malmö University left a very good impact on me. I especially valued the international atmosphere and the professors that are very competent and engaged in their lectures. During your studies you can also receive a wide support from the University, everything from how to write the best CV — to how to best find literature for your B.A. thesis.

What are your plans for the future?

Currently, I am studying French and business and administrative law in Lund. After the summer I will be moving to Brussels to work at the European Parliament, and somewhere in the future I wish to study a master’s as well to widen my understanding of questions that are crucial in the political sciences field. In the future I hope to work with matters that lie close to my heart, at a workplace I can value and that gives me the opportunity to leave an impact on someone or something. In the future, it would also be very interesting to work within the EU or the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as long as no xenophobic parties are ruling in the government.