EUC Affiliated Faculty Yasemin Yildiz Featured in "Inside Illinois"

Yasemin Yildiz, professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures and EUC affiliated faculty, is featured in the "Achievements" section of the new issue of "Inside Illinois" (Dec. 13). This article originally appeared on the News Bureau website.

Yasemin Yildiz, a professor of Germanic languages and literatures, will receive the Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for her book, “Beyond the Mother Tongue: The Postmonolingual Condition,” published by Fordham University Press. The Modern Language Association of America awards this prize biennially for an outstanding scholarly work on the linguistics or literatures of the Germanic languages. Yildiz will receive the prize on Jan. 5 in Boston during the association’s annual convention.

EUC Affiliated Faculty Yasemin Yildiz Featured in "Inside Illinois"

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Europe Taking Up Farm Policy, Too

Policy makers in Washington, D.C. and in Brussels, Belgium are struggling with how to restructure agricultural support programs. Todd Gleason, the agricultural reporter WILL radio, interviewed Tassos Haniotis, the Director of the Economic Analysis, Perspectives and Evaluations Directorate in the Directorate General for Agriculture of the European Commission on December 5, 2012.

The European Union Center at the University of Illinois hosted Tassos Haniotis for a talk as part of the EU Common Agricultural Policy project coordinated through our EU Center of Excellence Grant by Department of ACE Professor David Bullock.

A video and a partial transcript of the interview are below. 

European Commission -- The European version of the U.S. Farm Bill is called the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP for short. It was, and remains, one of the common themes that ties all European Union nations together, says Tassos Haniotis.

The focus of the CAP, says the Greek-born Director of Economic Analysis, Perspectives and Evaluations for the European Commission, is now pointing towards environmental and territorial balance.

It's about land use and keeping populations in place as much as anything.

The current proposal for the next version of the CAP is aimed at doing what the free market doesn't do, says Haniotis. It wants to balance the free market production of a private good - food, and the production of a public good - the environment. He says the CAP would achieve this balance by introducing three new green standards. Keeping permanent pasture land permanent to promote bio-diversity. Again, the three green proposals would provide incentives for keeping pasture land, for growing at least three crops on any one farm, and an ecological payment for things like grass-ways, riparian areas, and maintaining hedges and stone fences.

The CAP is under discussion now in Brussels, Belgium.

Tassos Haniotis is the Director of the Economic Analysis, Perspectives and Evaluations Directorate in the Directorate General for Agriculture of the European Commission.

He previously held posts as Head of Unit in the Agricultural Policy Analysis and Perspectives unit and the Agricultural Trade Policy Analysis unit in the same Directorate General, as Member and subsequently Deputy Head of the Cabinet of former European Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler (with respective responsibilities the preparation of the 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, and the agricultural chapter of the Doha WTO Round and the EU-Mercosur negotiations), and as the Agricultural Counsellor of the European Commission’s Delegation in the United States.

He holds Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Economics from the University of Georgia, USA, and a B.A. in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business, in his native Greece.  He also spent six months as a visiting Fellow at the Centre for European Agricultural Studies, Wye College, University of London, where he studied EU-US agricultural trade relations in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.

Europe Taking Up Farm Policy, Too

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EU Center Grants Awarded to University of Illinois Faculty and Students

Champaign, IL   December 5, 2012 – The European Union Center (EUC) at the University of Illinois is pleased to announce awards totaling over $30,000 to University of Illinois faculty and students, and visiting scholars, for research, travel, and course development activities in European Union studies. The faculty awards are made possible through generous funding to the EU Center from its US Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center grant and European Union Center of Excellence grant from the European Union. Graduate student awards are made possible through these sources, as well as through a grant to the EU Center from the Focal Point initiative of the University of Illinois Graduate College.

The European Union Center at University of Illinois was established in 1998 with support from the European Commission, as one of the ten original EU Centers in the United States. In 2003, the US Department of Education designated the EUC as a Title VI National Resource Center. In 2011, the European Union recognized the EUC as a European Union Center of Excellence. Since its inception, the EU Center has become the focal point on campus for teaching, research, and outreach programs on the European Union. The EUC brings together faculty and students from diverse disciplines across campus to promote the study of the EU and transatlantic relations, making it one of the most comprehensive EU centers in the US.

EUC Faculty Research and Course Development Grants are designed to support research proposals pursuing contemporary EU topics that meet the highest standards of excellence and contribute significantly to the advancement of EU studies and EU Center academic programs at the University of Illinois. Applications that feature research projects combining course development and proposals for EU-related courses are given preference in award selection. Award amounts this year range from $2,500 to $4,000. Recipients of the Faculty Research and Course Development Grants and their projects are:

• Donna Buchanan, Associate Professor of Musicology, to support continuing research on her project, “Music, Postsocialist Expressive Culture, and EU Identity Politics,” and for the development of a related course to be made available in AY 2013-14
• Zsuzsanna Fagyal, Associate Professor of French, and Eda Derhemi, Lecturer of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, for their project, “Language and Minorities in the EU: A Survey,” which will aid in the development of an inter-disciplinary e-textbook proposal and an up-to-date companion website for their course “Language and Minorities in Europe”
• Stefanos Katsikas, Director of Modern Greek Studies and Lecturer of Linguistics, for his project, “Religion, Peace and Conflict: Greece, the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean,” which will lead to a General Education course by the same name
• Carl Niekerk, Head and Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures, for the development of a new undergraduate course titled “Europe in Trouble” to be taught in spring 2013
• Helaine Silverman, Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Collaborative for Cultural Heritage Management and Policy (CHAMP), for the development of a summer study abroad undergraduate course with the Ironbridge Institute at the University of Birmingham, England, titled “Cultural Heritage Tourism & Economic Development-UK”

EUC Faculty Conference Travel Grants are designed to support the professional development of EU Center-affiliated faculty who will present one or more papers at academic conferences in the United States or abroad. The award range this year is $400 to $1,000. Recipients of the Faculty Conference Travel Grants and their projects are:

• Nancy Blake, Professor of Comparative & World Literature, to present her paper “Sex or Gender? When translation demands a theoretical decision” at the Translation as Innovation Conference in Paris, France in December 2012
• Stefanos Katsikas, Director of Modern Greek Studies and Lecturer of Linguistics, to present his paper “Greece and its Muslims 1913-1923: An Uneasy Relationship?” at the Bridging the Balkans Conference in London, UK in May 2013
• K. Peter Kuchinke, Professor of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, to present a conference paper at the University Forum for Human Resource Development Conference in Brighton, UK in June 2013
• Terry Weech, Associate Professor of Library and Information Science, to present a paper on “Innovation in Teaching LIS Professionals at the University of Illinois” at the French National School of Library and Information Studies Conference in Villeurbanne, France in December 2012

EUC Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC) Grants support development and teaching of one-credit enhancement or applied language sections in various European languages to accompany courses in any discipline. The recipient of this year’s $1,500 Foreign Languages Across the Curriculum (FLAC) Grant is:

• Stefanos Katsikas, Director of Modern Greek Studies and Lecturer of Linguistics, for the development of a one-credit enhancement course in Modern Greek

EU Center of Excellence Scholar in Residence Grants enable the EU Center and partner units at the University of Illinois to host emerging and leading scholars of the EU, broadly defined. This opportunity is open to European and American scholars of the EU. It allows for research and professional development for visiting scholars, strengthening ties between the EU Center and departments with similar goals in the U.S. and EU. Visitors also benefit from the University of Illinois’ world class library system, working with the Center’s MA students and affiliated doctoral students, and partnering with leading faculty in various EU-related fields. Scholars utilize their time at Illinois to work in collaboration with EUC faculty affiliates on relevant EU-focused research projects and to develop and improve courses and lectures on EU topics. The recipient of a spring 2013 €2,500 (approximately $3,240) EUCE Scholar in Residence Grant is:

• Antoine Cazé, Professor and Director of the Center for Translation Studies, Université Denis Diderot Paris VII, for his project and course, “Translation Beyond Invisibility: How to Weaken Texts”

EUC Graduate Student Research Travel Grants provide funds for travel and other expenses associated with research concerning contemporary EU topics, whether for exploring a potential thesis or dissertation topic or for conducting thesis or dissertation research. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $1,300 (€1,000) this year. Recipients of the Graduate Student Research Travel Grants and their projects are:

• Cristina Alvarez-Mingote, Department of Political Science, for her research project, “European Union’s Democratic Processes and its Effect on Migrant Families: a Case Study of the Ecuadorian Population Living in Spain” and travel to Spain to conduct survey interviews
• Michelle Asbill, European Union Studies, for her research project, “The Relationship Between EU Human Trafficking Policy & Small Non-Profit Organizations” and travel to Greece to further her research
• Danail Koev, Department of Political Science, for his research project, “Explaining Divergent Strategies in the Political Participation of Ethnic Minorities in Europe” and travel to Bulgaria to further his research
• Devon Lechtenberg, Department of Geography, for his research project, “Of Bureaucracies and Highways: Administrative Reform & Motorway Policies in Poland and the Czech Republic” and travel to Poland to conduct field research
• Matthew Spears, Department of Political Science, for his research project, “For the Good of the Group: How Identities Condition Individual Support for Redistribution” and travel to Ireland and the UK to conduct further research

EUC Undergraduate Research Fellow Grants provide funds to help students produce and present research posters at relevant conferences, such as the University of Illinois Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, on EU affairs and contemporary EU topics including research for EU-related capstone projects such as senior theses. The recipient of a €200 (approximately $260) EUC Undergraduate Research Fellow Grant is:

• Eleni Yannelis, Accounting major, for her research project, “The European Debt Crisis: Greece and Technology,” supervised by Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics Evangelia Chalioti

The EU Center congratulates all award recipients and wishes them the best of luck in carrying out their projects.

More information about these and other EU Center Funding opportunities for faculty, students and visiting scholars is available at the Center’s website, http://www.euc.illinois.edu/funding/overview/. These are annual competitions and all eligible individuals are encouraged to apply in future funding cycles.

EU Center Grants Awarded to University of Illinois Faculty and Students

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MAEUS Grad Releases Single, Music Video

Lauren Anatolia (pseudonym of Lauren Turk) graduated from the Illinois MAEUS program in 2012, spending half of her studies in Paris, France. While there, Anatolia reacquainted herself with singing and performing in small venues throughout Paris, the European Forum in Austria, and even the U-Bahn of Berlin. Anatolia is currently based in LA working on a debut EP. She incorporates her academia, travels and overall life experience into her music, creating an intimate setting with the listener. Her first single, Four Words, epitomizes the challenges of a temporary resident in a foreign place -- falling in love with a city, a people, and a lifestyle. The song and video exhibit nostalgia and feature beautiful clips shot in some of Europe's most celebrated cities -- Paris, Berlin and Budapest, to name a few.

MAEUS Grad Releases Single, Music Video

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Drama at the Toll Booth: Border Control, Jobs, and Boring Work

by Mike Nelson

The Turkish film Toll Booth was shown on campus on November 7 as part of the Global Lens Film Series. Turkey is not a member of the European Union, yet Turkey is one of the most discussed countries in EU studies. Toll Booth depicted a man who was an exemplary toll booth employee until his father became sick. One day, the man freaked out at work and was consequently transferred to a distant toll booth that has little traffic in order to hide the man from the majority of the public.

While watching the movie, I couldn’t help but think of border control in the EU. One of the most commonly cited successes of the EU is that Europeans can travel without passports throughout the EU, and all EU citizens can seek employment anywhere in the EU. This is called the Schengen Area. The Schengen Area makes internal travel easier, but it also places more importance on protecting the EU’s external border. Many immigrants, both legal and illegal, now just need to find some way to get in the EU and can then move around freely. For example, Italy struggles with protecting its border. The United Kingdom has refused to join the Schengen Area because of these security concerns.

Toll booths can be connected to many political issues. Many toll booth employee positions have been cut in the last two decades because of improving technology. There are toll booth unions that fight against layoffs and for better pay. Governments worldwide invest in infrastructure, such as major highways that require toll payments, to create jobs. In Illinois, tolls are now more expensive if you pay in cash instead of I-PASS. The Illinois rule is difficult for people with bad credit history who cannot have a credit or debit card and thus cannot have an I-PASS.

The film also raises the important question of how mundane but important work can be done over and over by employees. Jobs involving repetition can easily result in burnout and a decline in good customer service. The main character in Toll Booth seemed so tired during and after work because of the non-stop flow of cars for forty hours a week. A similar job with repetition that gets a great deal of news coverage is air traffic controllers. I feel like I read at least one story a year of an air traffic controller falling asleep on the job. The main responses to this issue have been to increase the amount of breaks, offer more pay with bonuses and incentives, and have employees work less hours per week than at other jobs.

From my own experience as a lifeguard, you have to personally put some effort into a repetitive job to keep yourself sane. It can get boring when you watch a body of water for eight hours in a row. I sometimes made up back stories of the swimmers or thought about what I would do if I won a million (or billion) dollars to prevent my brain from turning into mush.

Who would have thought there was so much to consider about toll booths?

Mike Nelson is a first year MAEUS student. He graduated a year early and received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Mike has studied French, German, and Spanish and will be tackling Swedish starting this fall. He has traveled to Germany and hosted a French foreign exchange student. During the summer, he works as a manager at a water park. He is working as a Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant for the European Union Center this year.  

Photo Credit:
"Keokuk Rail Bridge toll booth, Keokuk, 1982." Wikimedia Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keokuk_Rail_Bridge_toll_booth.jpg. Accessed November 15, 2012.

Drama at the Toll Booth: Border Control, Jobs, and Boring Work

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EU Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050

Speaker: Christian Burgsmüller, Delegation of the EU to the US, Head of Energy, Transport, Environment section

by Juju Manandhar

Rapid climate change in the last century, I believe, is directly related to human activity. Not only are humans creative and adaptive to the changing nature of this earth but we have transformed natural resources stored over millions of years and exploited it into cheap energy for a lavish lifestyle for many of us. I am a firm believer of climate change but there are plenty of people in the United States that won’t budge on climate change. Some want proof and statistics but they cannot be convinced even if you provide the evidence.  We cannot wait until there is no more ice left in the ocean and those non-believers won’t be here to see it; therefore, we must act now to reverse the trend or to at least limit environmental impact.

I give a huge credit to the European Union’s role in leading the path to minimize climate change and to improve lives of inhabitants of this earth. I already see positive impact due to European Union regulation of hazardous chemicals found in consumer products via Registration, Evaluation, Authorization & Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) that sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for a wide range of electrical goods. United States has to do a lot to catch up.

There were plenty of debates on Obama administration’s decision to increase fuel mileage for automobiles. In my view, those who hesitated had deep connections to the auto industry as well as the oil production sector that just didn’t want to change anything other than to increase their bank balance. I deeply support laws to increase automobile fuel efficiency as well as increase investments in public transportation such as high speed rail. These only help reduce our dependent on personal vehicles. I fully support EU’s vision 2020 package for 20% reduction in emissions and 20% increase in energy efficiency. The solution to energy problem is not to drill more and take more out of the earth but to accept a balanced middle path. We should take what is needed while working to reduce our needs by improving efficiency of our machines and reducing our dependence on non-renewable energy. 

I was very enthused about the speaker’s comment on inefficient house construction in the United States. I happen to have built my house in the last few years and I was so disgusted with how it was constructed, I spent my after work-hours and weekends with cocking material to reduce air leaks from plywood seams and fixtures mounted on the ceiling. I upgraded to the highest level of insulating materials for exterior walls. I take satisfaction that my effort provided me with a much smaller energy bill compared to my smaller older house. Yes, if I had enough time and money, I would have thought of my grandchildren living in the same house and could have done even a better job. Only if efficient doors, windows, and insulation materials were driven by laws, the construction companies won’t be driven to use cheap materials. Developers in the United States really don’t have any incentive to improve efficiency and I think this is different to the way people in the European Union think. Our society must be willing to make investment now rather than let our grandkids pay for our failure to improve efficiency and reduce dependence on non-renewable fuels. If United States cannot be a leader in moving towards a low carbon economy, let’s at least follow the European Union’s vision 2020 and vision 2050.

Juju Manandhar has an Industrial Engineering degree from U of I and is currently finishing up his MBA degree. He was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, lives in Champaign, IL, and works for Caterpillar Inc as a Senior Engineering Specialist.

Credits:
1. http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/roadmap/index_en.htm
2. Image of Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm

EU Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050

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Bonjour, Monsieur Hollande: The French Presidential Elections

by Mike Nelson

In the French elections panel on October 1, one of the panelists noted that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was called a “hyper” president. I know what you’re thinking: ce n’est pas possible! With the so-called ‘Merkozy’ relationship between Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and even an Internet Meme site that plasters Sarkozy’s face onto important historical images, the former president certainly created some entertainment.

A precious 'Merkozy' moment.

The goal of the panel was to determine if the results of the recent French presidential elections matter. I think that subject is too vague; how do we determine what matters, and what is the importance of mattering? The panelists considered the question from historical and political perspectives. I propose that all elections matter, which I would have guessed is not a controversial declaration. However, the panelists argued that many elections do not matter, either because elections are just a part of the democratic process or because one person will not make a difference in important matters, such as the European financial crisis.

A special reason why this specific election matters is because President François Hollande is a member of the Socialist Party. He is the first Socialist to be elected president since François Mitterrand. It cannot be a coincidence that as the euro crisis continues, France decides to return to socialism. Hollande’s viewpoints will influence the entire European Union’s handling of bailouts, bonds, and other austerity measures. Already, Hollande has requested changes to the EU’s newest budget treaty, although panelists discussed how he originally promised to revise the treaty line-by-line.

This election, I think, could be the beginning of many changes in Europe and the EU. I question if Angela Merkel will be the next leader to be rejected by a growingly euroskeptic public. Constituents are demonstrating their unhappiness with the financial crisis, and they want new leadership to fix the problems. If the French have made such a drastic decision as a return to socialism, it is plausible that fellow Europeans will decide to take action, too. Europeans may not approve of the EU, but they may decide to participate more in order to prevent future crises. For example, a euroskeptic political party, Europe of Freedom & Democracy, already exists and has several MEPs in the European Parliament.

In comparison to Sarkozy and his occasional goofy antics, Hollande should represent French better on the world stage and to the French themselves. I doubt that we will see any pictures of Hollande dancing with Merkel anytime soon. Hollande has now been in office several months, and we are now getting a better picture of his administration. Case in point, he has remained committed to pulling French troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2012. The question remains regarding how much the elections matter. Before we know it, we will need to apply this question to the German elections in 2013.

Mike Nelson is a first year MAEUS student. He graduated a year early and received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Mike has studied French, German, and Spanish and will be tackling Swedish starting this fall. He has traveled to Germany and hosted a French foreign exchange student. During the summer, he works as a manager at a water park. He is working as a Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant for the European Union Center this year.

Photo Credits:

1. (c)2012 Jean-Marc Ayrault, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
2. (c)2009 Sebastian Zwez, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Germany license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/de/deed.en

Bonjour, Monsieur Hollande: The French Presidential Elections

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Dr. Stefanos Katsikas Co-Edits Book on State-Nationalism in Greece and Turkey, 1830-1945

Dr. Stefanos Katsikas, Director of Modern Greek Studies and Lecturer of Linguistics and Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, is co-editor of State-Nationalism in the Ottoman Empire, Greece and Turkey: Orthodox and Muslims (1830-1945). The book has just been published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Tracing the emergence of minorities and their institutions from the late nineteenth century to the eve of the Second World War, this book provides a comparative study of government policies and ideologies of two states towards minority populations living within their borders.

Making extensive use of new archival material, this volume transcends the tendency to compare the Greek-Orthodox in Turkey and the Muslims in Greece separately and, through a comparison of the policies of the host states and the operation of the political, religious and social institutions of minorities, demonstrates common patterns and discrepancies between the two countries that have previously received little attention.

A collaboration between Greek and Turkish scholars with broad ranging research interests, this book benefits from an international and balanced perspective, and will be an indispensable aid to students and scholars alike.

Dr. Stefanos Katsikas Co-Edits Book on State-Nationalism in Greece and Turkey, 1830-1945

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University of Illinois Professor K. Peter Kuchinke Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

The PromoDoc initiative promotes doctoral study in European Union countries. The University of Illinois, with three, is the only US university to have multiple PromoDoc ambassadors.

WASHINGTON, October 1, 2012 – Professor K. Peter Kuchinke, Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership has been appointed to serve as an ambassador of PromoDoc, an E.U. sponsored initiative that seeks to promote doctoral studies in European Union member states. Over the next year, the twenty five selected PromoDoc ambassadors will advise students in the United States and Canada on the options for doctoral education in the European Union and promote the opportunities that are available.

PromoDoc consortium members Campus France and the Institute of International Education selected the ambassadors based on their extensive experience in European higher education.

PromoDoc is a project funded by the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Action 3 (EM A3) program, focusing on the promotion of European higher education at the doctoral level. The project aims to showcase the attractiveness of doctoral-level study in Europe; improve awareness of opportunities for doctoral study; facilitate access to European doctoral programs among students in third countries, especially in the Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

The project also provides a comprehensive web-based resource to help students access doctoral study opportunities in the European Union. The PromoDoc website includes:  doctoral program listings, a guide to the organization of doctoral studies, and information on funding opportunities, application procedures, living in Europe, associations of doctoral candidates and career prospects in each European country.

The three-year project is being implemented by an international consortium, led by Campus France and composed of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Nuffic, the British Council, Eurodoc (The European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers), and the Institute of International Education. For more information, see www.promodoc.eu.

For more information about PromoDoc and opportunities for graduate study in Europe through the program, please contact K. Peter Kuchinke at kuchinke@illinois.edu.

See also: University of Illinois Professor Alma Gottlieb Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

University of Illinois Professor K. Peter Kuchinke Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

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University of Illinois Professor Alma Gottlieb Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

The PromoDoc initiative promotes doctoral study in European Union countries. The University of Illinois, with three, is the only US university to have multiple PromoDoc ambassadors.

WASHINGTON, October 1, 2012 – Professor Alma Gottlieb has been appointed to serve as an ambassador of PromoDoc, an E.U.-sponsored initiative that seeks to promote doctoral studies in European Union member states. Over the next year, twenty-five selected PromoDoc ambassadors will advise students in the United States and Canada on the options for doctoral education in the European Union and will promote the opportunities that are available.

PromoDoc consortium members, Campus France and the Institute of International Education, selected the ambassadors based on their extensive experience in European higher education.  Professor Gottlieb has lived and taught in several countries in Europe.  For example, in 2010 she was a Guest Professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris; in 2006-07 she  lived in Lisbon, where she was a Visiting Researcher at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa; and in 2003 she was a Visiting Scholar at the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium).  Professor Gottlieb’s current research is with Cape Verdeans with Jewish ancestry, especially those living in Portugal as well as in New England.

A dedicated teacher and mentor, Professor Gottlieb has appeared on her campus List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students 32 times.  She is currently Director of the Undergraduate Program in Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she has received the Outstanding Mentor Award from the Graduate College.

PromoDoc is a project funded by the European Commission within the framework of the Erasmus Mundus Action 3 (EM A3) program, focusing on the promotion of European higher education at the doctoral level.  The project aims to showcase the attractiveness of doctoral-level study in Europe; improve awareness of opportunities for doctoral study; facilitate access to European doctoral programs among students in third countries, especially in the Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.

The project also provides a comprehensive web-based resource to help students access doctoral study opportunities in the European Union.  The PromoDoc website includes: doctoral program listings, a guide to the organization of doctoral studies, and information on funding opportunities,
application procedures, living in Europe, associations of doctoral candidates, and career prospects in each European country.

The three-year project is being implemented by an international consortium, led by Campus France and composed of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Nuffic, the British Council, Eurodoc (The European Council of Doctoral Candidates and Junior Researchers), and the Institute of International Education.  For more information, see www.promodoc.eu.

For more information about PromoDoc and opportunities for graduate study in Europe through the program, please contact Alma Gottlieb at ajgottli@illinois.edu.

See also: University of Illinois Professor K. Peter Kuchinke Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

University of Illinois Professor Alma Gottlieb Named Ambassador of E.U. PromoDoc Initiative

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How is your history?

by Michelle Asbill

As a senior in high school, I was convinced that one of my greatest achievements was passing the United States and European History Advanced Placement (AP) tests.  My success was not as much tied to the fact that I had passed these exams, but more that I would now be relieved from the obligation to take history courses in college.  Although my lack of appreciation for history did not prevent me from completing my degree, it did limit my ability to fully engage and wrestle with real world challenges.

A recent EUC sponsored lecture, “Does it matter? The French elections and the European financial crisis”, repeatedly made the point that in short, history matters.  Both directly and indirectly, this lecture stressed that history is not just important, but is critical when examining European Union affairs.¹ The panel, which consisted of three professors representing two different language departments, spent a considerable amount of time critiquing recent French political and economic history. While there was disagreement as to what the specific consequences of the election were, there was consensus in the idea that examining the history of events leading up to the election is an imperative step.

The most repeated historical reference was directed towards the activity of current French President François Hollande and its relationship to the political and economic context it has inherited from Nicolas Sarkozy. The first speaker, Dr. Jean-Philippe Mathy, reminded the audience of the “Budget Treaty” and the strong relationship between Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel.² However, with the entrance of Hollande, it will be interesting to see how this relationship impacts (or does not impact, but this is unlikely) not only each country’s internal affairs, but the affairs of the EU. Dr. Keller also noted the Sarkozy-Merkel relationship, but also made references to Germany’s known authority in the EU as well as several references to France’s voting history.³

So, how is your history?  Unfortunately, Americans are not well renowned for their knowledge of history.  Washington Post writer Valerie Strauss, in a 2010 article, quite clearly supports this premise through the use of several different statistical sources.⁴ Yet, the American Historical Foundation asserts that history is of great importance, even though Americans place more weight in keeping up with the present and looking forward to the future.⁵ All of this presents a question: how do we change direction and begin to flex our “historical” muscles? While there are many valid answers, I would suggest the following:

1. Don’t only rely on one mode of communication- for example, a person could read a book, watch the History channel, and then listen to a podcast.
2. Start by Narrowing interests to a specific person or event- there is no need to read a massive volume on the French Revolution in one sitting.  Why not balance this massive volume with a vivid biography of Marie Antoinette?
3. Use credible sources of information for ideas- the History Channel provides great ideas for interesting books as well as other multimedia resources.⁶In addition, The New York Times offers a steady of stream of book reviews.⁷

So, does history matter?  In short, yes, because it gives us “access to the laboratory of human experience”.⁸

Michelle Asbill is a first year student in the Master of Arts in European Union Studies (MAEUS) degree program at the University of Illinois.  Her previous graduate work has been in the area of social work (MSW—U. of Wisconsin-Madison) and community development (Wheaton College).  Michelle lived in Sofia, Bulgaria for three years (2008-2011), as both an employee of a small Bulgarian non-profit organization and also as a graduate student at New Bulgarian University (degree pending defense of thesis).  Michelle has been awarded a Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship for Bulgarian language study for the 2012-2013 academic year.  Her research interests include EU policies and programs related to combating trafficking and how they impact the effectiveness of non-profits working in this area, as well as Bulgarian agriculture.

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¹Lecture details can be founded at: http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/1889?eventId=23854286&calMin=201210&cal=20121001&skinId=3185
²Information about Dr. Mathy can be found at: http://www.french.illinois.edu/people/jmathyhttp://www.french.illinois.edu/people/jmathy or the treaty here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-16057252
³Information about Dr. Keller can be found at: www.french.illinois.edu/people/mkeller
⁴See article at: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/civics-education/what-americans-dont-know-about.html
⁵See more at: http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/WhyStudyHistory.htm
⁶For more information, see: http://www.history.com/
⁷For more information, see: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html
⁸From: http://www.historians.org/pubs/free/WhyStudyHistory.htm

How is your history?

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A Nobel Peace Prize for the EU?

by Maximilian Biegler

On October 12 it was announced that the European Union will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.  The decision was criticized from many sites all over the world; The Bangkok Post stated that the “EU award diminishes [the, M.B.] Peace Prize”. An Author in the Long Island Newsday headlined his comment, ”Worst. Nobel Prize. Ever.” Iain Martin of the British Telegraph argued that the awarding is “beyond parody, like knighting Fred Goodwin in the middle of a mad boom” and the Daily Mail‘s headline was “It's got a collapsing currency and rioting on the streets but the European Union wins the Nobel PEACE Prize”.


But why was the EU actually awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? On the official website of the price, the committee explains why they bestowed it to the EU: "for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe."

If this is not a reason for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, I do not know who should be awarded this prize.

Some days ago I attended a discussion by the German and French consuls generals. Both spoke very nicely about each other, calling the opposite part “my colleague” and emphasized the meaning of working together in a united Europe. What is so special about it? It is not special, it is amazing. It is the reason why the European Union deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Not so long ago, both countries were what is in German called “Erbfeinde” or translated “arch enemies”. There have been countless martial conflicts between the two states in the past, which have cost thousands of lives.

To better understand what I mean and to illustrate the “Erbfeindschaft” look at the following pictures:

 
These frightful pictures were taken at the battle of Verdun in 1916. It was one of the main battles of WWI between Germany and France. 167,000 French soldiers and 150,000 German soldiers died alone in this battle.
These images show the German-French war in 1870 and 1871. 44,781 French and 138,871 German soldiers were killed in this war.


WWII: The last war between Germany and France. The pictures show the occupation of Paris by Nazi-Germany.

To my mind, the main success of the European Union was to end this long-lasting enemyship. One main figure was the French foreign minister Schumann who had the revolutionary plan to create a common authority for the German and French coal and steel production, which other countries could join if they want to: The European Coal and Steel Community, which was created in 1951 and is commonly seen as the  ancestor organization of the European Union. 

Its goal was “to strengthen Franco-German solidarity, banish the spectre of war and open the way to European integration.”

I think this goal was achieved due the further development of the European Integration in form of the EU and to me it seems worth awarding this incredible peace project.

But why was the award given right now, when there are these huge problems in the EU? It should, to my mind, remind the EU of its original purpose. The member countries should, like in a marriage, stay together in solidarity in bad times and never let these old time rise again.

Maximilian Biegler is a graduate student of Political Science at the University of Vienna. Currently he is a visiting student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He interned at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, at the Austrian Parliamentary Administration and in the EU-Coordination Division of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy. 

Photo credits:
1.  European Union, 2013.
2. (c) 2012 Rafa Sañudo http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/2581/eu-awarded-nobel-prize-for-creating-lasting-peace. Accessed November 8, 2012.
3. "Verdun", http://www.faurillon.com/Verdun.htm. Accessed November 5, 2012.
4-8. http://www.manfred-gebhard.de/. Accessed November 5, 2012.
9. http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/webpages/Beschiessung_von_Paris_1871_.jpg. Accessed November 7, 2012
10. Battle of Mars-la-tour [The War], From "Canadian Illustrated News" Date: 19 November, 1870 , Pagination: vol.II , no. 21 , 336, Franco-Prussian War, 1870-71. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Battle-Mars-Le-Tour-large.jpg. Accessed from Wikipedia.org on November 7, 2012
11. http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/webpages/Erstuermung_Eisenbahndamm_1870.jpg. Accessed November 7, 2012
12.http://www.annefrankguide.net/de-de/content/5_11_1%20ah%20paris.jpg. Accessed on November 8, 2012.
13. http://www.elsalvador.com/vertice/2004/220804/fotos/paris6.JPG. Accessed on November 8, 2012.
14. http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/World-War-2-Timeline-1940/ Accessed on November 8, 2012.
15. "Single stamp from Block 4 mark." First Day of Issue / Inception: 19 April 1968. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Stamps_of_Germany_%28BRD%29_1968%2C_MiNr_556.jpg. Accessed from Wikipedia.org on November 8, 2012.

A Nobel Peace Prize for the EU?

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Primos: A Hilarious Tale of Personal Discovery by...Spain?

by Chris Baldwin

A young man from Madrid, Diego, travels to the north coast with his cousins in what seems merely one of those “everyone finds their true self” comedies, but Primos is really a reflection of Spain's own search for itself as a country.

To begin, this movie depicts a shift in Spanish mores. For instance, cohabitation rather than formal marriage is becoming increasingly common, such as with the case of José Miguel and Toña. If they do get married, they would likely use a church, but many young Spaniards have little use for institutionalized religion apart from similar ceremonies, as the movie reflects by only showing a church at the very beginning. Elsewhere in the movie the characters say that they do not particularly mind that their significant other sleeps with someone else now and then, as long as they are honest about it. While that is certainly not the norm, I personally have run into several people in Spain who had similar perspectives.

The financial crisis is not readily apparent in the film, but Spanish resentment at the European Union's fiscal demands can be seen through José Miguel, whose nurse-girlfriend has been making him medically dependent on her. This sort of treatment is how many Spaniards feel regarding the European Union, rather than interpreting any actual desire to help.

The EU dominates Spain's economy in a way that Spaniards feel is selfish and ineffective, but the movie facts that Bachi reflexively recites point to the cultural dominance of Hollywood in Spain. All of the movies he mentions are classic American movies, and one of the characters even mentions a desire for a stronger Spanish cinema at one point. Similarly, the song the cousins sing at the end is by the Backstreet Boys. Primos takes place recently enough to include at least one reference to a famous Spanish director or song, yet pop culture remains dominated by the United States, leaving Spain somewhat on the defensive for cultural recognition in its own country.

Though the movie is ostensibly about the cousins, this image depicting dialogue (including both disagreement and reconciliation between old and young and between rich and poor) as well as the person most closely tied to cultural imperialism in Spain more fully represents what I believe the movie is trying to say.

Bachi's estranged relationship with his daughter is another reason why he is important for the movie. Such a relationship mirrors feelings in general between the older and younger generations, specifically those generations divided by the end of the dictatorship (Spain became a democracy three years after General Franco's death in 1975 after ruling for 36-39 years). The movie is not explicit in this regard, but such conflict between the old and new is definitely present in Spain and is visibly present in the misunderstandings between Bachi and Clara.

The movie also shows increasing mobility among young Spaniards. The cousins do not face any real problems with making a spontaneous six hour drive from Madrid to the north coast. Such mobility was not unheard of 30 years ago, but has grown increasing common due to investments in the freeway and rail system. Most Spaniards still feel strong links to their ancestral towns, but this mobility, potentially re-framed as restlessness, is visible.

Primos shows a Spain that is trying to establish itself. Spain finds itself financially dominated by Europe, like José Miguel is by Toña, and culturally dominated by the United States. There is an increasing divide between younger and older generations, with the main dividing line being the end of the dictatorship, as represented by Bachi and Carla. Diego internalizes all of these conflicts, the mutual exclusivity of which is embodied by Martina and Yolanda. Hopefully Spain will follow Diego's example and decide on a steady path to follow.

Chris Baldwin is a double major in History and Spanish with a minor in Portuguese, for which he received a FLAS scholarship through the European Union Center. After graduating, he will pursue a doctorate in History and ultimately plans to become a professor with a focus on Iberian history. Languages feature prominently in his personal interests, and so in addition to those previously mentioned, Chris also studies Catalan, Basque, Esperanto, Latin, and Irish and is involved in Catalan and Esperanto language and culture groups on campus. His other primary hobby is a fictional world, similar in principle to that of Tolkien, in which he can explore historical and linguistic principles in a creative setting.

Image source: http://revistaatticus.es/2011/02/12/primos-pelicula-de-daniel-sanchez-arevalo

Primos: A Hilarious Tale of Personal Discovery by...Spain?

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Forging Ahead Amidst Crisis

by Whitney Taylor

It is not every day that we at the University of Illinois are graced with a Consul General, but to have two in one day was a true delight. On October 16th, the European Union Center hosted a Panel Discussion with the Consul Generals of France and Germany to discuss EU-U.S. transatlantic relations.

Consul General Graham Paul of France and Consul General Christian Brecht of Germany were extremely receptive to our questions and treated us to a wonderful conversation. Not only were relations across the Atlantic discussed, but so too were those between EU Member States. As the ongoing euro crisis shows its stubbornness, some of us may begin to question if the EU has the political will to conquer both the economic and political infighting that has been unleashed on the EU stage.

There have been a myriad of suggestions lobbied at “Eurocrats” suggesting different methods for uniting Member States and reforming their individual and shared economic woes. Some have called for Greece’s departure from both the Euro and the EU while others have suggested that the European Central Bank’s authority be enhanced to act as a safety net in the event of Member State defaults. Whichever path the EU chooses will not be an easy one, but the Consul Generals gave us an indication of a possible course forward.

As the EU grows ever closer, it is clear that when problems arise, they can affect multiple Member States, the phrase “contagion” has become popular and aptly describes the swiftness of monetary instability recently seen in parts of the EU. However, we can also see some of these problems in the United States as well and here we may draw upon the idea of implementing federalism in the EU. As Consul General Brecht suggested, the goal of the EU today is to further develop the close relationship between Member States, bolster the power of the EU institutions and perhaps slowly move towards a federalist model. Consul General Paul of France echoed Mr. Brecht’s sentiments and noted that in the case of France, if they want to have a say and assist in shaping their future, they will need to come together alongside other Member States and act in a more unified manner for stronger integration. Instead of Member States falling out of the EU, they need to stay in, but work on reforming their national policies in order to work towards a stronger EU.

Although this is no small act, the EU’s Member States are not new to crises or difficult economic times. Today the world is equipped more so than at any other time, to pool resources and use globalization to its advantage. The EU is a great example of a union of countries that has benefited from close relations and now, more than ever, is another opportunity to come together in mutual support. As we witnessed a congenial atmosphere between the Consul Generals of two nations that used to be bitter rivals, it is hopeful that the EU’s recent Nobel Peace Prize award is symbolic of not just their past, but what the EU can forge by staying the course, united.

Whitney Taylor is a Master's Candidate in European Union Studies at Illinois where she is also pursuing a graduate minor in Corporate Governance and International Business. Her research interests include monetary policy, corporate social responsibility and trade.  

A video of the Consul Generals' discussion may be viewed here.

Forging Ahead Amidst Crisis

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Jumping in the Pool

by Brent Rosenstein

To native English speakers, it seems elementary that the word “pool” can mean more than just a small body of water. We understand that it can also refer to group, as in a pool of applicants, or can even be used as a verb (e.g. one can pool resources or ideas). Personally, I have used such uses of the word “pool” countless times throughout my life, but it had never occurred to me that this usage was a peculiarity of the English language. At least, not until Professor Joaquin Roy (semi) jokingly referred to it as the only thing that Britain had really contributed to the European Union.  This seemed kind of silly at first, especially when punctuated by his anecdote about mistaking the “press pool” at a conference for a swimming pool reserved for journalists. However, the more that I thought about the idea, the more it stood out to me.

Professor Roy said that the more abstract usage of the word pool was introduced as a solution to the greatest problem facing the formation of supranational organizations: the issue of sovereignty. For such an organization to work, it needs to find a balance between its own supranational sovereignty and that of its constituent member states. Most modern states are reasonably concerned about surrendering too much of their sovereignty, or even sharing it, and it can be enough to scare some off. To mitigate these concerns, the European Union chose to present itself as pooling sovereignty. This implies that none of a state’s authority is given up. Instead, it is combined with that of other states to become something more. Some might argue that such a level of international cooperation cannot be achieved without giving up some sovereignty, and they may be right, to an extent. After all, the European Union itself has not overcome this issue entirely. For example, there are still plenty of conflicts between the European Commission, pushing for more integration, and the Council of the EU, representing the rights and interests of the member states¹.  However, this does not mean that the idea is useless. It can still be a goal to reach for. Or, if one is looking for a more pragmatic use, the concept of “pooling” something seems to carry a more positive connotation than sharing it (which implies having to give some up) or outright sacrificing some.

Unfortunately, this concept does not always transfer well to other languages. As Professor Roy pointed out, even though the idea of pooling sovereignty has been introduced to Latin America, which is trying to unify following the pattern of the EU, they do not seem to embrace or even fully understand the term. This is unfortunate for those trying to create a supranational Latin American organization, as fears of losing national sovereignty seems to be the primary obstacle to such a union progressing. Though their concerns are understandable, perhaps they should give it a try anyway, even if only to come to an understanding of the concept. Maybe they just need to jump in the pool.

Brent Rosenstein is a first year student in the Master of Arts in European Union Studies (MAEUS) program at the University of Illinois. His research interests include international security efforts and human rights issues within the EU.

Professor Roy's lecture is available for viewing here.

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¹ Andreas Staab, The European Union Explained: Institutions, Actors, Global Impact (Indiana University Press, 2008), 63–4. 

Image source: http://www.fordesigner.com/maps/8909-0.htm

Jumping in the Pool

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An Appealing Tagline: Come to Germany for a Three Year Bachelor’s Degree

by Mike Nelson

Europe, the most common destination of American college students studying abroad, has been undergoing massive changes to its higher education system because of the Bologna Process. Germany has taken a leadership role in these reforms. In his talk on September 25, Edwin Kreuzer of the Hamburg University of Technology shared some of the exciting and challenging aspects of implementing the Bologna Process in Germany.

Despite the United States not joining the other 47 countries to have signed the Bologna Agreement, the German system of higher education has become strikingly similar to its American counterpart. Currently, 81% of all German programs lead to Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, instead of the former German equivalents. The Bachelor’s degree can be earned in three years. Americans and Germans are now focused on the same goal. This should lead to an increase in exchange opportunities and participation in those opportunities by college students. People will be less confused. College administrators should have an easier time accepting transfer credits between similar Bachelor’s degree programs.

On the subject of transferring, it can be a rough process. I transferred from Illinois State to the College of DuPage and then to the University of Illinois (and had to change my allegiance and chanting from Redbirds to Chaparrals to finally “Go Illini!”). In the process, I lost at least four credits. Other classes were evaluated as electives instead of regular classes. The EU is tackling this issue with the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS). ECTS avoids many headaches for Europeans who wish to transfer credits.

Another important similarity between the American and newly updated German higher education system is the importance placed on a study abroad experience. One goal in the EU is that by 2020 at least 20% of college graduates should have spent a semester abroad. All universities are recognizing the life-changing experience of living in a different country. Study abroad provides the opportunity to learn a new language, understand a different culture, and foster a better relationship between the countries involved. Study abroad also looks great on a resume. (Not everyone agrees. See a controversial Daily Illini article that argued against study abroad.)

The Bologna Process is an example of subsidiarity in the EU. The idea of subsidiarity is to handle various issues at the most localized level of government. The EU, as a form of supranational government, should only govern in areas that cannot be managed at the local, state, or national level. The Bologna Process was established through intergovernmental agreements, and the actual application of the changes was implemented at the local level. In general, the EU tries to avoid interfering in education.

It will be helpful to see more data in the coming years in order to evaluate the Bologna Process. In Germany, there are currently questions of how competitive Bachelor’s degree holders will be on the job market. Also, we will see if the EU meets its study abroad goal by 2020. Either way, the Bologna Process has created a more unified higher education system throughout Europe and beyond.

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Germany 

Mike Nelson is a first year MAEUS student. He graduated a year early and received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Mike has studied French, German, and Spanish and will be tackling Swedish starting this fall. He has traveled to Germany and hosted a French foreign exchange student. During the summer, he works as a manager at a water park. He is working as a Graduate Assistant and Teaching Assistant for the European Union Center this year.

An Appealing Tagline: Come to Germany for a Three Year Bachelor’s Degree

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