Characteristics
- Course: The Future of Europe
- Programme: Bachelor’s Political Science
- Group size: 25 students
- Study load: 12 EC
- Year: third-year bachelor students
Course description
At a time of huge uncertainties about the future of European integration, the IIS grant allowed Sebastian Krapohl to integrate the scenario method into his previous course about EU politics and policy-making. This method allows students to systematically develop some ideas about the course of European integration in the coming decade. Within the course, students explore how the political, economic, social and technological environment in Europe may look like in ten years’ time, and how key decision-makers can react to new challenges. Students work together in small groups in order to identify important trends, to develop scenarios based on these trends and to think about options for key decision-makers. This requires creative thinking, close collaboration with other students and a high intrinsic motivation to work at the boundaries of their knowledge as social scientists. Students do not only deepen their knowledge and understanding of EU politics, but they also require the necessary skills to apply an innovative method of strategic thinking.
Scenario thinking allowed students to study questions such as how will the EU look like in 2030? Will economic and political integration proceed, stagnate or decline? And how can key decision-makers adapt to different scenarios of 'The Future of Europe'?Sebastian Krapohl