May 24-June 8, 2008

POS 406 (3 Credits or More with Instructor's Permission)

The course is a great opportunity for USM students and for the general public to get direct access to the European Union institutions in Brussels and the International Court of Justice in the Hague, as the best way to understand the complexity of international organizations. Participants will also be able to visit the main NATO headquarters in Brussels and have presentations by NATO officials on current topics in the news with regards to foreign and military policy. Students will acquire a detailed knowledge of how the many bodies of the EU work together and how the EU itself has developed over time. Using the assigned readings from the textbook, the group will connect the information obtained from the materials to the specific institution they will visit. This is a rare opportunity to ask direct questions about how certain EU policies have developed and to understand why some decisions are made by some bodies in disagreement with the other policy makers in the EU political game.

Presentations by EU officials and visits to the institutions in Brussels and the Hague will take up most of the time during the week, but participants will be able to take weekend trips to Paris and/or Amsterdam on their own.