OADI 2270 - EU Foreign Policy and Geopolitical Competition: relations with Russia, US, and Iran

***UPDATED for 2025/26***

Why does the European Union sometimes act like a superpower – and sometimes does not act at all ? This highly interactive course invites students to step inside the engine room of EU diplomacy and see how Europe navigates the world's geopolitical ‘competition' – with a focus on the EU's relations (bilateral and multilateral) with three other influential actors on the global stage: Russia, the United States, and Iran. The rationale is to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the foreign policy of the EU not only from the ‘inside-out' but also ‘outside-in', that is, by getting to know its relationship with other countries also from those countries' perspective. The course is divided in three parts. In the first part of the course, the lectures are dedicated to the EU and its complex foreign policy machinery (its evolution, institutional setting, and objectives). To appreciate how the EU interacts with other entities, it is necessary to be familiar with the EU as a diplomatic actor in the first place.

The second part of the course is of geographic nature. It considers the EU's relations with Russia, the United States, and Iran. For each, the module consists of a historical and cultural session that provides the necessary background, and a session dedicated to some of the current and emerging areas of cooperation, challenge, or rivalry.

The third, short part of the module consists of group presentation by students. It will address some pre-identified cases of EU diplomacy in action from the past two decades, to be agreed between students and instructors. Each session will be introduced by the instructor, then groups of students will present an analysis of a pre-identified case and all students will be invited to participate in the ensuing discussion.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to acquire

1. a good awareness of the evolution of diplomacy in and by Europe from 1945 to today

2. a detailed knowledge of the nature, scope, potential and limits of the EU as a diplomatic actor

3. a capacity to analyse specific diplomatic issues and challenges

4. an ability to synthetically capture the essence of policy developments and outcomes

5. an empirically tested and balanced overview and vision of the EU as a diplomatic actor

Professional Skills

Oral and written communication, effective drafting and presentational skills, critical thinking and teamwork

Luigi LONARDO

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester

- Reading and Preparation for Class: at least 3 hours a week / 36 hours a semester

- Research and Preparation for Group Work: variable, on average around 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester

- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: see entry above.

General knowledge of international relations since WW2, especially since the end of the Cold War. Basic knowledge of the European Union and its institutions is strongly recommended.

Spring 2025-2026

The presentation will account for 45% of the final grade – members of each group will receive the same collective grade.

A policy or position paper – on a foreign policy ‘dossier' to be agreed with the instructor – will account for 45% of the final grade.

In class participation will account for 10% of the final grade.

In an academic context, feedback is provided continuously throughout the class, guiding students in real-time and helping them refine their understanding well before any formal assessments. Feedback on the in-class presentation will be given before (while students prepare) and after the presentation.