OADI 2340 - The EU in the Asia Pacific region - challenges and opportunities

***UPDATED for 2025/26***

This course will contribute to the students’ understanding of the EU’s engagement with the economically most dynamic region of the world, with its growing political and security importance for Europe. This will include its multi-faceted relations with China, as well as the strategic partnerships with Japan, South Korea, India. A special focus will be on the interaction of the EU with ASEAN. The intensive geopolitical rivalry between the US and China and the growing alignment between China and Russia will also be examined, as well as regional conflicts which can erupt with potentially major global consequences (notably Taiwan, East/South China Sea, North Korea, India-Pakistan). Particular attention will be paid to intensifying cooperation of the EU with partners across the region under its Indo-Pacific Strategy. The significant challenges for the conduct of relations with regimes completely opposed to the EU’s values (Afghanistan, Myanmar) will also form part of the course.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1.Identify and discuss core concepts of the EU’s external projection in defining its relations with very different partners in the Asia-Pacific region

2.Identify and learn how to apply policy tools of the EU, when projecting its interests and values in a highly varied and vast region

• Analyze data which may motivate the EU to increase or modify otherwise its engagement with this geographically distant region

4.Evaluate policy options for dealing with evolving conflict situations and rogue regimes

Professional Skills

• Learn how to formulate a concise policy brief for the political decision-making level.
• Learn how to forge consensus among EU member states on new policy directions and how to preserve unity under external pressure.
• Learn how to communicate pro-actively and to deal with foreign information manipulation and interference.

Recommended : Basic knowledge of EU foreign and security policy, EU external policies and tools (trade and development policy; humanitarian aid), external impact of integrated EU policies (such as climate change, energy, environment, digital policy, home and justice).

On group assignments oral feedback will be provided after each presentation in class, and written feedback on the group paper by the end of the course; on individual policy briefs written feedback will be provided by end April.

(i) Group work: 50% (case studies with oral presentations); individual country profile briefings: 50%

(ii) One group work will be assigned at the very beginning of the course and presented in the context of the subjects covered at different lectures. Individual policy briefs need to be delivered at the end of the semester.

• In Class Presence: 4 hours a week (2 lectures of 2 hours per week)/ 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 8 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester.