Basic information about the JMM Project
Objectives of the JMM Project
The strategic objective of this Project is to engage the target audience – it mostly consists of domestic and foreign SEB LU students, but also others, including academia, professional public, and media – into the EU economic governance subject that has over the recent years become not only more important but also significantly more complex than it was prior to the crisis. In more operational terms, the Project has two specific objectives: (i) to strengthen significantly the quality and the profile of existing courses on economic policies EU by integrating into their curricula an entirely new module on the EU economic governance subject, and (ii) to contribute to better academic, professional public and media coverage of new challenges associated with the introduction of the highly complex new economic governance of the EU in Slovenia and in the EU candidate countries from the Western Balkan region.
In order to address the above articulated objectives effectively, several sets of activities are being proposed. On the teaching side, the curriculum of the existing UL courses on EU economic policies will be broadened with a completely new module on EU economic governance. By introducing the module into the curriculum, UL will be the first institution of higher education in Slovenia that will address this newly developed EU topic in a systematic manner. In designing the module, the academic coordinator has relied heavily on teaching and research activities gathered through the SEB LU Jean Monnet Chair project expiring in August 2015. Among non-teaching activities, the Project proposes three sets of activities on EU economic governance: (i) organization of two specialized workshops in Ljubljana on this subject, (ii) a series of lectures on EU economic governance topic in two of the EU candidate countries in the Western Balkan region, and (ii) preparation and publication of a brochure providing a condense information on EU economic governance.
Methodology of the JMM Project
The objectives of the Action, described above, will be achieved through several channels.
First, by providing sufficient flexibility in the module curriculum (i.e. 20-30 percent of lectures or seminars each year) to allow continuous development of new and upgrading of existing economic governance subjects of the module.
Second, by improving significantly teaching methods through student research seminars and integration of high quality guest lecturers into the module. Research seminars will enable them to search actively for answers to EU economic governance issues and also to discuss and critically assess outputs presented by their peers. These discussions will be moderated in class by the academic coordinator with the aim of pursuing the highest standards of academic discourse. Guest lectures will allow students to have direct contact with practitioners on the subject.
Third, by random sample external evaluation of student outputs for quality control and by allowing students to critically assess and make suggestions about the module at the end of the course. Recommendations from both sources will be taken into account in the next cycle of the module upgrades.
And fourth, by disseminating the academic coordinator’s research and expertise on economic governance issues through series of lectures, through workshops, roundtables and conferences, through scientific publications, and through participation in the general public debate both in Slovenia and in the EU candidate countries in the Western Balkan region.
Expected impact of the JMM Project
The proposed activities under this Action will have an impact on three groups of stakeholders – students, academic professionals, and other stakeholders, including interested public and media.
Students will be the prime target group. Teaching activities will involve more than 200 students per year enrolled into courses – their integral part is the module on economic governance of the EU – offered by UL (mostly at SEB LU, but also at the Faculty of Social Sciences). These will be primarily students from Slovenia, but a significant number of students will come also from other EU member states and non-EU countries (full time and Erasmus exchange students). Participation at modules will allow students to fully comprehend the depth and complexity of EU economic governance, and to prepare them for their professional careers, both in the private and public sectors, at national and international (including EU) level. As an outcome of the Action, students will also obtain a very good understanding of the decision making processes, institutional and legal characteristics of the EU. Significantly improved teaching methods should stimulate students’ interest and promote their active participation. Considering all this, students will be very well positioned to continue studies of European economic integration at field specific programmes offered by other EU academic institutions. The Action will also systematically transfer information and knowledge about economic governance of the EU to students from the EU candidate countries in the Western Balkan area. Some of these students could assume important positions in the administration and business community of their respective countries in the future, and thus actively participate in their countries’ EU accession process.
Academic professionals and policy makers will be reached through events, such as workshops, round tables and conferences, as well as through research papers and other publications. Such events and publications will enable active interaction of ideas about the EU economic governance within Slovenian and also within international research community. Other stakeholders, including the interested public and media, will be tackled through public debates and cooperation on EU economic governance topics.
Duration of the JMM Project
Between September 2015 and August 2018
