Newsletter April 2023

ACADEMIC EVENT SECTION

Adrian Brisku from Charles University will be visiting Leiden University the week of April 10, as part of the Mobility Exchange. Dr Brisku will be delivering lectures on:

• Discourse of Smallness in Czechia, Georgia, and Albania: A Comparative Perspective;
• Federalism in the Caucasus: Past & Present Perspectives;
• Russian-Turkish Rivalry in the Western Balkans and the South Caucasus.

SOCIAL/CULTURE EVENT SECTION

#1: Visit of Kutná Hora

Join us on April 28 and visit the city Kutná Hora! The guide will show you the historical center which is under the protection of UNESCO. You will also have enough time to explore the city or environs on your own, such as the Gothic cathedral or the former silver mines. Don’t hesitate to apply for the trip here.

#2: Walking tour of Amsterdam

The staff and students of the MA EPS programme at Leiden University have organised a small programme of activities for all students currently studying there. In April (date to be confirmed), a walking tour of Amsterdam led by the Chair of the EPS Programme at Leiden, a historian by discipline, and Amsterdammer by identity, Dr Joost Augusteijn. And who knows, maybe thirst will be quenched afterwards at a drinking establishment. So keep posted!

CALL

#1: Summer School “Crisis? What Crisis? The Dialectics of European Integration

The Europaeum, the EPS Associated Partner, organizes a multi-disciplinary summer school open to MA and PhD students on September 12-14, 2023. Interested in how the history of European political, economic, and cultural integration can contribute to the understanding of current challenges in Europe?

See the call for papers on the Europaeum website, the deadline is May 2, 2023. Successful applicants will be provided with free accommodation and reimbursed reasonable travel expenses.

#2: Winter and Summer Schools at Diego Portales University

Check out the rich offer of winter and summer international schools at Diego Portales University in Chile! The programmes of 2-3 weeks on various topics – Doing Business in Latin America; Astronomy and Solar Energy in Chile; Get to know Chile! – are open for applications. If interested, the deadline for application for summer programmes is May 30, 2023. Apply directly through the university website.

#3: JEF Europe´s Training on Revitalizing Voices of Youth in Europe

The Young Europe Federalists invite you to apply for a series of training with the aim to support young people’s participation in political life, raise awareness about the shrinking of youth civic spaces and promote youth participation in strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive democratic institutions. The deadline for the application is April 11, 2023.

See the details of the call on the JEF Europe website.

IMPORTANT DATES

#1: Joint Online Research Seminar

The Joint Online Research Seminar for 1st-year students will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. Please note that there has been a change of the date and the date of May 31 is the final one. See the details on what students are supposed to prepare and present and what they can expect from the event on the EPS website.

#2: MA thesis submission deadline

The deadline for submitting the MA thesis is June 16, 2023. See the details about MA thesis writing and submission on the EPS website.

HINDSIGHT

#1: Graduation ceremony

The EPS graduates received their beautiful joint diplomas in the Great Hall of Carolinum, Charles University.

#2: EP President at Leiden University

On Thursday March 30, Leiden University welcomed the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, to our campus at The Hague. Organized by Dr Vera Scepanovic of the MA International Relations programme, the EP President answered students’ questions related to the event title The global fight for democracy and the role of the European Parliament.

READING TIP: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (author: Milan Kundera)

Milan Kundera is a Czech writer who went to France into exile in 1975 where he received French citizenship in 1981. His books were banned by the Czechoslovakian communist regime and his best-known book – The Unbearable Lightness of Being – is recommended by Ladislav Beneš.

FREQUENT QUESTION / DO NOT FORGET

How do I fill out the study plan for the Erasmus+ funding for my 3rd semester?

First, make sure you have in your application only funding for one semester (for UPF it means the autumn/winter period – usually by the end of December). Second, the first table should include codes and courses, you are going to take at the 2nd-year university. As you are students of a joint programme, the second table encompasses the same name of courses as in the first table (the codes need to be those of Charles University but you might leave the space blank for now). The study plan needs to be sent to EPS email for the signature.

Do you have any hints, ideas, or tips for interesting events, calls, books, films, podcasts, etc.? Do not hesitate to reach us at eps@fsv.cuni.cz. Your feedback and contribution are highly appreciated.