The Tsinghua University European Union Teaching Module (TUEUTM)
Tsinghua University is regularly rated as the best university in both China and the whole of Asia as well as among one of the best in the world. To match the wider standing enjoyed by the institution, the Department of International Relations within the School of Social Sciences now stablished the Tsinghua University European Union Teaching Module (TUEUTM) to nurture an even stronger focus on European Studies. The TUEUTM therefore aims to provide
innovative teaching on the European Union by gathering the expertise and competences of high-level experts from China, Europe and elsewhere around the world to study the European Union integration process and the relationship between Europe and China. It seeks to develop synergies between the various disciplines and resources available within all departments and centres of Tsinghua University (i.e., going beyond the Department of International Relations itself and therefore reaching out to students and staff not normally dealing with issues pertaining to the European Union). At the same time, TUEUTM runs joint transnational activities with equally leading top institutions worldwide (with whom collaboration agreements are already in place or are currently being set up). Last but certainly not least, TUEUTM strives to play a major role in engaging and bringing together academics, policy makers, civil servants, organised civil society and the broader public.
Within the Department of International Relations and the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University, the Center for China – EU relations has been carrying out research on the European Union and China – EU relations since 2012. The Center focuses on the study of European politics, China-EU relations, Chinese politics, culture and diplomacy. The Center is responsible for the execution of the cooperation project "Tsinghua-Groningen Research on Sino-European Relations" signed between Tsinghua University and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and, also, for the project "China-Greece Cultural Exchange and Cooperation" signed by Tsinghua University and the Laskaridis Foundation in Greece. The Center provides a platform for academic exchange between Tsinghua University and domestic as well as foreign experts and scholars who study Europe and Sino-European relations. Every year, it receives visits from experts and scholars from European countries and encourages teachers and students from the School of Social Sciences of Tsinghua University to visit European countries for a short period of time. It also organizes several academic seminars each year, has set up a WeChat account “Study of Sino-European relations”, and regularly publishes the “Bulletin on the Study of Sino-European Relations” (a bi-monthly journal for internal communication).
The Tsinghua University European Union Teaching Module (TUEUTM) provides an introductory course to the European Union for both postgraduate and doctoral students at Tsinghua University's Department of International Relations (and beyond). This introductory course to the European Union (EU) offers a comprehensive overview of its historical development, institutional structure, and socio-economic dynamics. Students explore the origins of the EU, its institutional framework including the roles of key bodies, and the legal foundations governing its operation. The course delves into the economic aspects of the EU, analysing the single market, common currency, and the Union's global economic impact. Cultural diversity among member states and the EU's commitment to fundamental rights are examined, fostering an understanding of the Union's cultural and democratic dimensions. The course also addresses contemporary challenges, such as climate change and migration, providing students with a well-rounded understanding of the EU's role in shaping the global landscape. Overall, the TUEUTM equips students with a foundational knowledge of the EU's complexities and significance in contemporary global affairs.
Within the IR Department, the Tsinghua University European Union Teaching Module (TUEUTM) is kindly funded by the European Union, and it covers the following topics:
Session 1: A brief history of the European Union
Session 2: The institutional architecture of the European Union
Session 3: Formal policy-making within the European Union
Session 4: The European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy
Session 5: Transnational political movements and public discourses
Session 6: The European People’s Party
Session 7: The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Session 8: Traditionally integrationist parties
Session 9: Traditionally anti-European parties
Session 10: The European Parliament and its elections
Session 11: Carolingian Europe
Session 12: Southern Europe
Session 13: The Nordic dimension
Session 14: Eastern Europe and the newest member states
Session 15: The European Union’s European partners
Session 16: The future of the European Union
Additionally, a series of “deep dive” sessions are arranged for students to develop a more sophisticated understanding of specific issues that might affect the relationship between Europe and China. These “deep dive” sessions are particularly interactive and often involve external speakers such as policy-makers, ambassadors, experts from the world of think-tanks and so on. Students have therefore the opportunity to discuss, debate and engage with the “real world” of policy-making beyond the more traditional and more strictly academic context of the university. All these activities are carried out in collaboration with various departments and colleges of the university. Possible examples of such “deep dive” sessions are the following:
Session 1: An introduction to European Union - China relations.
Session 2: Challenges and opportunities in Sino-European relations.
Session 3: The Mediterranean as the western end of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Session 4: Talking business: understanding EU investments in China… and vice-versa.
Session 5: Building bridges: China, Europe and global public common goods.
The Tsinghua University European Union Teaching Module (TUEUTM) is taught by Professor Matteo GARAVOGLIA. He is Professor of Practice at the Department of International Relations and Research Director at the Center for China - EU Relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing. At the same time, he is also Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s SEESOX Programme (European Studies Centre, St. Antony’s College) and Research Fellow at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI). His research work focuses on European integration, the European public sphere, European foreign policy and EU - China relations. Matteo Garavoglia has previously been visiting Associate Professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of International Relations. He also served as the (at the time youngest) Italy Program Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Centre on the United States and Europe in Washington DC and as Adjunct Professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. Earlier on, he has been Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Visiting Professor at Bocconi University in Milan, Research Fellow at the Centre d’Études Européennes de Sciences Po in Paris and Research Assistant at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
