COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

This course will introduce students to different aspects of economic, political and cultural cooperation across the Mediterranean region and consider how these dimensions interconnect with ideas of development. It will provide an overview of the history of trans-Mediterranean relations, with a particular focus on the changes that have occurred since the establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership in 1995. Through the analysis of different fields of cooperation – from security and border policy to education, heritage and tourism – the course will equip students with the necessary empirical knowledge and conceptual tools to pursue further research in the field and to participate in debates about integration and sustainable development in the region. In addition, the course will interrogate the conventional emphasis on Euro-Mediterranean relations by addressing the issue of South-South cooperation, both in terms of the growing strategic role of non-Mediterranean nations in the region (in particular China) and the shifting geopolitical agendas of southern Mediterranean nations (such as Morocco and its recent Africa oriented policy).

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a solid understanding of:
- the multidimensional nature of international cooperation and development in the Mediterranean region;
- the recent history of initiatives aimed at building and strengthening political, economic and cultural relations across the Mediterranean region.
- the geopolitics of south-south cooperation in the Mediterranean region.

In addition, students will be able to:
- critically evaluate themes related to international cooperation and how these relate to the Mediterranean region, and to therefore be in position to contribute to related current debates;
- understand the complexities of specific case studies on economic, political and cultural cooperation in the Mediterranean area;
- apply their knowledge to propose suitable topics for research in this field.

Criteri validi per l’ammissione al programma MIM. È essenziale una buona conoscenza della lingua inglese.

• Introduction to theoretical debates about cooperation and development and how these relate to the Mediterranean region;
• Overview of key partnership initiatives between the European Union and the Mediterranean, including the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership/Barcelona Process, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the wider European Neighbourhood Policy;
• Impact of recent historical conjunctures (2008 economic crisis, Arab Spring, migration crisis) upon Euro-Mediterranean relations.
• The role of cooperation in selected fields, including security and border policy, education, heritage and cultural industries, and tourism.
• South-South Cooperation in the Mediterranean, including China’s growing economic role in the MENA region and Morocco’s economic, diplomatic and security agenda in sub-Saharan Africa.

A detailed bibliography and key texts will be provided by the instructor during the course.

Students will be assessed on a group oral presentation and a written assignment on the topic addressed in the presentation. The details and weighting of each assessment will be specified in the course.

The course will be structured around in-class lectures and film presentations, with some online activities. The teaching approach will encourage students’ active participation in classroom activities through group discussions and student-led presentations on topics introduced by the teacher in class.

English

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "International cooperation" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development