Teaching the EU Today: A Reflection on our “EU in NC” Study Tour
Teaching about the European Union (EU) in America and to American students is deceptively complex. On one hand, Europe is the most familiar continent to most Americans because of shared cultural, political and linguistic history. On the other hand, much of what Americans know about the EU can be outdated, oversimplified and very rarely engages contemporary issues that European citizens and the EU itself face today.
Even for the most well-educated of audiences, explaining what the EU is; how and why it came about; and what it does for its citizens on a daily basis is a challenging task.
And it is a task that our Center set out to accomplish this May when hosting a Study Tour called in “EU in NC”.
UNC’s Center for European Studies (CES), a Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and Title VI National Resource Center, invited faculty of thirteen community college and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to our campus for an interactive two day tour led by faculty experts May 18–19, 2017. As part of our opening access initiative, we chose teachers who work with underserved populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic groups, and schools in rural areas or those with limited research capabilities. We ultimately found a passionate and excited group of teachers who taught everything from political science to radiology; but whether they wanted to learn about cross-border science or how to teach about the refugee crisis, they all expressed interest in learning more about the EU in some way. We also chose people that could serve as “multipliers” who would take lessons learned back into their classrooms and communities.
Drawing on the strength of our faculty here at UNC and some partners, we offered an interdisciplinary agenda with a theme for each day. The first day’s theme was “The European Union Today: the EU as a Global and Local Actor” and the second day’s theme was “The European Union Citizen: Issues Facing the Contemporary European.” While each presenter and participant came in with a slightly different approach and knowledge base, they all came out learning something new about the EU and the relevance of the EU in North Carolina. We asked participants to rank their knowledge from 1–10 (10 being the highest) as to how well they understood the EU and its institutions both before and after the tour. On average, participants said their knowledge improved by at least two points, some increased as high as four points from where they were before the tour.
One teacher shared that the history session led by Derek Holmgren from Wake Forest University was her favorite because it explained the peacebuilding origins of the EU in the post-WWII context when the European Coal and Steel Community was founded. Before the session she thought that the Union was mostly an economic project created during the 1990s. The session gave her a more holistic understanding of how extensive and complex the European project of integration has been. A language instructor highlighted the session on EU trade and monetary policy led by Layna Moseley, UNC Political Science professor. This instructor initially thought the session would not be very relevant or interesting to her, but Dr. Moseley took great care and time to outline complex political terminology and rhetoric about trade and globalization in a way that a language instructor could relate to. Many teachers felt that the European project, both in its successes and setbacks, is critical to understand because it serves as a microcosm of global issues.
The EU is a roadmap of how to (or how not to) successfully create a more cooperative and integrated international system out of a very contentious and conflicted historical context. The peacebuilding and cooperative goals of the Union seem every bit as ambitious and relevant today as they were when the Treaty of Rome was signed sixty years ago.
One of the best parts the tour is the learning that comes from informal networking with faculty and other participants. After viewing Otomo, a powerful film about racial conflict and immigrant diaspora in the EU, our group concluded the day with a candid, heartfelt discussion about prejudice and discrimination. Teachers said the film and discussion were “amazing — the best part yet,” “compelling,” and that they were eager to show the film to their students and share new ideas about how to promote dialogue, tolerance, and anti-racist pedagogy in their own classrooms and communities. Our hope is that people will not just take basic content from the lectures back to their classrooms; but rather that they will continue to push themselves and others to look at Europe in fresh, critical and relevant ways as the EU continues to play such a vital role in peacebuilding, international cooperation, global economics, and innovation today.
We thank the European Union for their generous support through the Jean Monnet program which makes the “EU in NC” Study Tour possible. This is just one of many programs generously funded by the EU to promote visibility and knowledge of the EU and strengthen the transatlantic relationship through teaching and research. For more information about these tours or any other CES programs, contact europe@unc.edu or visit the CES website.
This story is part of the #EUatSchool series, showcasing the wide array of EU educational programs, grants, and competitions open to Americans. From Erasmus+ to Euro Challenge to Kids Euro Festival, each week we’ll publish new stories written by the high schoolers, college students, researchers, and educators who have experienced and benefitted from these programs first-hand. Find new stories on Medium each week.
Jean Monnet activities aim to promote excellence in teaching and research on EU studies around the world and foster dialogue between academic and policymakers on EU policies. From establishing Centers of Excellence to supporting interdisciplinary associations specializing in EU affairs, Jean Monnet activities further the teaching and research of European integration at universities around the world. Learn more.
