Links:
[1] http://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/programs/vienna-music
[2] http://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/programs/vienna-european-society-culture
[3] http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st10/st10917.en06.pdf
[4] http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries#c11=CommonalityReport
[5] http://eur-
[6] http://umwelt.lebensministerium.at/filemanager/download/23377/
[7] http://www.un-
[8] http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/sds2001/index_en.htm
[9] http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-78-09-865/EN/KS-78-09-865-EN.PDF
[10] http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm
[11] http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm
[12] http://www.eea.europa.eu/
In Search of Sustainability: Energy, the Environment, and Society in Central Europe
This course is centered on the concept of sustainability and its various shared implications. Initially, students will be made familiar with the history and the present uses of this concept. In addition the concept of Central Europe, an introduction to the Political System of the European Union and its strategies and policies in the field of sustainability will be provided. Bearing in mind the sustainability perspective, energy, environmental and societal issues and policies in five selected central European countries will be worked on in detail during the term. Due to shared borders, common EU membership and close historical bonds, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia will be examined. Specifically, an introduction to the regional political and economic systems will be given and selected case studies in the energy and environmental fields will be discussed. Equally, the structure of the course aims at putting the different case studies into a comparative perspective. A one-day field trip to the Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Waterworks (on the border between Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary) and Bratislava will be organized as part of the course.
None
Field trip costs, if any, beyond IES subsidy (Bus journey), tba.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• understand the political and economic systems of the five selected central European countries
• gain a detailed and thorough knowledge of this region and its issues in the field of energy and environment
• get expertise on the concept of sustainability and its various implications
• be able to assess course related policies from a comparative perspective
• be able to work out extended case studies on complex topics
• form their own opinion on such cases
A combination of methods will be applied, including: lectures, class discussions of the required readings, student presentations of selected case studies, field trip. The method of presentation is furthermore based on a team-teaching approach with input from a political systems-based (Pfefferle) and an energy and environmental policy-oriented perspective (Schmidt).
Class participation (10%). Oral presentation of a country case study (during sessions 7 and 9), partly based on own research (15%). Individually written final research paper on the country case study (topics and research questions should be proposed to the instructors by the 6th session) (25%). Midterm (25%) and final exam (25%). Regarding attendance, please see IES Vienna policy in your local Vienna student handbook.
Session 1: Introduction to course, structure, requirements and topic
Defining Central Europe. Introductory remarks on the concept of Central Europe and issues of environmental security and civil society in Central Europe.
Required readings: Petritsch, p. 131-140; Àgh, p. 1-10; Kobtzeff, p.113-141
Session 2: Defining Sustainability I
This session is designed to make students familiar with the concept of sustainability and its various implications. Starting with the UN-definition: “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland Commission), other meanings and concepts of sustainability will be discussed in class. Required readings: Carson, p. 23-30; World Commission on Environment and Development, Arts 1-28 and Arts 60-64; Blewitt, p. 1-26
Session 3: Defining Sustainability II
This session is designed to make students familiar with the concept of sustainability and its various implications. Required readings: Kates, p. 8–21; Blewitt, p. 75-97
Session 4: Introduction to the Political System of the European Union
This session focuses on a brief introduction to the Political System of the European Union. Starting with an historic overview of the project of European integration up to date, the main institutions (European Council, Council of Ministers, European Commission, European Parliament) of the European policy-making process will be introduced. Required readings: Hix/Hoyland, p. 27-69 and 72-109
Session 5: The European Union and Sustainability: Strategies and Policies
The European Union´s (renewed) Strategy for Sustainable Development and its Review in
2009 is going to be analyzed and discussed. Required readings: Council of the European Union (2006), p. 2-21; European Commission (2009), p. 2-11
(Midterm exam)
Session 6: Group formation and selection of case studies
The European Union and Sustainability: Environment & Energy
The basic principles of EU Environmental and Energy Policy will be examined, with an emphasis on the “new” member states. Required readings: Carmin et. al, p. 3-26; Pavlinek et.al, p. 237-265; Jefferson, p. 571-582
Session 7: Case Studies: Environmental Policies in Central European countries
Guest speaker of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Lebensministerium) talks on “Climate Change and Austria”.
In the second part of this lecture students shall present a country case study, based on the
country assessments of the report “The European Environment – State and Outlook Report
2010”, as well as on own research. A detailed guideline for the presentation as well as specific literature will be provided.
Session 8: Field Trip to Bratislava and Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros Waterworks
Session 9: Case Studies: Energy Policies in Central European countries
Students shall present a country case study, based on the country assessments of the report “The European Environment – State and Outlook Report 2010”, as well as on own research. A detailed guideline for the presentation as well as specific literature will be provided.
Session 10: Summary of the case studies
Discussion of alternative models of sustainability
Required readings: Blewitt, p. 149-172
(Final exam)
Àgh, Attila (1998). The Politics of Central Europe. Sage Publications, London.
Blewitt, John (2008). Understanding Sustainable Development. Earthscan. London.
Carmin, Joann/VanDeVeer, Stacy D. (2005). Enlarging EU Environments: Central and Eastern
Europe from Transition to Accession. In: Carmin, Joann/VanDeVeer, Stacy D. (eds.). EU Enlargement and the Environment: Institutional Change and Environmental Policy in Central and Eastern Europe. VERLAG & ERSCHEINUNGSORT FEHLEN. p. 3-26
Carson, Rachel (2002). The Obligation to Ensure. In: Silent Sprint. Mariner Books, New York, p. 23-30
Council of the European Union (2006). Renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy. Available on: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st10/st10917.en06.pdf [3]
European Environment Agency (2010). The European Environment – state and outlook 2010. Available on: http://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/countries#c11=CommonalityReport [4] c11=DiversityReport&c11= FlexibilityReport&c12=all&c5=&b_start=0
European Commission (2009). Mainstreaming sustainable development into EU policies: 2009 Review of the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development. Available on: http://eur- [5] lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0400:FIN:en:PDF
Federal Chancellery and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (2007). The First National Report on Implementing the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development. Available on: http://umwelt.lebensministerium.at/filemanager/download/23377/ [6]
Hix, Simon, Høyland, Bjørn (2011). The Political System of the European Union. 3rd edition. Palgrave Macmillan, ERSCHEINUNGSORT FEHLT
Kates, Robert, Parris, Thomas and Leiserowitz, Anthony (2005). What is Sustainable Development? In: Environment 47(3), p. 8–21
Kobtzeff, Oleg (2000). Environmental Security and Civil Society. In: Gardner, Hall (ed.). Central and Southeastern Europe in Transition. Perspectives on Success and Failure Since 1989. Praeger, Westport/London, p. 113-149
Pavlinek, Peter/Pickles, John (2005). Environmental Pasts/Environmental Futures in Post-Socialist Europe. In: Carmin, Joann/VanDeVeer, Stacy D. (eds.). EU Enlargement and the Environment: Institutional Change and Environmental Policy in Central and Eastern Europe. VERLAG & ERSCHEINUNGSORT FEHLEN, p. 237-265
Petritsch, Wolfgang (2008). Culture in Central Europe: Possibilities and Preconditions. In: The Analyst - Central and Eastern European Review English Edition issue: 01 / 2008, pages: 131-140
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Our Common Future, Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development. United Nations General Assembly (http://www.un- [7] documents.net/ocf-02.htm#I)(Brundtland-Report)
Redclift, Michael (2005). "Sustainable Development (1987–2005): An Oxymoron Comes of Age." In: Sustainable Development 13(4), p. 212–227.
European Commission (2001). European Sustainable Development Strategy 2001. In:
http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/sds2001/index_en.htm [8]
Further Readings:
Blewitt, John (2008). Understanding Sustainable Development. Earthscan. London.
Eurostat (2009). Sustainable development in the European Union. 2009 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy. In: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-78-09-865/EN/KS-78-... [9]
Geden, Oliver and Kremer, Martin (2010). The European Union: A Challenged Leader in Ambitious International Climate Policy. In: Dröge, Susanne (ed.). International Climate Policy. Priorities of Key Negotiating Parties. SWS Research Paper. Berlin, March 2010.
Important Web Sources:
European Commission – Environment: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/index_en.htm [10]
European Commission - Sustainable Development: http://ec.europa.eu/sustainable/welcome/index_en.htm [11]
European Environment Agency: http://www.eea.europa.eu/ [12]
Nadja Schmidt earned a Master in Political Science from the University of Vienna and a MA in Interdisciplinary European Studies at the College of Europe in Natolin/Poland. Since 2006 she has taught various seminars and lectures on European Integration and political systems of Central and Eastern European countries at the University of Vienna. Currently, she is a Phd student in Political Science at the University of Vienna, with research focus on alternative models of sustainability, current global environmental issues and food security. Former research projects evolved around the field of Democracy and Populism (mainly in Latin American countries). Recent publication: “Europa als Prozess. 15 Jahre Europäische Union und Österreich. Festschrift für Peter Gerlich” (2010) (ed.).
Roman Pfefferle earned a Ph.D. and a Master in Political Science from the University of Vienna and spent one academic year at the University of Limerick/Ireland. He is currently a post-doc researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Government at the University of Vienna. Current research areas focus on Democracy in Austria and Central Europe, “Politics of the Past” (De-nazification of the University of Vienna), Political Culture and political education. Among his recent publications: “Europa als Prozess. 15 Jahre Europäische Union und Österreich. Festschrift für Peter Gerlich” (2010)(ed.); Schule. Macht. Politik. Politische Erziehung in österreichischen Schulbüchern der Zwischenkriegszeit (2010).