What happens in the former socialist region of  Central and Eastern Europe, has an important bearing on the shape of the world in the 21st Century in terms of politics, international relations, global security, society, culture and economics. Since Eastern Europe constitutes a large part of Europe, learning about it is essential.

The classes and assignments will provide the participants with an opportunity to gain insights into the complex cultures of Central and Eastern European countries and  teach them to analyse political, historical or cultural issues affecting the region.

In addition, one of the main goals of the Minor is to raise awareness of cultural differences not only between East and West, but also between the various Central and Eastern European countries as well. To do so, we will learn the basics of the Cyrillic alphabet and have an introduction of the Russian language and culture.

This Minor on Central and Eastern Europe is also a new opportunity for young professionals searching to understand how to conduct business in this part of Europe.

At the end of this Minor, students are expected to:

• Understand of the complex identities of CEE. This includes both theoretical background and practical skills.
• Understand and analyze (in English) political, historical or cultural issues in order to increase their knowledge on and insight into CEE countries.
• Be aware of cultural differences not only between East and West, but also between various CEE countries.
• Acquire a very basic knowledge (survival kit) of conversational Russian, at level A1 minus of the CEFR.

Target groups: All study programmes.

Knowledge of English must be at CEFR B2.

To be announced.

The minor combines lectures, assignments, discussions of articles, guest lectures and other course materials.

Theory, written exam (15 EC, weight 100 %, minimum 5,5): The 1-hour written test (90 minutes) consists of statements and open questions. These questions will be drawn from and based on all the materials covered during the minor, including assigned literature, workshops, lectures and other activities.

Assignments, portfolio (0 EC, weight 0 %, minimum PASS): Students will be given a number of assignments throughout the course, which must be completed (either in a group or individually). The assignments will be diverse, and may include presentations, weekly quizzes and group tasks.