101132692 — GEO-POWER-EU — HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01 - Empowering the Geopolitical EU in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans

Project acronym: GEO-POWER-EU

Project duration: 1 June 2024 – 31 May 2027

Project сoordinator from ONU: email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project goals and specific tasks: Starting in and continuing for three years, a consortium of 14 partner institutions has embarked on the “GEO-POWER-EU: Empowering the Geopolitical EU in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans” project, funded by the European Union’s H2020 Research and Innovation programme.

In the wake of the war in Ukraine, the European Union has moved to enhance its geopolitical influence beyond its immediate borders, particularly in the Western Balkans (WB) and Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. This shift underscores an urgent need to bolster the EU’s strategic thinking and actions. Consequently, GEO-POWER-EU is based on the premise that the EU’s enlargement and Eastern neighbourhood policies require revision to reflect a new geopolitical vision for these regions.

The primary objective of the GEO-POWER-EU project is to enhance the security dimension of the EU’s policies in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans. The project aspires to develop a comprehensive EU strategy for these regions, taking into consideration foresight concerning the strategic ambitions of other geopolitical actors. GEO-POWER-EU will:

• propose ideas for the adaptation of the EU Enlargement policy and the reform Eastern Partnership policy
• assess the influence of other geopolitical actors and provide strategic foresight about the prospects of geopolitical competition in the two regions
• explore the growth of the EU’s ability to contain military threats
• propose a comprehensive and multidimensional EU strategy that will guide relations with the countries in the Western Balkans and the Eastern neighborhood.

Project Partners

• University of the Peloponnese, Greece (Project Coordinator)
• Southeast European Research Center (SEERC), Greece
• European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), Belgium
• University of Bologna, Italy
• The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW), Austria
• University of Rijeka / Academy of Applied Arts of the University of Rijeka, Croatia
• Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis, North Macedonia
• University of Belgrade, Serbia
• VE Insight, Austria
• Democratization Policy Council (DPC), Germany
• Institutul pentru Dezvoltare și Inițiative Sociale (IDIS) Viitorul, Moldova
• Odesa Mechnikov National University, Ukraine
• Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS), Georgia
• Utrikespolitiska Institutet, Sweden

Contact

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If you want to know more about GEO-POWER-EU, check for updates on the project’s social media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Soundcloud, YouTube.

101047919 — The ring of Mediterranean: Regional Studies — ERASMUS-JMO-2021-HEI-TCH-RSCH (AGREEMENT NUMBER – 101047919 — The ring of Mediterranean: Regional Studies)

Project acronym: MEDITERreg

Project duration: 1 March 2022 – 28 February 2025

EU funding instrument: EU-funded ERASMUS+ Programme, Jean Monnet, with the support of the European Neighbourhood Instrument

Target groups: ONU students and exchange students, students, young researchers, and professionals from the EU, Mediterranean countries and Ukraine, group of beneficiaries includes ONU teaching staff members, and the broader teaching community in Ukraine and Mediterranean countries

Grant holder: ODESKIY NACIONALNIY UNIVERSITET IMENI I. I. MECHNIKOVA

Project сoordinator: email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project goals and specific tasks: Revised course “Country Studies through Language”; new courses “Regional Studies”, “EU policy towards Mediterranean region”, “Regional Politics and Security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean”, and “Migration Process in Mediterranean”; new MOOCs “Regional Studies”, “EU policy towards Mediterranean region”, “Regional Politics and Security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean”, and “Migration Process in Mediterranean”.

Activities:

1. Project coordination meeting: Kick-off meeting, distribution of roles, and creation of Quality Assurance Board Discussion on Module logo and short description for website. The module online platform will be hosted at ONU domain, and continuously and systematically updated until the end of the project.
2. Curriculum development: Development of four new courses “Regional Studies”, “EU policy towards Mediterranean region”, “Regional Politics and Security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean”, and “Migration Process in Mediterranean”
3. Quality Assurance meeting: Discussion of QA board’s report and implementation of QA board’s suggestions. The meetings will be held twice per each year of the project.
4. Master classes: Preparation, dissemination, and implementation of eight master classes involving scholars and civil society representatives (video taped).
5. One-day awareness seminars: Eight awareness seminars at partner organizations that will ensure dissemination and engagement with the didactical materials and practical teaching experiences collected and developed within the framework of the proposed module by the partnering experts involved in the project, as well as a wider audience of colleagues. The seminars will therefore ensure active and full-scale usage of the developed didactic materials not only on framework of the MOOCs, but also other courses and activities offered by the partner universities.
6. MEDITERreg Graduate Conferences: Preparation, dissemination, and implementation of 1-day MEDITERreg Graduate Conferences for master’s students and early stage researchers.

Expected results:

1. “Country Studies through Language” course implementation: Implementation, evaluation, follow-up and dissemination of course “Country Studies through Language”
2. Implementation, evaluation, follow-up and dissemination of four new courses “Regional Studies”, “EU policy towards Mediterranean region”, “Regional Politics and Security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean”, and “Migration Process in Mediterranean”
3. MOOCs development: Development, implementation, evaluation, follow-up and dissemination of four new MOOCs “Regional Studies”, “EU policy towards Mediterranean region”, “Regional Politics and Security in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean”, and “Migration Process in Mediterranean”.
4. The E-book on didactics: The E-book on didactics will focus on theoretical and practical aspects of regionalism, EU policy towards Mediterranean region, different types of political and security interrelation, risks and threats in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The contributors from various disciplines cover these topics.
5. The monograph on Regionalism in Mediterranean: The monograph is planned with the participation of 4 key participants of this project and analysts from partner Universities, but also the involvement of young scientists and PhD students from ONU interested in the development of this topic in Ukraine. The proposed structure will include 7 or 8 sections highlighting the most pressing gaps in the development of the Mediterranean.

European Union and Ukraine Relations in Focus: Neighbours or Members?

(542469-LLP-1-2013-1-UA-AJM-MO)

The basic department of the project is the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations of the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Sociology.

The mission of the project is to strengthen weight of EU Economic Studies in the research and teaching components of the multidisciplinary program «International Economic Relations» at Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University at Bachelor and Master levels. The project includes three designed and redesigned courses “International Economic Relations. EU Economic Integration”, “Economy of Euro Zone”, “EU Monetary Integration”.

The main objectives of the project are:

• to ensure high quality teaching and innovations in the newly designed courses;
• increasing the share of individual work comparative to in-class workload of the students by making available at least one module in the form of individual research assignment given, consulted and controlled on-line;
• to prepare high-quality methodology of the lectures and seminars of the courses, instructions for taking and preparing for the test, case studies, guidance to conduct individual research;
• to create online resources for EU Integration study which contain methodological materials, course guides and manuals, as well as possibilities for individual work submission and discussion;
• to strengthen cooperation and ties with secondary schools, local government and non-governmental organizations, business, EU Mission for Border Assistance to Moldova and Ukraine;
• to teach joint course for Odessa students organized by team of experts of EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine and faculty of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University;
• organization of research paper completion on EU integration issues among the graduates of Odessa schools;
• organization of the scientific conferences on EU integration related issues;
• to learn the international academic experience of the leading World Institutes in the European Union studies;
• to disseminate the project results in Ukraine and other European countries.

Project implementation period: 2013-2021.

Project coordinator: Head of the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations of ONU Prof. Yakubovskiy.
The project group includes: Dr. Rodionova, Dr. Nasadyuk (2013-2014).

The main achieved results:

• the following modules in the field of EU Economic Studies have been designed, introduced to the curriculum and successfully taught: “International Economic Relations. EU Economic Integration” and “Economy of Euro Zone. Financial Systems of Euro Zone Countries” for BA program; “EU Monetary Integration” for MA program;
• to stimulate research among the pupils of Odessa schools on EU integration issues the annual paper competitions were organized. 165 pupils from Odessa region secondary schools took part in the competitions. Research Paper Competition on EU Integration has stimulated research in schools on the issues related to the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and has built liaison between the University and the pupils of Odessa region;
• to disseminate the Jean Monnet Module results six international scientific conferences were organized. During the conferences the participants presented the latest findings in International Economic Relations research and teaching including the impact of European integration on the creation of the competitive environment in the national economy;
• realizing project goals five teaching manuals and four monographs in the EU Economic Studies were published. They contain the state of art in European Integration Studies as well as additional useful materials for teaching and learning. The total number of the project related publications is 27;
• three faculty members whose scientific adviser was Sergey Yakubovskiy defended their PhD dissertations. All of them contain the study of the European economic integration influence on the development of Ukraine.
• departmental library collection of recent manuals, journals, research papers, and statistical databases in the field of the EU Economic Studies has been created. Thanks to the Jean Monnet Module realization, faculty and students now have access to all recent developments in European Integration study as well as to the databases with international statistics for their research.

Social and Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Migrants in European Union: Challenges for Ukraine

(611599-EPP-1-2019-1-UA-EPPJMO-MODULE)

Congratulations to the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Sociology, the staff of which formed a project proposal, with the victory in the competition of ERASMUS + Jean Monnet Projects from Odessa National I. I. Mechnikov University!

The basic department of the project is the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations of the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science and Sociology.

The mission of the project is to acquaint students, teachers, researchers and representatives of civil society with the basic European values and ways of their implementation during the realization of the European Union policy on social inclusion of refugees and migrants.

The main objectives of the project are:

• introduction of the new area of academic activity - social and economic inclusion of refugees and migrants, which is extremely important both for Odessa National University and for the whole system of higher education of Ukraine;
• creation of new open educational resources for studying and researching the European experience of socio-economic inclusion of refugees and migrants;
• preparation and teaching of new disciplines focused on the social and economic inclusion of refugees and migrants in the European Union and the use of EU experience in Ukraine;
• introduction at the regional and national levels of a discussion on the effectiveness of EU measures aimed at the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and migrants;
• preparation and discussion of recommendations on the use in Ukraine of the European experience of socio-economic inclusion of refugees and migrants;
• involvement in the study of European values of teachers and students of Odessa National University and other Universities of Ukraine;
• popularization and intensification of research of European Values in Ukraine by organizing open lectures, weekend schools for schoolchildren, round tables and scientific conferences at Odessa National University and other educational institutions of Ukraine;
• publication of results of research and teaching activities in textbooks, monographs, scientific publications in Ukraine and EU journals, collections of scientific conferences.

Project implementation period: 2019-2027.

Project coordinator: Head of the Department of World Economy and International Economic Relations of ONU Prof. Yakubovsky. The project group includes: Dr. Rodionova, Dr Kyfak, Dr. Tsevukh.

The main project results achieved in the 2019-2020 academic year:

• three new courses were prepared and taught: “Social and Economic Inclusion of Refugees and Migrants: European Practice and Lessons for Ukraine”, “Labour Market, Migration and Socio-economic Development of European Union and Ukraine”, “Socio-economic Consequences of International Migration and Refugees’ Flows in the European Union and Ukraine”;
• together with the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) a series of open lectures "European values and socio-economic inclusion in cross-border cooperation" was organized;
• weekend school "Implementation of European values in Ukraine" was organized for schoolchildren of Odessa region;
• three remote conferences were organized: “European Integration Perspective and Investment Potential of the Economy: Theory and Practice” (March 14, 2020); "Problems of International Migration: Assessment and Prospects for Solution" (May 16, 2020); "The Well-being of Nations in the Context of European Integration" (April 29, 2020).