Cross-border Co-operation in Central Europe in the Times of Re-bordering: Story of Success (?)

The curriculum was designed to provide a unique academic experience in a challenging period of the border renaissance/comeback of the borders in Europe. The key topics of the course cover the way how does current Europe approach the topic of cross-border co-operation with a particular focus on differences between “old” and “new” Europe. It reflects the challenges caused by the pandemic and offers various viewpoints on the links between CBC and Euroscepticism, with a particular focus on the V4 countries. It also makes possible cultural immersion through extracurricular activities including many field trips. Students are also integrated into the campus through numerous events, walking trips, fun, and sports activities. A prolonged free weekend in the middle of the course enables students to make individual trips and explore other European countries. Students will during this summer school experience at least the following: • Visit 3 countries: the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany • Attend the following cities, where they will have an occasion to spend also some spared time: Prague, Görlitz, Wroclaw • Liberec is just one hour away from Prague by a very convenient public transport • Have an occasion to use the leisure-time activities around Liberec – mainly in the field of sports and culture - and use the trips organized to Prague, Germany, and Poland • Czech Republic is very safe and affordable country with low living expenses

Course leader

Hynek Böhm, Ph.D. hynek.bohm@tul.cz Border scholar, see the profile on https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hynek-Boehm

Target group

Applicants should be undergraduate (Bachelor) students or major students with an interest in spending two interdisciplinary weeks (partly on the road) in the three countries of Central Europe.

Course aim

The goal of the program is to provide the students with intensive interdisciplinary insight into the way how cross-border co-operation (CBC), which is often labeled as a laboratory of European integration at a microscale, is conducted in the EU. As the course will focus on CBC in the EU ex-communist member states, students will also learn more about countries of "new Europe". Special attention shall be devoted to the impact of the current re-bordering, caused among others by the pandemic, on cross-border cooperation.