Institute for European Studies Newsletter a Visit to China
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January 2015 Institute for European Studies Newsletter Issue 14 University of Malta A Visit to China by Prof Roderick Pace on his recent visit to Xiamen Inside this issue: A Visit to China On the 5 December 2014, I set off years now I have been encourag- (More information can be found in to China. I was accompanying my ing our students of European Issue 4 of the Newsletter.) We Jean Monnet Chair Conference on ‘An colleagues Professor Anthony Studies to look beyond European would like more and more stu- Evolving EU in a Changing Frendo, of the Department of Ori- shores at other global actors such dents to avail themselves of such Mediterranean Region’ ental Languages and co-Director as the USA, China, India, the com- opportunities and perhaps more of the Confucius Institute at the plex and diverse Muslim world and Chinese students to head in our Jean Monnet Teaching Module University of Malta and the other many more. My constant fear is direction. ‘Agenda Setting in the EU’ co-Director, Ms Maya Han. I was that our students become so euro- Xiamen, a major city on the south- replacing the Rector on this visit. centric that their view of the world Discover University—Open Week east coast facing Taiwan, is a very Our mission was strictly academic: becomes, let’s say, hermetical. beautiful, airy and by the way a to attend the ninth Global Confer- Academic Year 2014/2015 In 2012, one of our students, Ms seaside resort. Xiamen University ence of Confucius institutes from Francesca Aquilina, joined a group has three campuses and some around the world which was taking that accompanied the Rector on a 60,000 students. It was founded in Graduation and Best Dissertation Prize 2014 place in the city of Xiamen and to visit to China. (More information 1921, by Mr Tan Kae-kee and hold a bilateral meeting with Xia- can be found in Issue 9 of the boasts of 82 undergraduate pro- men University on relations with Seminars on Malta and the EU Council Newsletter.) In the academic year grammes, 219 graduate programs Presidency the University of Malta. This was 2014-15, European Studies stu- and 134 PhD programs. China is my first visit to the country. dent Ms Stephanie Bugeja went to investing a lot in its educational Jean Monnet Occasional Papers China has been on my mind for a Xiamen University to study the institutions and the quality of its long time. Disregard for a moment Chinese language. There was also universities is growing from A Decade of EU Membership the lure of its millennia old civiliza- Ms Olivia Gippner who, after fin- strength to strength. Students are Occasional Papers tion and languages: since its ishing her first degree in European encouraged to learn English but it emergence as a strong political Studies, went to Lee Kuan Yew will pay our own students who The EU Careers Ambassador and economic power in the world, School of Public Policy, Singa- wish to widen their focus to get to one cannot really ignore the pore, to complete her Masters and Climate News— Winter 2014 ‘elephant in the room’. For some then off to China to finish her PhD (Continued on page 2) News from our Alumni Activities by the Academic Members of the Institute TEPSA Above: Xiamen University Page 2 A Visit to China (continued) (Continued from page 1) wound up their business and started looking incursions by non-state actors such as terrorist grips with Chinese. elsewhere for new opportunities – and eventu- organizations, organized crime and deteriorat- ally arrived in China. The flight from Istanbul to ing conditions of climate change. L’Aquila, an My brief sojourn in Xiamen has not made me a Guangzou took about 12 hours, across the Italian city devastated by a massive earth- China expert, nor has it provided me with a whole of Turkey, Central Asia and the Caspian quake in 2009, was the venue for the presenta- sufficiently broad enough view to enable me to Sea, over Pakistan and India around the edges tion of the initial findings of an EvoCS project speak with authority on the country. But it has on Western Mediterranean Security. This pro- of the Himalayas. From Guangzou we flew to certainly strengthened my interest in getting to ject is focused on three countries namely Italy, Xiamen. The plane from Istanbul to Guangzou know it better and to make more strenuous Spain and Malta. Professor Roderick Pace was packed with Turks, Arabs and Iranians, efforts to help strengthen the initial links which participated in this one day workshop which most of whom, as I overheard, made the trip I made there. China is no longer a country was hosted by the Istituto Affari Internazionali, frequently. They were on the way to China to about which I had read something, which one of the leaders of this project. The proceed- do business, the new “silk road” perhaps? brings to mind the travels of Marco Polo; the ings took place on the 15 January 2015. The Whatever! It is a stark wakeup call for those terracotta warriors of Qin Shi Huang discov- workshop began with a presentation by Ales- who still think that business travel only involves ered at Xi’an – a sample of which was brought sandro Marrone from IAI, born in L’Aquila, on Berlin, Brussels, London, Paris, New York, the evolving situation of security in the city. to Malta in 2007; Admiral Zheng He, who Seattle and Tokyo. For the European Studies However, the discussion which followed reached the Americas in 1421 some decades students who want to really get to grips with throughout the day long workshop did not stop before Colombus; or the political history from Europe’s role in the world, turning their gazes a on natural disasters. It spread and covered the Mao Tse Tung to Deng Xiaoping. It is more. I bit Eastwards from time to time has its positive main factors that define modern day security. have now had a fleeting glimpse of how some rewards. Security is no longer a matter of defence only, of its people live and get on with life in the city of meeting external threats but has a domestic of Xiamen and of its prestigious University. * * * dimension that blurs the once strongly visible Our route to China was very unlike Marco L’Aquila: Western Mediterranean Security dividing lines between internal and external Polo’s. It was much shorter, less than 24 hours Human security has many aspects and dimen- policies. Yet we have to be careful how to de- in all comprising stoppages at airports, instead sions. Indeed, individual security is threatened fine security as a concept. If we stretch its of 24 years. It started in Malta, but really began not only by the traditional threats of armed meaning too wide it may lose it – and with it we lose an important analytical concept. in Istanbul, former Constantinople, where aggression, but also by other factors such as Marco’s father Nicoló and his brother Maffeo economic down turns, natural disasters and Jean Monnet Chair Conference on ‘An Evolving EU Engaging a Changing Mediter- ranean Region’ The Institute for European Studies will organ- Nasser Alghitta (Azzaytuna University, Libya); A workshop on 'Euro-Mediterranean Secu- ize the third Jean Monnet Chair Conference on Dr Angelos Katsaris (University of Southamp- rity: How can New Dynamism Be Intro- 'An Evolving EU Engaging a Changing ton); Dr Federica Bicchi (London School of duced in the EU Mediterranean Policy?' will Mediterranean Region'. This years' edition Economics & Political Science); Prof Panayotis also be organised the day after the conference will be once again held at Dar l-Ewropa, Val- Tsakonas (University of the Aegean, Rhodes); on 13 May, 2015 and will also be held at Dar l- letta on Monday, 12 May, 2015. The confer- Dr Stelios Stavridis (University of Zaragoza); Ewropa, Valletta. The workshop will feature the ence forms part of activities led by Professor Dr Charalambos Tsardanidis (University of the following scholars: Mariagiulia Amadio Viceré Roderick Pace, Jean Monnet Chair and Direc- Aegean, Rhodes); Dr Dana Lusa (University of (PhD Student, LUISS Guido Carli University, tor of the Institute for European Studies, focus- Zagreb); Dr Baldur Thorhalsson (University of Rome, Italy); Prof Fulvio Attina (University of ing on research and teaching on the changes Iceland); Prof Andrew Geddes (University of Catania); Prof Sergio Fabbrini (Professor of taking place in the EU and the Euro- Sheffield); Dr Gilbert Achcar (School of Orien- Government and Director, School of Govern- Mediterranean region. tal and African Studies, University of London); ment, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, The conference will feature the following schol- Dr Marcello Carammia and Petra Bishtawi Italy); Dr Leila Mouhib (Université libre de ars: Dr Susannah Verney (National and Kapo- (University of Malta); Dr Alexander Apostolides Bruxelles); Prof Roderick Pace (University of distrian University of Athens); Prof Alfred and Dr Loukia Evripidou (European University, Malta); Prof Panagiotis Tsakonas (University of Tovias (Hebrew University of Jerusalem); Dr Cyprus). the Aegean, Rhodes); Dr Charalambos Tsar- (Continued on page 3) Page 3 Jean Monnet Chair Conference on ‘An Evolving EU Engaging a Changing Mediter- ranean Region’ (continued) (Continued from page 2) danidis (University of the Aegean, Rhodes); ers” or Proactive Smart States?; Are Scandi- Dr Stelios Stavridis (University of Zaragoza). navians Not Good Europeans? The reluctance of the Nordic nations to take full part in the A number of prevalent topics are to be tack- European project; Protective Capacity and led, the following in particular: A Pro- Responsibility Sharing in EU Asylum Policy; European Region under Stress: The Eco- and Cyprus, Deficit and Bank crisis.