European and Eurasian Studies Program NEWSLETTER Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence Volume 3, Issue 2 — Spring-Summer 2021 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Presentation….…………...…..……. 1 Virtual Conference, Roundtable, Panel Discussions………….…..2 - 7 - MFJMCE Roundtable Discussion: EU Human Rights Promotion: Going beyond Europe …….…..……2-3 - MFJMCE Conference European Union –Middle East Relations in a Changing World…….4-6 SPRING-SUMMER 2021 Highlights - Conversation with Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States ………………….…………..….. 7 Jean Monnet In the USA Webinar Series………………………..…….. 8-11 Conversations on Europe…..12-14 MEET EU Initiative……….…. 15-22 - International Careers in European Diplomacy…………….……….… 16-17 - The Role of Lifelong Learning Languages in a Transatlantic Work Context……………………….……... 18 Markus Thiel Christine I. Caly-Sanchez David J. Kramer - The Model EU……………...….... 19-20 Director, MFJMCE Associate Director, MFJMCE & EESP Director, EESP - The Brussels-Lux Study Tour….......21 - Emerging EU Filmmaker Virtual Dear friends, Residency…………….…….…...…. 22 We are happy to share with you our Spring- We were also active with our EU Jean Spotlights ………………...…. 23-28 Summer 2021 newsletter, which provides a Monnet in the USA network, where we were - Faculty Curriculum Grant and good overview of the many events and able to connect with experts on Europe via EU Research Grants …………….… 23 activities we hosted virtually at our European virtual roundtables for more than thirty-six - Interview with Dr. Lukas Danner....24-26 & Eurasian Studies Program and the Miami- discussions. - Interview with Ernesto Fiocchetto…...27 Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence. Presentation by Dr. Heide Castañeda 28 You can watch the recorded videos and - .. Over the last six months, we have been able podcasts about these and many other events European & Eurasian Studies to host a total of 12 virtual events. inside this newsletter. Highlights include our panel of experts on EU Program…………………..……… 29 We would like to congratulate our 12 students Human Rights Promotion: Going Beyond - Interview with Maryem Viera who graduated this Spring semester and Cardenas ………………………....… 30 Europe; our annual conference on EU-Middle obtained their certificates in European & East Relations in a Changing World; our new Eurasian Studies. Publications …..…………….. 31-32 initiative Getting to Know MEET EU Webinar Series with European Expert Career Panels, We would also like to take this opportunity to Interview with Consul General of the Model EU Competitions; the wish you a safe, and healthy summer, and France…………………..….…. 33-34 Conversations on Europe “Europe creating we are looking forward to seeing you virtually Europe” series with the University of or in person at one of our events this Fall. The Slovenian Presidency of the Pittsburgh; the Struggle for Democracy and Council of the European Union….35 Sincerely, Human Rights: The Role of Technology and Social Media, a conversation with French Christine I. Caly-Sanchez Contact info……………………...36 Ambassador to the US Philippe Etienne; and Markus Thiel the interview on the Franco-American David J. Kramer Follow us friendship with Consul General of France in #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus Miami, Laurent Gallissot. #StrongerTogether SPRING — SUMMER 2021 P A G E 2 MFJMCE WEBINAR EU Human Rights Promotion: Going Beyond Europe | March 4, 2021|1-2:30 pm MFJMCE ROUNDTABLES — Dr. Steven D. Roper Dr. Karen E. Smith Florida Atlantic University The London School of Economics and Political Science On March 4, the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center Dr. Steven D. Roper gave an overview of the of Excellence hosted a virtual roundtable on how the European Union institutional architecture and its EU’s conception of human rights informs its rights policy related to human rights promotion. He argued promotion efforts with regions outside Europe. The that several institutions are involved in EU human panel highlighted political and diplomatic approaches rights activities, including the European Council, the towards a greater embrace of human rights and Council of the European Union, the Human Rights examined the major challenges of transferring EU Working Group, the Parliament, the Commission, provisions in different cultural and political contexts, the Court of Justice, the European Action Service, including in the UN. the Fundamental Rights Agency, and the Special Representative for Human Rights. Dr. Roper also Dr. Markus Thiel, Director of our center, welcomed the audience that joined online from several countries of illustrated with historical examples the advantages the EU and different states in the US. He moderated and disadvantages of the EU’s tools for Human this exciting panel, made up of three experts, Rights Promotion: persuasion, sanctions, including: conditionality, and assistance programs. Finally, he highlighted the efforts of the council of Europe and Dr. Steven D. Roper the European Court of Human Rights, the Venice Professor of Political Science Commission, and the Organization for Security and Florida Atlantic University. Cooperation in Europe. Dr. Karen E. Smith talked about the projection of the Dr. Karen E. Smith Professor of International Relations, EU’s external human rights policy. She made three Head of the Dept. of International Relations points. First, the EU has tremendous potential to The London School of Economics and Political promote human rights internationally. Second, the Science, and Director of the European Foreign EU has the potential to attract a larger group of Policy Unit. countries to support its policies. Third, the EU is extremely active in human rights debates at the UN. Dr. Markus Thiel, Associate Professor, Dept. of FLORIDA JEAN MONNET CENTER OF EXCELLENCE VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLEPolitics ON HUMAN RIGHTS & International Relations, Steven J. Green ► To watch video, click here - School of International & Public Affairs, and ► To view flyer. click here Director of the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center ► To view panelists’ bios, click here MIAMI of Excellence at FIU. SPRING — SUMMER 2021 P A G E 3 EU Human Rights Promotion: going beyond Europe? Therefore, it is considered a serious player that is very active across the globe. However, she also Karen E. Smith, Ph.D. discussed the limits of the EU’s influence. The EU is Professor of International not doing a very good job of promoting human rights Relations ; Head of the Dept. of internally. She illustrated this disjuncture between International Relations internal standards and external expectations with London School of Economics several examples. Furthermore, the fact that there and Political Science are these double standards is noticed by other countries, such as Russia. Therefore, the Karen E Smith is a Professor of International Relations MFJMCE ROUNDTABLES and Head of the Department of International Relations — international promotion of human rights is challenged due to the lack of internal coherence. at the London School of Economics and Political Sci- ence, and Director of the European Foreign Policy Unit (within the International Relations Department). Dr. Markus Thiel addressed the She teaches courses on the EU in the World, EU En- issue of Civil Society-EU largement, European institutions, and genocide, and linkages in international LGBT+ supervises PhD students in those areas. rights promotion. He remarked Her main area of research is the ‘international relations that the European governments, of the European Union’, and she has written extensively together with EU institutions, on the formulation and implementation of common EU emphasize human and LGBTI foreign policies. She has examined the EU’s pursuit of rights in their internal and ‘ethical’ foreign policy goals such as promoting human external policies. However, EU human rights rights and democracy, and policy-making within Euro- promotion in external relations and among pean states regarding genocide. For over a decade she development partners is often contested on the has also analyzed EU-UN relations, and more recently grounds that it challenges sovereignty and goes has extended her research to consider the role of other against prevailing culture. Thus, he discussed the political and regional groups in UN diplomacy. She is importance of rethinking international rights now working on a project on women in foreign policy- making. promotion. In this regard, he highlighted that Civil Society is a crucial rights promoter, but it cannot and should not be the main one. Furthermore, he argued that improvements are contingent on domestic Steven D. Roper, Ph.D. factors interacting with international ones. In Professor of Political Science conclusion, he suggested that the EU ought to Florida Atlantic University strengthen its internal and refugee rights regime. Similarly, external policies need to be country- targeted, with less conditional pressure and more incentives. Finally, he stressed the need for an Dr. Steven D. Roper is Professor of Political Science at intersectional and less narrow policy on rights Florida Atlantic University. His research explores the defenders that takes into account other democracy- design and the implementation of transitional justice sustaining stakeholders. with a focus on conflict resolution mechanisms. An engaging discussion between the panelists His research examines transitional justice and human followed their presentations. The audience that rights issues in diverse regions including East Europe actively participated in