Changing Interaction with EU's External Borders

This PhD school is a joint initiative of the University of Wroclaw, the University of Bordeaux and the University of Ljubljana, specialising in various EU neighbouring/frontier areas – i.e. North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans and the Eastern Europe – the complementarities of geographical coverage as well as the comparative political perspective on these issues will be one of the major assets of this PhD School. We welcome paper proposals devoted to various (geographical, socio-cultural, economic, etc.) dimensions of borders.

Under the impact of globalisation, regionalisation and integration, borders and frontiers are dramatically different in nearly every aspect. This is particularly the case for borders of, and within, the European Union (EU). Whereas borders within the EU have become almost invisible and have lost most of their classical functions, the opposite has been the case with regards to the borders between the EU and its external space. That is why a series of question about the theory and practice of Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) will be posed. The practical challenge refers to the EU policy towards the ENP countries and for the EU immigration/integration policies and internal reforms (i.e. the question of competences and decision making concerning immigration, integration, ENP, visa and border regimes, etc). Those issues are still challenges for both theorist of European Studies and IR.

The seminar will strive to study the changing meanings of borders in nowadays world. We want to focus not only on physical features of borders but also on the social constructions of various frontiers. Furthermore the seminar will also address the economic dimension of borders as well as the interconnections between frontiers and identities formation processes. The other broad issue to be raised during the seminar is the functional aspect of borders and changing nature and perception of security in international milieu.

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