About Project

The European Union (EU) was formed, developed and extended step by step. As a result, two basic groups of countries that make up the EU can be distinguished purely geographically, in particular conventionally the countries of Western Europe (or the so-called countries of “old Europe”) and the countries of Central-Eastern Europe (or the so-called countries of “new Europe”). In this context, the issues of political institutions and systems at different levels of multi-level governance in the EU, in particular at the national level, as well as at the supra-national and sub-national levels, need special attention.

Since it is quite obvious that the EU or Europe in general is a kaleidoscope of countries with different political institutions and systems that generate various political, socio-economic and even worldview consequences. These are definitely of academic and political interest, as well as lead to the need for a comprehensive understanding, structuring and comparison of European political institutions and systems, because the knowledge of these is or can be useful for other countries that seek to integrate into the EU. Ukraine is no exception in this context, since this country has long time ago declared its intentions to integrate into the United Europe and even acquired the status of a candidate for the EU membership in 2022 (after the start of a full-scale russian aggression and war). Therefore, it is extremely important for Ukraine, as well as for its political elites and academic environment to understand the essence and consequences of institutional and political design in European countries and the EU, etc.

Ivan Franko National University of Lviv (IFNUL) definitely supports Ukraine’s European integration and democratization aspirations, but fully understands that the EU and Europe in general are a very heterogeneous and diverse environment, including institutionally and politically. Therefore, IFNUL is interested in highlighting and structuring such a political and institutional diversity of the EU and its countries, particularly in order to, first of all, explore and compare the knowledge of basic (national, supranational and sub-national) political institutions and systems in European countries and the EU, as well as to raise awareness about them among students, teachers, professionals, politicians, civil servants, media and civil society in Ukraine, etc. Thanks to this, the logic of Ukraine’s even closer rapprochement with the EU is intensifying. On the one hand, this happens due to the acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge about political institutions and systems in European countries by various target groups. On the other hand, this is complemented by the possible implementation of this experience in practice, in particular within the progress of political system and political institutions in Ukraine on the path to further democratization and European integration of this country, as well as promotion and protection of the values of democracy in the EU.

The educational, scientific, research, political, public and media environment in Ukraine is undoubtedly interested, but extremely insufficiently informed about what various political institutions and systems are, as well as how they were formed and currently function in the EU or generally in the countries of Europe, in particular in the countries of Western and Central-Eastern Europe. These are actualized by the fact that understanding of direct or indirect consequences of different political institutions and systems in the EU/European countries is important in the context of generating various options for institutional and political choices by the third countries, especially if the latter aim at their democratization and European integration. Instead, Ukrainian politics is still largely theorized and implemented according to the limited and distorted “curves” of the Soviet/Post-Soviet past, as well as extremely weakly and slowly (with frequent reversals and rollbacks) adopts the best institutional and political practices of the democratic EU countries. In this context, the project will certainly contribute to Ukraine’s acquisition and extension of the relevant experience of European political institutions and systems. In addition, this experience will be shared and discussed among students in the university, as well as among researchers, politicians, public figures, media, etc.

It is because of this that the project at IFNUL (Department of Political Science), which pays significant attention to European studies, will be aimed at teaching, studying and researching the countries of the EU and Europe in general, their political history, political institutions and systems, etc. As evidenced by various feedback channels within the framework of educational programs, preparation of publications and holding of workshops and conferences in IFNUL, students, researchers and practitioners in the field of Political Science and practice, as well as representatives of the authorities, media and civil society are increasingly interested in the issues of political institutions and systems in the EU countries, since the latter can be the pointers for the future development of Ukraine. Therefore, the attention of the project will be primarily devoted to understanding the essence, specificity, diversity and effects of such concepts as system of government, democracy, head of state, cabinet, parliament, party, election, local government, multi-level governance, socio-political cleavage, the EU institutions, European integration, etc. Thanks to this, it will be possible to at least partially fill the existing gap in Ukrainian political theory, science and practice. As a result, the understanding and systematization of the essence and diversity of the module focus will have its added value the development of active citizenship and fundamental values of democracy, as well as possible improvement of institutional and political design and decision-making at various levels of multilevel governance, both primarily in Ukraine and hypothetically in other European countries. This will serve as a special, but well-founded promotion of the values and framework of the EU political institutions and systems in Ukraine on the way to its further democratization and European integration. Therefore, the project will help in generating new knowledge and improving the system of teaching and research activities regarding the problems of political institutions and systems in European countries for Ukrainian HEIs and within the framework of real politics in Ukraine. In addition, the project will contribute to the establishment of a closer and more effective dialogue between the educational and research environment, as well as representatives of politics, authorities, civil society and media in Ukraine, who are oriented or seek to be oriented, understand and even borrow political values and institutional frameworks/practices of the EU.

All this will take place within the framework of specific project goals and through the organization of the activities (educational, research, publication, promotional ones, etc.) that will contribute to the study and understanding of institutional and political design of the EU and European countries for students, researchers, politicians, civil servants, civil society and the general public in Ukraine, in particular:

• organization of training courses and provision education of the problems of political institutions and systems in the EU and separate European countries by the target audience based on new technologies of education and training;
• creation of a multi-purpose platform and area for education, practice, research, debates and interactions between the academic community, students, authorities and active civil society (including with the help of the student circle, annual Alumni talks “Political institutions and systems matter”, the NGO “Center for Political Studies” affiliated with IFNUL, formal and informal meetings, etc.) for discussion and possible implementation of the best experience of the functioning of European political institutions, systems and practices, as well as for further democratization in Ukraine;
• preparation and holding of annual international scientific conferences and/or workshops on the issues of political institutions and systems (including political parties and elections) at various levels of governance and politics in Ukraine and other European countries under the auspices of the Department of Political Science of IFNUL (as a center for the study of European political institutions and systems in Ukraine) and with the participation of other relevant educational, research and public organizations;
• preparation and dissemination of the main and the most interesting issues about political institutions and systems in the EU and European countries, including through relevant scientific, educational and/or analytical publications, informing a wide audience, promoting institutional and political practices and the EU frameworks in the political and legal system of Ukraine and other European countries, etc.

Thus, the main purpose of the project is to provide research, teaching and highlighting of the essence, varieties, features, logics and consequences of political institutions and systems in the EU and European countries, in particular for the use of their experience in the further development and reformation of political institutions and political system in Ukraine, in particular on the path of its European integration and further democratization. This purpose should be achieved primarily given to a comprehensive comparative approach (in education and research), implemented under the new institutionalism methodology, as well as thanks to the consistency between the project goals and the proposed project activities.

The Jean Monnet Actions in the field of Higher Education supports teaching and research in the field of European Union studies. The EU studies refers to the teaching, learning and research about the EU, its history, aims, structures, functions, countries and/or its policies. By focusing on the EU dimension, the Jean Monnet activities promote active European citizenship and the founding values of the EU of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights. In the case of the EU policies, Jean Monnet actions contribute to spreading knowledge about how these policies can benefit the daily lives of citizens in the EU and/or abroad, and/or how these can influence the policy-making system either at the Member State level or abroad at a national, regional or global level.

The Jean Monnet actions also strive to function as a vector of public diplomacy towards third countries, promoting the EU values and enhancing the visibility of what the EU stands for and what it intends to achieve. The Jean Monnet “Teaching and Research” actions: promote excellence in teaching and research in the field of the EU studies worldwide; foster the dialogue between the academic world and society, including local, regional, state and the EU level policy-makers, civil servants, civil society actors, representatives of the different levels of education and of the media; generate knowledge and insights in support of the EU policy-making and strengthen the role of the EU within Europe and in a globalized world; reach out to a wider public and spread knowledge about the EU to the wider society (beyond academia and specialized audiences) bringing the EU closer to the public. The Jean Monnet “Teaching and Research” takes one of the following forms: Modules, Chairs, Centres of Excellence, Networks.

More detailed information can be found at the links:

• https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-b/jean-monnet-actions/higher-education
• https://erasmusplus.org.ua/opportunities/mozhlyvosti-dlya-organizaczij/napryam-zhan-mone/