The Borders of European Integration

This was an academic interdisciplinary international conference which was geared towards a deeper understanding of borders in the process of European integration, and also the preparation of a publication on the conference’s theme.

The conference was part of the three-year ‘Power in Europe’ research project, which is being undertaken by Tischner European University in co-operation with the University of Siena. The aim of the conference was to deepen understanding as to borders in the European integration process in political, economic, sociological terms, and also in the sphere of international relations. The outcomes from the conference were prepared for publication. Amongst the issues tackled were geographical and cultural boundaries, their sociological meaning for local societies and nations, as well as the idea of the border in its contemporary economic function.

 

Experts on European integration and Polish MEPs alike took part in the conference, such as Prof. Christopher Coker, Prof. Danielle Pasquinicci, and Dr. George R. Wilkes. Session moderators included Dr. Leszek Jesień, Prof. Kazimierz Sowa, Dr. Jan Kułakowski, Prof. Nicolas Hayoz, and Prof. Jerzy Buzek MEP. Media patronage was provided by the web portal ‘onet.pl’, the Rzeczpospolita daily, Newsweek Polska, and the “International Political Science Review” quarterly.

 

The conference was held after a cycle of preliminary seminars under the general title “Theoretical borders of European Integration”, and were held between February and April 2005. The aim of the seminars was to analyse the most important contemporary theories of European integration with regard to the borders which are apparent in the integration processes. Four main subject areas were tackled, with seminars such as: “Federalism: theory or political concept?”, “Approaches to Liberal Intergovernmentalism”, “Institutionalism”, and “Neofunctionalism and its Functionalist Roots”. Lectures were given by Dr. Leszek Jesień, Dr. Łukasz Kamieński, Dr. Krzysztof Szczerski and Dr. Arkady Rzegocki. Hanna Szczerbak was the co-ordinator.

 

ore can be found at : http://www.powerineurope.pl/background.php