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The European Union: Crisis and Recovery

This course will develop your understanding of the recent history of the European Union and its prospects for the future.

3,402 enrolled on this course

The European Union: Crisis and Recovery

3,402 enrolled on this course

  • 4 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

Learn about the recent challenges faced by the European Union

The fascinating course is designed to inform the public about the principal challenges that have faced the European Union over recent years including Brexit, the Euro Crisis, Migration, the Rule of Law Crisis, and COVID-19, and to communicate how the EU has responded to these challenges.

Understand the major issues faced by the EU in recent years

You’ll gain an insight into some of the most significant events of recent years, including the first withdrawal of a member state (Brexit), as well as the threat to the single currency (Euro Crisis).

You’ll also discover the reasons behind the Rule of Law Crisis and how this threatens the EU’s fundamental values.

Explore the challenge free movement presents and decipher the future of Europe

Get to grips with the challenges that free movement, migration and differentiated governance present for the EU as a whole.

You’ll then also compare the EU crisis response across different policy areas and across time, and will assess future paths for the development of EU integration.

Learn from the experts in Brexit and EU politics at Dublin City University

The Brexit Institute of Dublin City University is Europe’s first centre specifically created to analyse Brexit from both a research and a policy perspective.

You’ll be taught by renowned scholars of EU politics and law from all across Europe, and will hear numerous different points of view throughout the course.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 1 second The European Union is the largest and most successful union of sovereign states in the world. Yet, over the last decade, the EU has been shaken to the core by an unprecedented series of crises and challenges which posed a grave threat to its unity. For the first time, a member state – the United Kingdom – ended its membership of the EU.

Skip to 0 minutes and 53 seconds The EU was hit by an economic crisis that threatened to break up its common currency, the euro.

Skip to 1 minute and 2 seconds The threat to democracy and the rule of law in some member states challenged the fundamental values and the legal integrity of the EU. A sharp rise in migration tested the system that allows citizens to move freely within the EU. And then, in 2020, the EU was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this course, developed by the Brexit Institute of Dublin City University, and its partners in the Jean Monnet Network BRIDGE, you will learn about how the EU responded to these challenges. It used tools of cooperation, crisis management, policy innovation, and institution-building. There have been successes and failures, and many of these problems are far from resolved.

Skip to 1 minute and 51 seconds In fact, right now, citizens from across the EU are engaged in a process that will collectively decide the way forward for Europe. People need to know about the EU’s turbulent recent history in order to make decisions about its future. In this course, we will show you how the EU has weathered the crisis and set itself on the road to recovery.

What topics will you cover?

  • Overview of major issues faced by the EU in recent years
  • The first withdrawal of a member state (Brexit)
  • The threat to the single currency (Euro Crisis)
  • The challenge to the EU’s fundamental values (Rule of Law Crisis)
  • The challenge to free movement (Migration)
  • COVID-19, Differentiated Governance and the Future of Europe

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify the most significant events of recent years in the European Union.
  • Describe and differentiate between the challenges faced by the EU in recent years.
  • Develop tools for analysing the efficacy of the EU crisis response.
  • Compare the EU crisis response across different policy areas and across time.
  • Assess future paths for the development of EU integration.
  • Explain and justify their decision.

Who is the course for?

This course is open to anyone who wishes to learn more about the European Union. It should be of particular interest to undergraduates, government workers, civil servants, teachers, and lawyers.

Who will you learn with?

Federico Fabbrini is Full Professor of European Law at the School of Law & Government of DCU and the Principal of the Brexit Institute, where he also leads the Jean Monnet Network BRIDGE.

Ian Cooper is Research Fellow at the DCU Brexit Institute and Scientific Coordinator of the BRIDGE Network. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and previously worked in Oslo, Cambridge and Florence.

Who developed the course?

Dublin City University

Dublin City University is a young, dynamic and ambitious Irish university with a distinctive mission to transform lives and societies through education, research and innovation.

Endorsers and supporters

supported by

University of Copenhagen logo

supported by

unibz logo

supported by

Supported by Erasmus+ logo

supported by

Bridge logo

supported by

Central European University logo

supported by

DCU Brexit Institute logo

supported by

 Communicating Europe

supported by

Department of Foreign Affairs - Ireland

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$134/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 16 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

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  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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