Japan meets Maastricht

Europe is usually seen as the birthplace of Western culture. Moreover, Europe played a dominant role in world affairs – both in politics and economy – from the 16th century onwards, especially after the beginning of colonialism, in the wake of the voyages of discovery. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, European nations controlled at various times both Latin and North America, large parts of Africa, and huge parts of Asia (- but not Japan!). After the Second World War, the importance of Europe declined, as the USA and the Soviet Union developed into the dominating powers in world politics. So, from the historian’s point of view, Europe was very important in the past, and, although not as dominant as it once was, still is influential in world affairs.

However: what is Europe? Is it one of the world’s seven continents, only to be defined in geographical terms? If so, where exactly are its borders? Does Russia belong to Europe? And where are the northern borders of Europe? Or is Europe something more than just a geographical entity? If so, what is it? Is Europe a culture? Or does Europe consist of more than one culture? In the course, we will try to address the question: what is Europe? The emphasis in the course will be on history; art shall be mainly used to illustrate historical developments.

This course focuses on improving communication skills and acquiring a better understanding of the English language, grammar, listening comprehension and writing skills. You will apply the information learnt in the European Culture course as well as the experience gained during your stay in Europe in this English course.