Summer Course

Provisional program of the 2013 Spirit of Europe Summer Course

The 2013 Summer Course will include the following items:

Lectures and presentations

French for Beginners (4 hours)
Introduction to the EU (3 hours)
Security in Europe (3 hours)
Innovation in Europe (3 hours)
Finance and the Euro Crisis (3 hours)
Marketing and Advertising (3 hours)
Consumer Protection in Europe (3 hours)
Logistics (3 hours)
Sustainable Development in Europe (3 hours)
Cross-cultural Management (3 hours)
Social Cohesion in Europe (3 hours)
European Enlargement (3 hours)
Case study (3 hours)
Recap of the lectures (2 hours)
Final examination (2 hours)

Visits to European institutions

The European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium (3 hours)
The US Mission to the EU in Brussels, Belgium (3 hours)
The European Commission in Brussels, Belgium (3 hours)
Eurocontrol Air Traffic Control in Beek, The Netherlands (3 hours)

Cultural visits and field trips

City tour of Liege, Belgium: a city at the crossroads of the industrial past (Curtius Museum) and a dynamic future (Guillemins Station) (2 hours)
Reception at the Provincial Palace, hosted by the Governor: introduction to the provincial governance of Liege (2 hours)
City tour of Maastricht, The Netherlands: the birth place of the euro and the European Monetary Union (2 hours)
Reception at the Maastricht Town Hall, hosted by the Mayor (2 hours)
Quiz night in Maastricht: test your knowledge of Europe (3 hours)
City tour of Aachen, Germany: discover the roots of Europe - The Empire of Charlemagne (3 hours)
Barbecue in Aachen, Germany: cross-cultural communication in practice - networking with European students (4 hours)
A visit to a beer brewery in Monschau, Germany (4 hours)
Visit to the "Drielandenpunt" in Vaals, The Netherlands: the three-countries corner, where cultures, languages and people meet (1 hour)
Visit to the Margraten Memorial War Cemetery in The Netherlands: the role of the US armed forces during World War II (2 hours)
City tour of Louvain, Belgium: a blend of history, academic life and innovation (2 hours)
City visit of Brussels, Belgium: introduction to the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium and the EU (2 hours)

Please note that the above-mentioned program may be subject to change. Visit these pages regularly to check for updates.

Optional components

A four-day trip to the dynamic and exciting city of Paris will be organized by your host universities from 31 May till 3 June. During the second weekend, students can stay in Maastricht or visit the famous Dutch city of Amsterdam.
An additional fee will be charged for participation in the excursion to Paris, including your return coach trip, hotel accommodation, breakfast, local transport, sightseeing opportunities and a boat trip on the Seine river.

Academics, assessment and evaluation

To guarantee the academic quality of your learning experience, there will be continuous assessment of your performance during the course as well as a final test on the topics dealt with during the entire three-week Summer Course program. You will also be asked to write a personal experience report. Academic staff of the host universities will grade your papers. Students who meet all the academic requirements will receive a certificate of attendance and a transcript of records.
Upon successful completion of the course, 12 ECTS credits (or 6 US credit hours) will be awarded to each participant (based on 85 contact hours plus self-study).