Context and Overall Objectives of the IEUSS JM Module Project
This project is a collaboration between the Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY (IEUSS) and SUNY Buffalo State University. Funded activities took place in Buffalo, New York (New York State’s second largest city) and New York City.
The objective of this Jean Monnet Module has been to infuse teaching and scholarship about the European Union (EU) into the Department of Political Science & Public Administration at SUNY Buffalo State University (BSU) and, through BSU’s partnership with the Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY (IEUSS), promote knowledge and enhance visibility of the European Union (EU) throughout New York State. We designed many activities to introduce the EU to individuals who would otherwise not have been exposed to knowledge about the EU itself, the EU’s place in world economic and global affairs, and current and future challenges.
To achieve the project’s objectives, the IEUSS and SUNY BSU have provided credit-bearing courses (syllabi posted to https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/syllabi-0), extracurricular activities (SUNY Model European Union), briefings, and scholarly presentations for students, educators, scholars, and community leaders throughout the State of New York. These activities have been designed to discuss, interpret, appraise, and investigate politics, economics, and policymaking in the European Union, ensuring that the African-European Union relations would be afforded special consideration both in intercollegiate simulations and in our scholarly pursuits—three research conferences leading to an edited book: The Future of European Public Policy: Challenges, Trends, and Opportunities – forthcoming, Bloomsbury Academic.
Over 300 undergraduate and graduate students participated in our four IEUSS-sponsored intercollegiate simulations of European Council summits and Council of the EU meetings. Our project connected local government officials and the campus community with EU representatives.
We infused EU content into 12 undergraduate and graduate courses taught at SUNY Buffalo State University, sponsored speakers, and were able to obtain campus authorization to develop an EU Study Tour to Brussels.
The Erasmus Jean Monnet Module funding also enabled the revision and publication of Open Educational Resources – manuals briefing newcomers to the EU about how the EU works and “how to” conduct intercollegiate MEUs. https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/ieuss-publications
Open access book reviews have also been made available as the result of the Erasmus Jean Monnet module. https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/ieuss-review-books
This project also funded the expansion of a comprehensive “Resources” page on the IEUSS website. https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/resources
Work Performed and Main Achievements
Four student simulations of European Council summits
2022, 2023, 2024: Three-day simulations of a Council of the EU meetings and European Council Summits: SUNY Model European Union (SUNYMEU) (March 2022 – Buffalo State University - Buffalo, NY), SUNYMEU April 2023 at the SUNY Global Center in NYC, SUNYMEU 2023 hosted by Buffalo State University. One-day simulation, October 2023 (hosted by SUNY Fredonia).
2022 Keynote speaker Dr. Natalia Cuglesan (hosted by SUNY Buffalo State)
2022 SUNYMEU Greeting by Mayor Byron Brown, City of Buffalo Mayor
2023 Keynote speaker His Excellency Ambassador Olof Skoog Head of European Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York (hosted by SUNY Global Center, NYC)
2024 Keynote speaker Mr. Ryan Meilak Head of Outreach-Congressional Liaison European Parliament – Washington, D.C. (hosted by SUNY Buffalo State)
SUNY 2024 Greeting by Mayor Byron Brown, City of Buffalo Mayor
Saurday SUNYMEU 2023 – one-day simulation of a European Council summit, key issue considered EU-Africa relations (hosted by SUNY Fredonia)
Involvement of Officials from Local Government
Briefing by local government officials at City Hall, City of Buffalo (April 6, 2022 and April 12, 2024, including City of Buffalo Common Council President)
Academic Conferences
1. “Teaching and Researching the EU (Buffalo – April 2022)
-The IEUSS William Andrews Lecture – Nationalism in Comparison: Poland and Palestine (Greg Rabb, SUNY JCC)
-Military Diplomacy and the EU (James Gingras, US Airforce Academy)
-Variation in Cryptocurrency Regulation in the European Union (Sara Norrevik, SUNY Buffalo State)
-The Digitalization of the Field of European Studies (Natalia Cuglesan, Babes Bolyai University)
2. “The Future of Europe” book workshop (NYC-April 2023)
Moderators: Laurie Buonanno (SUNY Buffalo State, IEUSS) and Carolyn Dudek (Hofstra University)
"The Future of Schengen: Exploring Trends in European Borders" An Jacobs (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, UK) and Monika Kabata (Loyola University, Spain) "Conditionality at the time of geopolitical uncertainty. A review of application of conditionality in the EU-Ukraine relations" Anna Labedzka (Kingston University London, UK)
"Migration in the European Union: Back to an Intergovernmental Future?" Nikolaos Zahariadis (Rhodes College)
"The Conference on the Future of Europe: Framing the Romanian and Bulgarian citizen perspectives on the reform of the EU" Natalia Cugleşan (Babeş Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
"The European Parliament and the Future of Europe" Joseph Dunne ( Director of the European Parliament Liaison Office, Washington, D.C.)
"Bad Apples or A Bad Barrel? Promoting Corruption Control in the European Union" Mert Kartal (St. Lawrence University)
"The EU’s Combatting Antisemitism Policy" Carolyn Dudek (Hofstra University)
"Is the EU Closing Expectations-Credibility Gap in its Eastern Neighborhood in Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?" Mariam Dekanozishvili (Coastal Carolina University)
3. “The Future of Europe II Conference” (Buffalo – April 2024)
The William Andrews Lecture - Dr. Włodzimierz Batóg (University of Warsaw, Poland)
“Mentality of the Invasion: Why Russia Rolled into Ukraine in the
21st Century: A Psychological and Sociopolitical Point of View”
The European Union: Year in Review Moderator: Laurie Buonanno Panelists Carolyn Dudek (Hofstra University) Mert Kartal (St. Lawrence University) Ryan Meilak (European Parliament)
Courses Infused with European Union Content
Twelve courses infused with EU content, including a course teaching undergraduate and graduate students (including future social studies teachers) how to organize a Model European conference.
Expert Witness Panels
Expert witness panels for students, faculty, and the community – EU scholars discussed contemporary issues and answered audience questions
1. Expert Witness Panel - April 1, 2022 (Location: SUNY Buffalo State)
Dr. Laurie Buonanno, SUNY Buffalo State
Dr. Natalia Cugelsan, Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai Cluj-Napoca -Romania
Lieutenant Colonel James Gingras, The United States Air Force Academy
Dr. Heather MacRae, York University
Dr. Sara Norrevik, SUNY Buffalo State
2. Expert Witness Panel – March 31, 2023 (Location: SUNY Global Center, NYC)
Greetings and Briefing - Mr. Joseph Dunne, Director of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington, DC Dr. Natalia Cugleşan, Babeş Bolyai University, Romania Dr. Carolyn Dudek, Hofstra University Dr. Nikolaos Zahariadis, Rhodes College Moderator: Dr. Laurie Buonanno, IEUSS Director
Watch 2023 Session on YouTube of 2023 Session
3. Expert Witness Panel - April 13, 2024 (Location: SUNY Buffalo State)
Raymond Rushboldt (Moderator, SUNY Fredonia University) Panelists: Dr. Włodzimierz Batóg (University of Warsaw, Poland) Carolyn Dudek (Hofstra University) Mert Kartal (St. Lawrence University) Ryan Meilak (European Parliament) Amy Forster Rothbart (Hartwick College)
Training Modules/Sessions for the SUNY Model European Union
Lectures/Q & A with EU Scholars/Conference Panels
- Greece & the EU (Watch on YouTube)
2. Romania and the EU (Watch on YouTube)
3. Co-sponsorship of lecture on Human Rights and Public Administration hosted by SUNY Buffalo State, March 1, 2023 (Professor Alasdair Roberts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
4. Co-sponsorship of conference panel- ECSC-Canada, May 2024 Carleton University, Ottawa (The Future of European Public Policy Project).
Participation
-Students enrolled in EU-infused courses: 305 students Seven faculty involved in delivering these EU-infused courses. Total EU teaching hours = 543. (2022=57 teaching hours; 2023=243 teaching hours; 2024 = 243 teaching hours
-SUNYMEU 2022: 105 students, 20 universities (includes 3 from Canada, 1 from Germany, the US Airforce Academy in Colorado, 1 from Tennessee); 9 faculty advisers, 4 local government officials – Manual, Agenda, Conclusions, Post-Evaluation Survey Report, Awards available at: https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/sunymeu-archive
Buffalo City Hall Briefing: 35 students, 4 faculty advisers
-SUNYMEU 2023: 95 students, 12 faculty advisers, 2 EU officials (His Excellency Ambassador Olof Skoog Head of the European Union Delegation to the United Nations in New York, Keynote Speaker; Joseph Dunne, Head of EP Delegation in Washington, D.C. Expert Witness Session, Meetings with IEUSS and SUNY Global Center principals) Manual, Agenda, Conclusions, Post-Evaluation Survey Report, Awards available at: https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/sunymeu-archive
Buffalo City Hall briefing – 56 students, 6 faculty
-SUNYMEU 2024: 102 students, 10 faculty advisers, 1 EU official (Ryan Meilak, Outreach-Congressional Liaison, EP, Washington, D.C.), 4 local government officials, including City of Buffalo, Mayor Manual, Agenda, Conclusions, Post-Evaluation Survey Report, Awards available at: https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/sunymeu-archive
-Saturday SUNYMEU 2023: three campuses, 22 students, 4 faculty advisers
Manual, Agenda, Conclusions, Post-Evaluation Survey Report, Awards available at: https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/sunymeu-archive
-IEUSS Teaching and Research Conference, April 2023 in Buffalo (averaged 12 participants at each session)
-IEUSS Future of European Book Workshop, April 2024 in NYC (averaged 21 participants)
-IEUSS Future of Europe II Book Workshop, April 2024 in Buffalo (averaged 15 participants)
-Book Contract from Bloomsbury Publishing for The Future of European Public Policy: Challenges, Trends, and Opportunities (co-edited by Buonanno, L. and Dudek, C.) Chapter 1. Introduction: The Future of European Public Policy, Part I: Contemporary Challenges for EU Institutions (Chapter 2, The European Council and the European Commission: Setting the EU’s Agenda; Chapter 3 The European Parliament: The New Five Years, Chapter 4 Monetary Policy as Geopolitics: The digital euro and climate change) Part II: Trending Policies in the European Union (Chapter 5 The Future of Schengen: Exploring Trends in European Borders, Chapter 6 Migration: Resistance, Reform, and Integration, Chapter 7 Defending Democracy: EU Anti-Discrimination, Chapter 8 Digital Policy: The EU as a Global Regulator, Chapter 9 Promoting Political Integrity: The EU’s Approach to Corruption Control, Chapter 10 Global leadership or fig-leaf? EU environmental policy, Chapter 11 Space Policy: Building Cooperation, Chapter 12 Enlargement Policy: Can the EU Widen and Deepen?) Part III The European Union as a Global Actor (Chapter 13 EU Responses to Russia-Ukraine War: More Effective Foreign Policy Actor?, Chapter 14 When Worlds Collide: The EU and China, Chapter 15 European Union-African Relations: Partnership of Equals?, Chapter 16 Transatlantic Relations: The High Stakes of Cooperation and Competition), Chapter 17 Conclusion: The Future of Europe
-Book reviews (5) published in the IEUSS Review of Books during grant period https://ieuss.buffalostate.edu/ieuss-review-books
-Substantial progress in planning and recruitment for the SUNY EU Study Mission and companion course: “The European Union: Ever Changing, Always Engaging.” This study mission has been approval by SUNY Global/Study Abroad and the SUNY Buffalo State University Office of International Engagement. Expected launch May 2026.
-Publications – Guides to the SUNY Model European Union (3 day) and the Saturday SUNYMEU (one day). Provide step-by-step guidance for undertaking an MEU. Provided as a (free) Open Educational Resource (OER).
Data Analytics
IEUSS Website:
Data supplied by Google Analytics
33,688 page views from January 2022-October 11, 2024.
6,000 Sessions: November 22-October 10, 2024 (session data were not available from Google Analytics prior to November 2022).
Social Media:
IEUSS Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/sunymodeleu, 194 members
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ieusssunymeu/
33 followers, 152 posts
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdxT1yMRX45-tnCgN2OTmPQ
3 subscribers, 9 videos 359 views