European Union and Polish Diplomacy in Asia: theory and practice

general courses

Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Making underwent significant changes in the 21st century, becoming more open and inclusive. Non-governmental and non-state actors started to play more important role in shaping foreign policies. That process affect both Europe and Asian countries. Poland as a member of the European Union since 2004 constitutes the part of that process. Poland contributes to EU relations with Asia through EU institutions, including External Action Service. At the same time Poland has its own wide network of embassies and consulates, and long traditions of excellent relations . How EU diplomacy works, to what expand it represents organization and particular interests of member countries, what instruments it applied to attain the goals, how Poland contributes to EU foreign policy making and diplomacy, and how Poland implements own foreign policy. What are the relations of EU with Asian countries and organizations? Those questions will be answered during the course.

Blended learning

heory of diplomacy and foreign policy making will be presented to show what factors influence the process of creation of foreign policy of states and international organizations. The modern diplomacy, its instruments and actors will be explored. In the second part the course will focus on the European Union External Actions Service - its structure, competencies and activities. Then the Polish Foreign Service will be analyzed from the same angle.

In the third part of the course strategies and essential documents on strategy of the EU and Poland in Asia will be presented to practice analysis of key directions of foreign policies.

In the fourth part EU-ASEAN and Poland -ASEAN relations will be discussed with the students in the form of workshop and critical debate on particular research papers published on this topic.

International studies researchers claim that foreign policy making process of the Global North and Global South took similar forms in the 21st century. Globalization, the growth of institutional and conventions' framework, contacts on different United Nations fora enhanced the process of introducing international standards to diplomatic practice. At the same time diplomacy and foreign policy making processes have their regional and national particularities based on factors like historical and civilization narratives related for centuries to the process of creation of foreign policy of states and international organizations. The modern diplomacy impacted by informal contacts of non-governmental actors and social media, transformed its instruments. States are no longer the only actors in international relations but still have the responsibility to coordinate and articulate national voice in international organizations. European countries have transferred some of their competencies to the EU institutions, including the European Union External Actions Service - the first foreign service of international regional organization. Its structure and competencies undergoing changes, adjusting to the dynamics of changes in international relations. The Polish Foreign Service as executive branch of Polish foreign policy have to make similar adjustments. Part of the process of shaping a new world order is the shift of power in political and economic area to Asia and the Pacific. In the two decades of the 21st century the European Union has published several strategical documents on Asia. Poland has also announced three documents devoted to the region. It is important to analyze them in order to understand preliminary assumptions and directions of EU and Polish foreign policy and diplomacy.

As the second most integrated regional organization in the world, and the pivotal forum for other Asian countries dialogue and cooperation, ASEAN plays critical role in EU and Poland's relations with Asia. They deserve not only a simple presentation but also an extensive debate with participation of students. As a starting point for the debate selected research papers published on this topic will be utilized.

Rahul Mishra, Azirah Hashim, Anthony Milner, "Asia and Europe in the 21st Century : New Anxieties, New Opportunities", Abingdon, Oxon : Routledge. 2021

Jurgen Ruland, Gunter Schubert, Gunter Schucher, Cornelia Storz, "Asian-European Relations : Building Blocks for Global Governance?"

"Development in the 21st Century" Taylor and Francis, Abingdon 2008

The prepared text of U.S. of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's speech, delivered to the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C., https://foreignpolicy.com/2010/01/06/development-in-the-21st-century/

Kilian Spandler, "Regional Organizations in International Society. ASEAN, the EU and the Politics of Normative Arguing", Palgrave Macmillan, Cham 2019

Julie Gilson, "EU-ASEAN relations in the 2020s:pragmatic inter-regionalism?"

Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020, International Economics and Economic Policy (2020) 17:727–745

Anthony Forster, "The European Union in Southeast Asia:continuity and change in turbulent times", "International Affairs", 75, 4(1999), 743-758

Gunaryadi, "European Union visibility in Indonesia", Asia Europe Journal (2005) 3: 49–62

Knowledge of the basic mechanisms of creating foreign policy and its implementation by diplomacy

Ability to analyze foreign policy on the basis of published governmental documents

Understanding of the mechanisms of functioning of the European Union and Poland's foreign service

Knowledge of key facts and processes of the EU and Polish relations with Asia and ASEAN countries

Test of 30 questions, 20 to pass