EU Values: European Values and Interests in a Global Context

Europe, values, critical analysis, the gap between rhetoric and public policy, transitions
The EU Values program aims to provide students with insights for a critical and multidisciplinary analysis of how the European Union puts its professed values into practice, whether in its relationship with the world or in its internal policies—particularly the policies it implements to support ongoing transitions.

Europe—whether as a framework for action, a subject of study, or a major stakeholder—frequently presents itself as a union of values that respects human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. In fact, the promotion of these values is ubiquitous in most actions taken at the European level, even when those actions are primarily motivated by the defense of self-interest. On Europe’s southern flank, the Mediterranean and the Middle East form a region where these values coexist with other political and legal concepts in diverse societies.

This program aims to encourage students to engage with and evaluate this framework for thought and action by fostering the exchange of perspectives across different disciplines and themes. Whether the issue is social policies, security and defense strategies, humanitarian aid, the fight against corruption and human trafficking, migration, climate, and environmental policies, or energy choices, how do these values hold up when put to the test? Are there, in fact, such things as European values, and if so, how are they perceived and interpreted outside Europe—particularly in its Mediterranean and Middle Eastern neighborhoods? To what extent are member states involved in how European directives or policies adopted within this framework are implemented? In what ways is Europe torn between sovereignist approaches and the pursuit of federalism? What is the appropriate level of decision-making for these various issues?

The annual summer school held at the start of the academic year will provide an opportunity to explore one or more of these themes from a multidisciplinary perspective and with a different focus, enabling students, in particular, to become more familiar with the terminology and methods of disciplines other than those central to their master’s program. The practical application following this summer school—a supervised project in the first year of the master’s program (M1) followed by a policy paper in the second year (M2)—will also allow students to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in a multidisciplinary setting.

Course Units (UE) in the Thematic Program

The program’s specific EU component consists of a summer school at the start of the academic year, featuring a series of lectures and thematic seminars conducted primarily in English and occasionally in French, bringing together academics, professionals, and experts. This program takes place at the beginning of each academic year, lasts one week, and provides an opportunity to compare different approaches and have students work together to foster a sense of camaraderie and facilitate exchanges between students enrolled in the first and second years of the thematic program.

The topics and conference program change each year, allowing students who participated in the summer school during their first year of the master’s program to explore a new topic during their second year. These summer schools are accompanied by a collaborative, topic-based project to be carried out by groups of students from various master’s programs affiliated with the program, organized as follows:
  • During the M1 year (or the 4th year at Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA), the lectures will be combined with a supervised project (6 ECTS).
  • During the M2 year (or the 5th year at Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA), students are required to write a policy paper (6 ECTS).
The work is supervised by an instructor; assignments may be submitted in French or English and are subject to an oral defense. The grade earned will count toward the course unit.

How to Apply

To apply for this program, you must first be admitted to the first year of a master’s program in one of the following fields:
 
Master's Degree Year Component Language
European Transition Law (European Legal Careers)  M1 - M2      School of Law - UGA French and English
International Cooperation and Multilingual Communication (CICM)  M1 - M2      SoCLE Faculty Unit French and English
European Governance  M1 - M2      Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA English
Integration and Change in the Mediterranean and the Middle East (MMO)  M1 - M2      Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA English


Participating doctoral schools:

 
Apply to this thematic program
Updated on 7, September 2026