Small state studies are a growing discipline within International Relations, where it is an increasingly accepted notion that in order to fully understand the intricate structure of the international community it is important to study all states – small and large. The discipline has clear cross-sectoral relevance with its focus on the specific challenges facing small states in all areas of public life. This strategic partnership creates a pan-European, cross-disciplinary, consortium of experts in the field of small state studies. It will expand the traditional scope of small state studies by targeting new disciplines and thus enhance the possibility for a wider understanding of small states, their capabilities, challenges and interests. This is especially important for European Union studies considering that the EU is a Union predominantly made up of small states. The teaching and research themes developed by the consortium are specifically created to address the common challenges facing small states in Europe today. The primary objective of this partnership is to create a pan-European consortium of experts in small state studies that will train young teachers and researchers from International Relations and Political Science as well as other disciplines, such as Economics, Business, Public Administration and Law, in applying insights from small state studies to their research and teaching. This endeavor aims at promoting and encouraging small states studies within these disciplines as well expanding it into other fields. Furthermore, at the end of the project the consortium will have developed four new and innovative inter-disciplinary curricula in small state studies based on the four teaching and research themes. The ten universities participating in this strategic partnership were all chosen based on their unique and outstanding academic standing in the field of small states and European integration. Their academic expertise lies within different disciplines but converges on their focus on the contemporary challenges and opportunities of small states in the international community. The consortium has developed four interlinked teaching and research themes (TRTs) that are built on the specific expertise of the partners and jointly create new cross-border synergies fostering the interdisciplinary development of small state studies at the European level. Together they form an integral part of the objective of developing expertise in teaching in small state studies while moving the discipline forward into new fields. The TRTs are:TRT 1: Small states: Foreign policy and economic securityTRT 2: Small states addressing the migration crisis TRT 3: Small states in international law TRT 4: Small states and the challenges of good governance The objectives of this project are linked to the following activities that will be developed in relation to the four TRTs: a. Two-week intensive summer academies open to the project’s target groups of advanced Master's students, Ph.D. students and post-doctorate researchers b. Intensive study programmes (one week duration) focused on training new and upcoming teachers c. Multiplier events targeting an audience from a wide range of disciplinesd. Transnational meetings held in conjunction with the multiplier eventse. Blended mobility for students and young researchers/teachersf. Development of four new and innovative inter-disciplinary curricula in small state studies based on the four teaching and research themesThe methodology applied in the project is based on elaborative consultation and communication between the partners during the preparation and implementation of the planned activities as well as during the dissemination phase of the project. All the partners have jointly developed the four teaching and research themes and will contribute to the execution of the project according to their specific field of expertise.The project is expected to provide advanced Master’s students, Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers with greater skills and experience in teaching, and thus answers to the lack of training of teachers within higher education in Europe. All partner organizations will benefit from better trained teachers, which ultimately will have an impact on the quality of the education provided by the participating organizations. Furthermore, the expected impact of this project will be the integration of small state studies into new disciplines, as well as further strengthening small state studies in IR and Political Science. By training new teachers in incorporating a small state angle to their curricula the partnership ensures a wider impact of the project through its cross-disciplinary approach, with participants coming from disciplines outside of IR. This in turn will broaden the scope of small state studies given the impact from other disciplines on the study of small states.
This strategic partnership created a pan-European, cross-disciplinary, consortium of experts in the field of small state studies. Its aim was to expand the traditional scope of small state studies by targeting new disciplines and thus enhance the possibility for a wider understanding of small states, their capabilities, challenges and interests. The primary objective of this partnership was to train young teachers and researchers in applying insights from small state studies to their research and teaching. Furthermore, the consortium's aim was to develop four new curriculums in small state studies based on the four teaching and research themes developed by the partners. The ten universities participating in this strategic partnership were all chosen based on their unique and outstanding academic standing in the field of small states and European integration. 1) University of Iceland - the Centre for Small State Studies is one of the leading research centres in the world focusing on small state studies; 2) University of Copenhagen - has developed extensive knowledge in the field of small states, particularly focusing on security issues; 3) Vilnius University - specialises in the foreign policy and economic security challenges of small states; 4) Tallinn University of Technology - a leader in the field of small state governance and entrepreneurship; 5) Lund University - has long tradition in research on small states and European integration 6) University of Ljubljana - holds expertise in the governance of small states and the challenges they face due to lesser capacities of their public administration; 7) University of Malta - expert in the field of small state studies and presents the view of a small island state dealing with challenges such as increased immigration and refugee numbers; 8) St. Andrews University - world-leading institute in IR and is increasingly interested in focusing on the field of small state studies; 9) Queen Mary University of London - was specifically recruited to the partnership because of its unique expertise in the legal issues facing small states; 10) Comenius University in Bratislava - has carried out various research projects on small states in Europe The consortium developed four interlinked teaching and research themes (TRTs) that are built on the specific expertise of the partners and jointly create new cross-border synergies fostering the interdisciplinary development of small state studies at the European level. Together they formed an integral part of the objective of developing expertise in teaching in small state studies while moving the discipline forward into new fields. The TRTs are: TRT 1: Small states: Foreign policy and economic security; TRT 2: Small states addressing the migration crisis; TRT 3: Small states in international law TRT 4: Small states and the challenges of good governance The objectives of this project were linked to the following activities that were developed in relation to the four TRTs: a. Two-week intensive summer academies, hosted in Reykjavík in 2017 and 2018 b. Intensive study programmes (one week duration) focused on training new and upcoming teachers. The programmes were hosted in Ljubljana in August 2017 and in Vilnius in January 2018 c. Multiplier event, hosted at the University of Malta d. Transnational meetings, held at Queen Mary University in London and at the University of Malta f. Development of four new curricula in small state studies based on the four teaching and research themes The partners jointly developed the four teaching and research themes and contributed to the execution of the project according to their specific field of expertise.The project provided advanced Master’s students, Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers with greater skills and experience in teaching, and thus answered to the lack of training of teachers within higher education in Europe. The expected impact of this project was the integration of small state studies into new disciplines, as well as further strengthening small state studies in IR and Political Science. The objective was reached with the creation of four new innovative curriculums in small state studies that the consortium has developed. The curriculums have been well received and there have already been contacts from universities from outside the project that wish to teach these courses at their schools. The consortium has shared them within and beyond its network - through mailing lists and social media, as we as on social networking sites specifically targeting academics and researchers - where reception has been very good. These curriculums are available open access and will ensure the future sustainability of the project's results and long-term benefits. In addition, the teachers trained through the project's programmes will, by incorporating a small state angle to their teaching, ensure a wider impact from other disciplines on the study of small states.