
Starting from March 8, the seminar “The EU and the Eurasian Economic Union: Competition, Conflict and International Business” is being held at the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna.
The seminar focuses on the broad spectrum of the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and its dynamics, i.e. on socio-economic, cultural-historical, political, as well as geopolitical-security aspects. Against this background, the seminar focuses on Russia’s neo-imperial war against Ukraine and its causes. The impact of ongoing geopolitical changes on EU-EAEU relations in general and the impact on international businesses operating in the region in particular will also be examined.
The introduction into the institutional design, historical development, and the different perspectives and positions within the EAEU itself will be given by Anna Lazareva, associate of the Competence Center for Black Sea Region Studies (University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna). Then Dr. Hannes Meissner (UAS BFI Vienna) will present first-hand insights and research results from his EUCON field trip to Kiev in October 2021, dealing with political risks related to the current geopolitical conflict between the West and Russia and the situation in Ukraine.
Due to the broad and interdisciplinary perspective on the dynamics of the war, the course includes guest lectures by international experts. Dr. Oxana Karnauhova from the University of Passau will focus on sovereignty as a key driver of regional development and address Central Asia’s positioning between the EU and the EAEU. From a more historical perspective, Dr. Christian Noack from the University of Amsterdam will examine Russia’s narratives of war.