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	The Road to a United Europe – Interpretations of the Process of European Integration null Print Version Mail this contribution
Informer RICHIE <Christian.Wenkelgmx.de> Published on 18.04.2006 Citation Classification regional emphasis Europe temporal classifcation 20th Century topic History of European Union, History of international relations Type CfP Country Denmark Language English

European integration history is a relatively new academic field. The methodological approach relies strongly on the gradual opening of political archives throughout Europe relevant to the history of the European Communities. Whereas historians traditionally have been organised in the realm of national professional environments, European integration history is by nature a truly international topic that calls for the creation of an international network of scholars.

The International Research Network of Young Historians of European Integration, RICHIE, is a network of young researchers. The aim of RICHIE is to facilitate networks between young scholars of European integration history. The first meeting was a conference from March 31 to April 1, 2005 jointly hosted by La Sorbonne (University Paris IV) and Sciences-Po (Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris). The conference was a success and managed to assemble young researchers and renowned professors from thirteen different countries. The results of the conference will be published soon in a PIE Peter-Lang edition. For further information about RICHIE’s activities, visit the RICHIE website: www.europe-richie.org/index-en.html

This call for papers concerns the second international RICHIE conference that will take place from December 7-10, 2006 in Copenhagen. The conference will be hosted by the Research Priority Area, Europe in Change. The conference is to be held under the scientific direction of Professor Karl Christian Lammers, Copenhagen University. Members of the scientific committee are Professor Karl Christian Lammers (Copenhagen University) (chairman), Professor Eric Bussière (Paris IV-Sorbonne), Professor Anne Deighton (Oxford University), Professor Wolfram Kaiser (University of Portsmouth), Professor Johnny Laursen (University of Aarhus), Professor Wilfried Loth (Universität Duisburg-Essen), Professor Maurice Vaïsse (Institut d’études politiques, Paris), Professor Antonio Varsori (Università degli Studi di Padova).

Conference Themes
Current scholarship on the European integration process can be divided into five schools that each try to explain why the European continent from the mid 20th century has moved in the direction of increasing economic and political integration. It is the overall aim of the conference to revisit the most important schools of research and to discuss the very nature of this European integration. Hence, researchers are invited to submit papers within the themes of research broadly formulated below.

1. The European idea as the driving force
The European integration process is considered the result of a change of mentality in the European populations and political elites particularly after the destructive effects of World War II. Federalist movements that were created in the wake of the war, so it has been argued, played a decisive role in the establishment of the European institutions and their subsequent development.

2. European integration as the rescue of the nation-state
This school interprets the European integration process in the context of the general development of the European nation-state in the 20th century. The interwar economic and political crisis undermined fundamentally the nation-states, but the post-World War II period witnessed a resurrection, also seen as a ‘rescue’ of the nation-state. The economic, social and political choices of the nation-states nurtured European integration. The national rescue could only happen through surrendering national sovereignty to supranational European institutions.

3. European integration as part of and as an answer to the globalisation of international economy
This interpretation has two distinct elements. On the one hand, the process of European integration is seen as part of an increasing liberalisation of the exchange of goods, currencies, services and labour. On the other hand, the European institutions are considered as an answer to the challenges that globalisation incurs upon the nation-states.

4. European integration as traditional foreign policy
The European integration process is here interpreted as a new version of traditional inter-state diplomacy. The new European stability that was gained after World War II is seen as a new ‘Concert of Europe’. At the centre stage is foreign policy and diplomacy.

5. Institutional dynamics and constitutionalization as driving forces
In this interpretation, the foundation of truly European institutions is of central importance. The European institutions and especially the European Court of Justice is seen as decisive for the dynamics of the European integration process.

Practical information
Ph.D-students and post-doctoral researchers are eligible to apply for participation in this conference. Interdisciplinary research is promoted and thus all researchers interested in exploring the historical perspective regardless of discipline are most welcome to apply.

Interested researchers should submit a conference paper proposal consisting of three parts: 1) An abstract of the conference paper (max. 500 words). 2) A brief abstract of the thesis or main research project (max. 200 words). 3) A personal presentation (max. 200 words). Only proposals that include all three parts will be considered. Proposals can be submitted in English or French, and should be e-mailed (in Word or pdf.) by the deadline of June 1, 2006 to the conference secretary, Jens Runge Poulsen – jensrungehum.ku.dk

The conference presentations will last 20 minutes. The working languages of the conference are English and French.

Successful applicants will be notified by September 1. They must send their final papers to Jens Runge Poulsen no later than November 1, and the papers will subsequently be circulated among participants and discussants prior to the conference. Participants will have the opportunity to revise the paper prior to the planned publication. Editorial details will be available after the conference.

Participants will have their room and board costs covered by Copenhagen University. All participants will have to cover travel costs themselves.

For further updated information about the conference please visit the conference site on the following address: www.ku.dk/priority/Europe/Activities/konference_the_road/index.asp