EMGS in Wrocław

Over the past few decades, social and political life has undergone some dramatic developments connected with the melting of its national and international level into a global one. These changes should be considered from three perspectives.

Firstly, from the circulation of goods, services, information, knowledge, labor, capital, ideas, cultural values, etc. While the mobility, in particular its economic notion, is not itself a new phenomenon, it is certainly more widespread, intensive, productive than it was in the past. Today welfare cannot be assured without access to this circulation.

Secondly, new conceptions of power have emerged to explain the complex reality of globalized politics. Nation-states and supra-national organizations are just among a number of different actors, who has a say. Power is now exercised by a growing number of NGOs, the media, transnational companies, as well as influential individuals who take advantage of global communication channels. A natural environment of the power is now network: it affects all actors involved and raises questions on effectiveness of traditional policy instruments. Metaphorically, policy it is no longer a game of chess, but rather a snooker game where the reactions of all the factors are hardly predictable.

This "new deal" of power is connected with the third point: how to produce and distribute public goods within the global sphere. Societies are unable to develop without assured internal and external security, a sustainable environment, adequate infrastructure, education, or a stable and enforceable legal regime. However, production and consumption of the goods in national borders and in isolated functional fields (e.g. education separated from security) hast lost its effectiveness. Also the balance of costs and benefits between the providers and the receivers of these goods can be questioned. Therefore, a new approach - a system of global public goods delivered by networked power - would be a demanded solution.

The aim of the program is to explore the three aforementioned themes from within the context of the post-communist transformation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This process started in 1989 with the collapse of the communist regime. Importantly, this regime largely excluded the region from participating in the rapidly expanding globalization. After the former power's institutional system was dismantled, three important questions emerged: (1) How to access the global economic sphere without further threatening an already shaky social system?; (2) How to join the global power structure, including where to look for new allies, how to exert power in the new environment, and how to preserve (or else re-define) the newly acquired sovereignty?; and (3) How to find new ways to produce and consume public goods?

Most countries in the region opted for a "fast track" of an integration into the global framework through radical adjustments and national policy reorientations without necessarily ensuring protection against new risks. But not all of them chose this way. Many lagged behind in unsuccessful attempts to develop a "third way". Some of them were just not able to go forth and integrate, some even deepened their isolation. There is much to be learned from these efforts, experience, successes and failures. All in all they can be considered as a poll of diversified reactions on globalization.

Study Program in Wrocław

Detailed description of EMGS modules and courses.