CES manages research grants for the complex and interdisciplinary field of International Relations and European Studies. In the period 2013-2015, CES monitors the implementation of several exploratory research projects coordinated by young academics. CES team is also oriented towards co-opting and co-ordinating MA students in research activities.
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Project title: Romania-Russia Bilateral Relationship. National and European Perspectives
Implementation period: April 2013 – December 2014
Project coordinator: Associate Professor George Anglitoiu, PhD
Summary: The main objective of the research is to develop a clear and relevant view of the Romania-Russia relation regarding national and regional security. The role played by Romania at the EU level, correlated to the member status of EU, can be developed to a status of regional power. The economic dimension is characterized by a poor trade balance for Romania, but the potential can be improved. The Romania-Russia bilateral relation, besides the fact that is far from its full potential, is characterized by certain divergences regarding sensitive subjects: common historical and cultural relation with Republic of Moldova, views regarding Transdniestrian secession, Russian pretending of Romanian interference in Republic of Moldova, stance regarding Georgia, and, also, the encouragement of Romania to explore energetic resources and sources of supply and alternative transportations to Russian ones. This research aims to develop an analyze of the way Romania could tackle the Eastern neighbourhood problem in order to strengthen its regional position and to maximize its strategic interests.
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Project title: Implementation of the social market economy in Romania as a way of “Europeanization” of the Romanian society
Implementationperiod: April 2013-March 2015
Project coordinator: Lecturer Oana – Andreea Ion, PhD
Summary: The project aims to analyse the way Romania can organise economic, political and social activities in order to implement the principles of social market economy at a national level, a specific pattern of organizing economic and social relations whose application became mandatory with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. The proposed activities will identify ways by which is realised the implementation of social market economy principles in Romania at political structures and public policies level, underlining at the same time the elements which can help Romania to strengthen its position as an EU member state all along of this process. The research combines a theoretical approach that comes from European Studies (Europeanisation) with an approach that comes from economic field (Social Market Economy). This combination is strengthened by the methodological background of public policies and political structures assessment. The chosen topic of this research has interdisciplinary ties unifying methodologies and concepts from several fields (Economy, Political Science, European Studies and Sociology).
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Project title: Operationalization of an Evaluation Model of the Institutionalizing in Romania of Forms and Practices of the Social Market Economy
Implementation period: April 2013 – March 2015
Project coordinator: Lecturer Nicolae Toderas, PhD
Summary: An exploratory research project which aims to elaborate an evaluation model of practices and actions regarding the institutionalisation and the improvement of the social market economy approach in Romania. Beside the fact that social economy derives from practices and actions undertook by economic and social systems in Western-European area, and this is transposed internally through normative isomorphism mechanism, it is important to study the manner and the forms of institutionalisation at domestic level through the lenses of the theories of evaluation the public policies and programmes. Thus, this exploratory research project focuses on designing and testing of an evaluation model based on the adequacy to the context criterion of the process of institutional change (at a level of forms and methods of social market economy).
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Project title: Citizens and MEPs: Representation, Legitimacy and Political ParticipationÂ
Implementation period: October 2013 – September 2015
Project coordinator: Ioana Dodi, PhD Student
Summary: The aim of this research is to analyse the relation between citizens and members of European Parliament from the view of political representation and participation, also from the view of the legitimacy of the European Parliament as an institution directly elected by European citizens. Therefore, the interest lies in the coherence and the continuity of the topics related to European Parliament’s election campaigns and the topics of debates or law proposals within European Parliament, the ideological representation of citizens which are invited to vote for MEPs according to this criterion and the interaction with the citizens after the elections.
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Project title: European Union and Latin America – An Interregional Analysis
Implementation period: November 2013 – November 2015
Project coordinator: Mihai Ghigiu, PhD Student
Summary: The project aims to analyse the evolutions between the relations of European Union and different forms of initiatives and regional cooperation within Latin America. These evolutions are relevant in a context of systemic changes that occur on international level, and more precisely within the transatlantic triangle. The research will examine the impact of interregional phenomena that are promoted by EU and relates to the relations of European and South America block, and how this relation interferes with the politics and interests of the main actor of the international system, USA, and the position of Brazil as an emergent power.
