about the project

Digital technologies affect all of us, irrespective of geographical location or socio-demographic features, although significant digital divides still exist across the world. While technical expertise, as well as both private and public resources have been relevant for the establishment and development of such technologies, how they are and should be used is a matter of public interest since they impact socially, politically, economically and environmentally the wider populations.  

Especially due to its regulatory practices, the European Union has a unique position within the nexus of stakeholders, processes, institutions and standards related to the use and development of digital technologies. As these technologies have also facilitated the increasing spread of misinformation and messages undermining democratic values and institutions, understanding digital technologies from policy and political perspectives that connect different areas of policy concerns is essential also for supporting the values, institutions and the proper functioning of the European Union.  

To address these timely puzzles that will have long term consequences on the EU politics, policies and polity, this Jean Monnet module titled EU as a Global Digital Actor (EU-GlobalDigi) proposes an exploratory investigation focusing on how the European Union impacts and is impacted by digital technologies, within a global context, in major areas of policy concerns and political competition. 

For this purpose, as well as to fill knowledge gaps, to bridge transdisciplinary gaps and to foster dialogue between academia and other stakeholders, it offers undergraduate and graduate courses, professional and peer-learning/capacity-building seminars with stakeholders, research outputs, and newsletters on the most important advancements in the field and the role of the European Union in such processes.

• Kick-off event (November 2024)

• English-language advanced BA course: Introduction to EU as a Global Digital Actor (1st semester of the academic years 2024/2025, 2025/2026, 2026/2027)

• English-language MA course: EU as a Global Digital Actor (2nd semester of the academic years 2024/2025, 2025/2026, 2026/2027)

• 9 professional seminars (in English or Romanian: November 2024 - June 2027)

• 2 seminars for teachers (in Romanian: November 2026, November 2027)

• 1 training for the academic and administrative staff of the University of Bucharest (in Romanian: May 2027)

• 1 research webinar (in English: December 2025)

• 1 international scientific conference (in English: May 2026)

• 1 English-language collective volume (submitted to publication by July 2027)

• 6 newsletters (in English and Romanian: February 2025, July 2025, February 2026, July 2026, February 2027, July 2027)

• Official closing event (in English and Romanian: May 2027)

Luciana Alexandra GHICA (project coordinator) - luciana.ghica@unibuc.ro

Research and instruction staff 

Ionela BĂLUȚĂ, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - research and instruction 

Anca DOHOTARIU, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - research and instruction 

Özgün ERLER BAYIR, University of Istanbul (TÜRKIYE) - research and instruction 

Lucian Alexandra GHICA, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - research and instruction 

Emanuela IGNĂȚOIU-SORA, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - research and instruction 

Bogdan Mihai RADU, Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca (ROMANIA)  - research and instruction 

Claudiu D. TUFIȘ, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - research 

Antonio ZOTTI, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan (ITALY) - research and instruction 

Support staff 

Beatrice CRĂCIUN, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - administrative support 

Florin FEȘNIC, Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca (ROMANIA) - external evaluator 

Brîndușa NICOLAESCU, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - language support 

Octavian SOFRONEA, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - project assistant

Claudiu D. TUFIȘ, University of Bucharest (ROMANIA) - internal quality evaluator

Friday, 15th of November 2024, this project will be presented officially to the public. The event will take place from 14:00 in the Grigore Moisil Hall (Rectorate building of the University of Bucharest in 90, Sos. Panduri, - https://maps.app.goo.gl/yk8Wiiq6JDyinnqd6, groundfloor)

All these courses are organized at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest, and are open to all students of the University of Bucharest, as well as to all international exchange students at the University of Bucharest, including Erasmus+ and CIVIS, irrespective of the field of specialization.

2024/2025

1st semester, English-language advanced BA course*: Introduction to EU as a Global Digital Actor (42h) 

2nd semester, English-language MA course**, open also to doctoral students: EU as a Global Digital Actor (56h) 

2025/2026

1st semester, English-language advanced BA course*: Introduction to EU as a Global Digital Actor (42h) 

2nd semester, English-language MA course**, open also to doctoral students: EU as a Global Digital Actor (56h) 

2026/2027

1st semester, English-language advanced BA course*: Introduction to EU as a Global Digital Actor (42h) 

2nd semester, English-language MA course**, open also to doctoral students: EU as a Global Digital Actor (56h) 

* included in the curriculum of the BA program International Relations and European Studies in English (IRES)

* included in the curriculum of the MA program International Public Affairs in English (MIPA)

IN ENGLISH

Professional seminar (1): 15/11/2024

Professional seminar (3): May 2025

Professional seminar (4): June 2025

Professional seminars (5)-(9): TBA (November 2025 - June2027)

IN ROMANIAN

Professional seminar (2): March 2025

Seminar for teachers (1): November 2025

Seminar for teachers (2): November 2026

Training for UB academic and administrative staff: May 2027 

This English-language event is organized in late May 2026, in physical format at the University of Bucharest. A call for applications will be launched in mid 2025.

Within this project, we publish 6 newsletters, each one in English and in Romanian, during the following months: 

• February 2025 

• July 2025

• February 2026

• July 2026

• February 2027

• July 2027

Sign HERE to receive the newsletter by email.

The official closing event will take place in May 2027, when we will present, in English and Romanian, the main results of the project. The exact date will be announced in February 2027, including through the project's newsletter. 

This project ends in August 2027. We hope that by then the EU-GlobalDigi activities will have facilitated the development of a community of expertise and continuous learning on the social and political analysis of digital technologies, with a focus on the role of the European Union in the field. To support this community and based on the infrastructure that EU-GlobalDigi helps us build, we intend to establish a hub (digitalEU@UNIBUC) which will continue to organize events and send regular newsletters on topics relevant for the domain.