Creating the synergies between the RGSL research work and academic studies, 23 students from the Master Programme have spent 1,5 days in a workshop seminar in Sigulda on 10 - 11 October. The objective of the seminar was to carry out two rounds of EU negotiations simulations – the EU internal agreement on the mandate for the European Council on the climate change deal before the UNFCC international conference and the agreement between the Commission, the Council Presidency and the European Parliament. The preparations for the seminar included individual work in advance on the respective positions prepared by each student and acquaintance with the EU internal and external procedures of the decision-making.
The workshop was led by Dr.Ilze Ruse and Mag.Dino Mortensen as a part of Policy Implementation and Negotiation techniques course. The seminar programme included also a workshop on the effects of inter-cultural differences in the multilateral negotiations as well as the informal exercises of the coalition-building between the negotiation parties. The four-hour long negotiations were recorded for further analysis in the classroom.
This year the RGSL for the first time organizes a negotiation simulation retreat outside the classroom environment. The implementation of such innovative academic approaches has become possible under the DelExPol project Evaluating the Post-Lisbon Effects of Delegation in the EU External Relations that is funded by the FP7 Marie Curie Grant.
In this research project theRiga Graduate School of Law is a leading partner. The project proposal was submitted by RGSL faculty member Dr. Ilze Rūse for PEOPLE Programme of the FP7. It is supervised by Prof. George Ulrich, Rector of RGSL
Apart from the research deliverables, the project aims also in creating synergies between the policy-makers and academia by organizing workshops and discussions.