On March 2-6, 2020, Khazar University hosted a workshop “Into an Uncertain Future? The EU and the Caucasus in 2040”. The workshop was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD and brought together 21 participant students from Germany, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Led by the Professor of Tübingen University, Dr. Thomas Diez; the Head of the Political Science and Philosophy Department of Khazar University, Dr. Elmar Mustafayev; Head of the Eastern Europe and Eurasia program at the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome, Dr. Nona Mikhelidze; experts of the SSC Europe, Sebastian Schaffer and Iris Rehklau, the workshop was consisted of three following blocs:

1) An intercultural competence workshop to facilitate communication across cultural divides;

2) A teaching bloc on the EU-Caucasus relations;

3) A group exercise to develop scenarios for EU - South Caucasus relations in 2040.

On the first day of the workshop, Iris Rehklau acquainted the participants with the basics of the culture, identity, and communication that was followed by the practical group work of students on intercultural communication. The workshop was continued with the seminars of Dr. Thomas Diez on “Analytical Perspectives of the International Relations” and “The EU in International Relations”.

The second day of the workshop started with the continuation of the practical group work led by Iris Rehklau on intercultural communication. Thereafter, the workshop moved ahead with the panel discussion on “The Political Systems and Foreign Relations of Azerbaijan and Georgia”. The panelists Dr. Elmar Mustafayev and Dr. Nona Mikhelidze briefed the participants with the foreign policy priorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, and the security challenges in the South Caucasus. The panel discussion was followed by a Q&A session and debate. Following the panel discussion, Sebastian Schaffer delivered a seminar on “the EU and its Eastern Neighborhood”. On Wednesday the participants were trained with building the scenarios in world political affairs by identifying the potential economic, political, and security drivers. Being divided into 4 groups, participants were assigned to prepare the scenarios for 2040.

On March 5, the participants visited the EU Delegation in Baku and had a discussion with the head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Kestutis Jankauskas on the “EU-Eastern Partnership” and the EU Azerbaijan relations. The last day of the workshop was devoted to the discussion of the scenarios built by working groups. Students presented their scenarios by justifying them with their political and economic drivers. Following the presentations, the workshop was concluded with the final remarks and distribution of certificates.