European studies: modern situation, problems and perspectives

The article analyzes the current state of European research and education in the field of European studies as a special historical and cultural region, characterized by specific socio-economic, political and legal development. Europe is considered in the context of modern integration processes, at the same time emphasizes its heterogeneity, a variety of contradictory tendencies, including minimization of the communitarian approach. The author discusses the subject of European studies, mainly of European integration and the European Union. There is provided the data of the online survey of students and graduates in recent years in the direction of European studies in the universities around the world, regarding the motivation and results of the study in this field. In addition, the course examines other relevant European organizations, including the Council of Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Arctic Council and other. From the point of view of the prospects for European studies, an important direction is the extension of the framework of political and legal Europe, including larger study of the Russian Federation as a major European state. Important attention should be paid to the comparative aspects of European and national institutions, the analysis of the opinion and perceptions of Europe by other countries in the world.