The Jean Monnet Module proposes to organise teaching activities, research, events, and produce deliverables aimed at promoting the discussion among academics, students, and civil society about the main challenges that the external action of the European Union is currently facing:1. Teaching: a) university students in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Education, Sciences, Economy, Health Sciences, Engineering and Architecture; and b) students participating in language exchange programs in the Universities of Alcalá, Innsbruck, and Cambridge.2. Research: a) a collective book; and b) a writing/research competition on the challenges of the European Union’s external action. 3. Deliverables: a) the creation of an electronic repository of essays written by university students; b) the preparation and publication of thematic blogs; and c) the publication in English language of a collective book prepared by the members of the academic committee.4. Events: an annual conference will be held in the Office of the European Commission’s Representation in Madrid, where the members of the academic committee will present the activities to the general public.During the last years, an important debate about the very essence of the European integration process has been in the spotlight, as a result of the severe economic crisis affecting the Member States. In the meantime, significant developments have taken place in the international society (such as, for instance, complex armed conflicts in the neighbourhood of the European Union, migrations and the refugee crisis or a new round of commercial and investment negotiations with third countries). The European Union has an important role to play in these global challenges. This project aims at explaining and debating with academic rigour how the European Union could and should address those challenges of security, social and economic nature.