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In the history of Europe, there are only a few symbols that are common to all 27 EU countries: the Greek and Roman legacy, a common Christian religion, a shared bulk of common values and beliefs. The paper evaluates if Euro as a common currency should be considered as a symbol who may contribute to the European construction process and the role of symbols in the consolidation of a European collective identity. Our hypothesis is that the existence of a bulk of common symbols - among which the Euro currency is one of the most visible, shared widely by EU citizens - will consolidate the process of European construction. The lack of a common identity is often used by extremist parties as an argument in favor of Euro-pessimism and a return to nation state welfare. Our paper highlights the subtle links between money, collective identity and European integration. The results show a link between the rise of awareness concerning a European identity and the adoption of Euro. Fostering European symbols such as a single currency is contributing to create the conditions that allow the emergence of a sense of collective belonging, the European common identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to understanding how innovations in teaching International Relations are critical for building competencies to students. Modern diplomacy challenges require a bunch of competencies that have to be developed even before joining the diplomatic service. The paper explores the interactions between real policy, diplomacy and international relations and students' capabilities, and to what extent the knowledge is transferable through a role-play game developed by the author to simulate a part of the activities of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The data were collected between 2016 and 2021, using a voluntary, anonymous questionnaire from 68 respondents and focus group discussions. The paper is a continuation to our previous study and confirms that the role play simulation helped students acquire or enhance skills related to diplomatic practices, and that they are using those skills in their professional life. These findings can enrich the best practices for effective learning and competencies development. Data shows that experiential learning is able to form or to enhance a series of competencies specific to the field of International Relations and Diplomacy. The transfer of knowledge is effective in terms of professional and social competencies. Implications are discussed for enhancing the learning process in International Relations and Diplomacy master programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]