The Expansion of “Private” Schools in England,Sweden and Eastern Germany: A Comparative Perspective on Policy Development,Regulation, Policy Goals and Ideas

In a diverse range of European countries, there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils attending schools owned by private bodies but funded by the state. This article compares the policy development and governance of private government-dependent schools in three countries/regions: England, Sweden and Berlin/Brandenburg in Eastern Germany. It is found that the regulatory frameworks vary and are associated with specific policy goals and ideas, with apparently similar ideas having different meanings. It is also found that the growth of private government-dependent schools is related to policy goals, differing institutional configurations and political parties.     

Russia in the European Home? Convergence,Cosmopolitanism and Cosmism in Late Soviet Europeanisation

The aim is to present a conceptual and historical reconstruction of Gorbachev's notion of a ‘European home’, its underlying philosophy of history as well as its relation to Russian cosmism. The concept is contextualised within the convergence debate of the post-war period, in which a rapprochement between communism and capitalism was posited. The essay concludes with reflections on what the conceptualisation can tell us about the fall of communism and what impact the concept has had on today's search for a common European identity. An argument is advanced that the notion contained paradoxes that contributed to the dislocation of post-Soviet Russia from Europe.     

A Physical Match of a Metallic Chip Found on a Bolt Cutters’ Blade

Bolt cutters are known as devices which are used for cutting hard objects and rigid materials such as padlocks and bars. They are commonly used in instances of forced entries. In this case study, a bolt cutter was found in the car of two suspects in a grocery burglary. This study indicates how the presence of a small metallic chip found on a suspected bolt cutter can prove that the tool was used in the crime scene. During the initial examination, a metallic chip from the cut shackle padlock was found stuck to one of the bolt cutters’ blades. By comparing the metallic chip's microscopic edge and the breaking (fracture) line of the padlock's shackle, a full physical match was noticed. We wish to report here how residue, even the smallest, can be used to link burglary tools to a crime scene with a high level of certainty.     

Between 'Common Values' and Competing Universals—The Promotion of the EU's Common Values through the European Neighbourhood Policy

The aim of this article is to discuss the position of common values in defining the EU's identity by using the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) as an example. It is argued that the notion 'common values' is used by the EU institutions as both a universal and as an EU concept, which highlights the abstract nature of these values. This abstraction is also reflected in the way in which Russia has recently aimed to develop its own set of values which could be adopted by its neighbouring countries. The abstraction of values means that, in practice, their meaning in the context of ENP is decided by the European Commission through the implementation of Action Plans. The central position given to the promotion of common values requires that the ENP be reformulated so as to guarantee a stronger degree of participation of the neighbouring countries in the formulation and implementation of the ENP objectives.