The Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) is organising the 5-day TEPSA Academy. Co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, the Academy includes a 4-day Seminar, followed by a 1-day Skills Lab. It takes place in Brussels and offers 20 students and young graduates an opportunity to gain first-hand insights from researchers, EU practitioners, policy-makers and officials on security and defence policies, as well as to develop their professional skills.
The Academy offers a unique combination of theory and practice under the academic coordination of leading international politics expert Sónia Sénica (Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa & IPRI-NOVA – Portugal).
By attending this Academy, participants will:
- Acquire and deepen their knowledge on EU security and defence policies, gaining valuable insights into the practicalities of policy-making in Brussels;
- Visit key institutions, meet high-level professionals and learn from their experiences;
- Meet and exchange views with students from different disciplinary and national backgrounds;
- Access networking opportunities with high level professionals from EU institutions, academia and think tanks;
- Improve their analytical and argumentative skills;
- Enhance their employability.
The Academy is a 5-day event, held in Brussels from Monday 14 to Friday 18 November 2022. Full participation to all elements of the programme is compulsory. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance on the final day.
The first four days are devoted to attending expert lectures, panel debates, and meeting practitioners from key EU institutions, think tanks, and non-profits, with the objective of complementing the insights gained during the lectures. Participants also have the opportunity to attend a networking and career event as well as visit selected EU institutions.
The last day is devoted to a hands-on training on public speaking. Throughout the week, dedicated sessions for analysis and discussion in the group will be provided in order to allow participants to critically reflect on the insights gained during the lectures and meetings.
The TEPSA Academy is designed as an interdisciplinary seminar and is open to 20 students and recent graduates from different disciplines (e.g. Political Science, European Studies, International Relations, Law, Economics, etc.) interested in learning more about EU security and defence policies. Participants were selected by a review committee.
Applications were open to both EU and non-EU citizens, but only participants travelling from and to EU Member States will be eligible to receive a reimbursement of their travel expenses. Applications were open until Sunday 2 October 2022 at midnight. 
The participation fee is € 250 (€ 200 for the 4-day seminar and € 50 for the 1-day skills lab). After the selection decision has been communicated on Wednesday 12 October 2022, participants will have one week to transfer the participation fee. Failure to transfer the fee in time will result in exclusion from the Academy. In case of non-participation, the fee cannot be refunded. Participants will receive a reimbursement for their travel and accommodation costs up to € 250 upon presentation of the original receipts and tickets.
The modalities of the Academy may change according to Belgian COVID-19 restriction measures.
