Agenda

Dates:
21 March 2017

Location: 
Europe Club – Budapest

Monthly conference: ‘Current and future challenges of the European Union – 60 years after the Treaty of Rome’.

Speaker: Ratislav Kacer.

To be organized by András Inotai

Dates:
28 March 2017

Location: 
Sciences Po, Centre d’études européennes

Speaker: Christian Schuster, UCL, “Weberian state structures and bureaucratic behaviour: evidence from survey experiments with public servants”

Dates:
3 April 2017

Location: 
Saeima (the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia),
Riga, 6/8 Jekaba street

More information will follow.

Dates:
5-6 April 2017

Location: 
Universität Duisburg-Essen, Campus Duisburg, Gerhard-Mercator-Haus
Lotharstraße 57, 47057 Duisburg

Beyond its core functions of central banking, the European Central Bank (ECB) plays a pivotal role in the new European economic and financial governance framework. The central bank has numerous changing, expanding and emerging tasks and several long-standing relations with European institutions are presently re-negotiated. Further, the social and institutional embeddedness of the Central Bank, as well as the legal architecture and more generally the consequences of the institutional heterogeneity of the European Monetary Union have changed significantly. This results in a re-definition of the central bank’s role in European Union governance, and its relations with European institutions, EU Member States and its public. Against this backdrop, the conference aims at discussing these recent developments by bringing together insights from different disciplines, such as political science, economics, law, and sociology. More than 30 senior and junior scholars and practitioners out of the field provide academic contributions. In order to examine the political role of the ECB in the European Union governance framework, the conference is composed of nine panels. These are scheduled for 90 minutes each. All panels comprise not more than three papers and will be allocated a discussant/chair, allowing for 15 minutes of presentation of each paper and up to 45 minutes of intense discussion with the audience.

Invitation “The Political Role of the ECB”

Programme “The Political Role of the ECB”

Dates:
11 April 2017

Location: 
Sciences Po, Centre d’études européennes

Speaker: Federica Bicchi, LSE, “Practicing Recognition and De-Recognition: European Positions in the Arab-Israeli Conflict”

Workshop: “Alternative Europa! Future Workshop”: 24-25 April 2017, Otzenhausen

At the Future Workshop that will take place at the European Academy in Otzenhausen, junior researchers, young professionals and activists from civil society organizations and educational institutions will exchange their views on and visions for the future of the EU with one another to. Subsequently, they will further develop their ideas in working groups.

Bruges, 27-28 April 2017 
16 Verversdijk, Room VE 2.02 + 2.03

Despite their many obvious interconnections, EU and international law are all too often studied and practised in separate spheres and fora. While it is natural for either to insist on their different characteristics, and particularly for the EU to emphasize its autonomous and sui generis nature as a constitutional order of states, important insights may be lost because of this exclusionary approach, and in practical terms there is a risk of duplications, conflicts and contradictions.

The aim of this conference is to contribute to breaking through some of these barriers, and to reflect on how to ensure a smooth interaction and synergy between EU and International law, both in theory and in practice. This therefore includes a more theoretical, constitutional dimension, but also a range of substantive policy areas where EU law and international law, as well as their respective actors and organizations, work alongside each other (and not always well with each other?).

Please find here the webpage of the event. The participants will be welcomed from 10:00 and the conference will start at 10:15.

The conference is open to the public upon registration and payment of fees of €50. Registration will be closed on 19 April 2017 at 9:00.

For more information, please contact Mrs Valérie HAUSPIE.

Issue ownership is increasingly used to explain voters’ electoral choices. Various studies show that when voters consider a party to be better able to handle specific issues, this positively affects their party preference. However, a number of scholars have raised concerns about the confoundedness of especially competence issue ownership and party preferences, arguing that party preference may not only be a consequence of competence issue ownership: these reputations can also be caused by party preferences. Based on a Dutch three-wave panel survey, we show that while the impact of competence issue ownership on party preferences is substantial, shifts in party preferences exert a stronger influence on issue ownership. We discuss the implications of these findings for issue ownership theory.

Speaker: Rens Vliegenthart, University of Amsterdam

Rens Vliegenthart’s research interests include media-politics relations, media coverage of social movements and businesses, election campaigns, European integration, soccer hooliganism and time series analysis. He is teaching in those and related topics at the University of Amsterdam.
Rens Vliegenthart is a regular contributor to the blog stukroodvlees, that publishes on political and social science research and current affairs (in Dutch).

Discussion: Abdelkarim Amengay, Sciences Po, CEE, and Emiliano Grossman, Sciences Po, CEE

Contact : abdelkarim.amengay@sciencespo.fr
Downdload the invitation on this link (PDF, 133 Ko)
Inscription obligatoire sur ce lien / Compulsory registration on this link
Pour les personnes externes à Sciences Po : Merci de veiller à vous présenter à l'accueil 10 minutes avant le début de la séance et de vous munir de vos papiers d'identité
For the external people to Sciences Po: You will have to arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the seminar and to provide you with your identity papers
To know more about the seminar

4 May, Venice

Final conference of the Power2Youth research project

LINK: http://www.iai.it/en/eventi/eye-storm (Programme)

International Symposium: ESIL Prague – Nottingham Symposium: Non-UN Sanctions and International Law, 05.05.2017, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

The Institute of International Relations would like to cordially invite you to an international symposium that will take place in Prague on 5 May 2017 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The idea is to consider various aspects of sanctions adopted outside the UN context by individual States, groups of States, regional organizations or other actors. Please find below the provisional programme of the conference and the registration form.

For more information and registration please visit the following link: http://www.iir.cz/en/article/invitation-esil-prague-nottingham-symposium-non-un-sanctions-and-international-law

IEP Lunch Debate with Ambassador Reinhard Silberberg, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union, 8 May 2017, Europäisches Haus, Berlin

On 8 May 2017, Ambassador Reinhard Silberberg, Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union will speak in the course of the IEP Lunch Debate on the topic “Perspectives of the European Integration: Conflict and Consensus between the EU-27” in the Representation of the European Commission in Germany.

http://iep-berlin.de/en/forum/save-date-iep-lunch-debate-reinhard-silberberg-permanent-representative-federal-republic-germany-european-union/

8 May, Berlin

Conference in the framework of the research project Global Turkey in Europe, in cooperation with Stiftung Mercator, Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) and Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS). The event will offer a timely opportunity to discuss the issue of the integration of refugees in the light of the experiences of two leading refugee-hosting countries - Germany and Turkey. Focusing both on the institutional-legal framework at the national level and looking at some specific examples at the city level, namely, Berlin and Istanbul, the participants will discuss and identify the continuing challenges, effective practices, and future prospects regarding the integration of Syrian refugees in particular, and refugee integration in general.

LINK: http://www.iai.it/en/eventi/what-happens-after-finding-refuge (Programme)

Conference: The Conference in Honour of Jiri Dienstbier, 11.05.2017, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

The Institute of International Relations would like to cordially invite you to a conference on Czech foreign policy before and after the Velvet Revolution. The conference will be held in honor of Jiří Dienstbier, who would celebrate his 80th birthday on the 20th of April 2017 if he were still living. The conference will be held on May 11, 2017 from 14:00 in the Černín Palace at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Loretánské náměstí 101/5, Praha 1.

For more information please visit the following link: http://www.iir.cz/en/article/conference-in-honor-of-jiri-dienstbier

The EU-China Research Centre and the Baillet Latour Chair of European Union-China Relations at the College of Europe invite scholars and experts to the conference “The EU-China Bilateral Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI)”, to be held on 15 May 2017 at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels.

The programme can be found at https://www.coleurope.eu/sites/default/files/uploads/event/draft_programme_3.pdf

The conference is open to the public and registration is required before 8 May 2017 at 10:00 at https://www.coleurope.eu/events/eu-china-bilateral-comprehensive-agreement-investment-cai-international-conference

Seminar: “The Rise of the Radical Right in Central and Eastern Europe,” 17.05.2017, American Center in Prague

The Institute of International Relations would like to cordially invite you to the seminar “The Rise of the Radical Right in Central and Eastern Europe”, which will take place on May 17, 2017 from 16:00 at the American Center, Tržiště 13, Prague 1. Among the speakers you will meet Lenka Bustikova, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, and Melanie Mierzejewski, an associate research fellow at the Institute of International Relations.

For more information please visit the following link: http://www.iir.cz/en/article/the-rise-of-the-radical-right-in-central-and-eastern-europe

18-19 May 2017, Hamburg

At the 9^th German-Nordic-Baltic Forum, 45 experts from 7 countries will discuss the topic “European Foreign Policy in Times of Post-Factual Communication”. The event is hosted by the IEP and kindly supported by the Federal Foreign Office, the University of Hamburg and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

For more information, please visit the following link: http://iep-berlin.de/en/forum/german-nordic-baltic-forum-2017/ 

22-23 May, 2017:

In Lithuania, Peter Hall will carry out a research seminar “Methodological Developments in Comparative Politics and the Dilemmas They Pose” for PhD and Master Students also faculty members. In this seminar following questions will be discussed: how our modalities of comparative research are changing (including more use of experiments, big data and RCTs) and what that offers and what problems it poses for our capacities to do comparative inquiry in the social sciences? This seminar is targeted at young researchers to provide them with an opportunity to discuss particular methodological issues with the leading US scholar as Peter A. Hall who has written extensively on the methodology of social sciences.

In addition to the research seminar, Peter A. Hall will deliver public lecture on topic “The Roots of the New Populism and its Implications for Democratic Politics”. The need for such a lecture is based on currently observed rise in the popularity of populists in many countries with old democratic traditions. Our guest would talk about the recent events such as US presidential elections, Brexit referendums, also elections in Netherlands and France, which will take place before this visit, as well as parliamentary elections in Germany scheduled for the Autumn on the basis of his recent book “The Politics of Representation in the Global Age: Identification, Mobilization, and Adjudication” linking this to the concepts of social resilience and successful societies.

IEP Lunch Debate with Martin Kotthaus, 23 May 2017, Europäisches Haus, Berlin

An IEP Lunch Debate with Martin Kotthaus, Head of the European Directorate-General at the Federal Foreign Office on the topic “The Declaration of Rome and the Future of Europe” (working title) will take place on 23 May 2017 in the Representation of the European Commission in Germany.

Second Multiplier workshop and public debate “TruLies – The Truth about Lies on Europe”, 24 May 2017, Berlin

On 24 May 2017, a second multiplier workshop will be held, including a closing event in the form of a public debate following a presentation of the project’s results.

IEP Lunch Debate with Reimer Böge, 2 June 2017, Europäisches Haus, Berlin

The IEP Lunch Debate with Reimer Böge, MEP on 2 June 2017 will address the question “A Fiscal Capacity for the Eurozone?” (working title). The event will take place at the Europäisches Haus, Berlin.

Towards effective Monitoring and Evaluation for EU funded projects

The 3rd Vienna Workshop on High-Dimensional Time Series in Macroeconomics and Finance 2017 will take place on 08-09 June 2017 at the Institute for Advanced Studies, Austria.

Invited Speakers
Christian Gourieroux (University of Toronto)
Georg Görg (Google Inc)
Marc Hallin (Université libre de Bruxelles)
Marco Lippi (Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance)
Hashem Pesaran (University of Southern California)
Caroline Uhler (MIT)

Scientific Committee
Matteo Barigozzi (London School of Economics)
Christian Brownlees (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)
Sylvia Frühwirth-Schnatter (Vienna University of Economics and Business)
Uwe Hassler (Goethe University Frankfurt)
Nikolaus Hautsch (University of Vienna)
Martin Wagner (TU Dortmund University)
Michael Wolf (University of Zurich)

Local Organizers
Manfred Deistler (Vienna University of Technology and Institute for Advanced Studies)
Leopold Sögner (Institute for Advanced Studies and Vienna Graduate School of Finance)

Submission of Papers and Deadlines
The goal of this conference is to exchange ideas and to discuss recent results in the analysis of high-dimensional time series. Online submission of an abstract is possible through the conference management system Conftool (starting in autumn 2016) and must be received by 31 January 2017. Accepted papers will be communicated by 1 March 2017.

Conftool: link for registration and submission of papers: https://www.conftool.net/timeseries2017/

Conference: “South Korea Under a New Administration”, 8 June 2017, University of Naples, “L’Oriental”

Conference co-organised by IAI, South Korean Embassy and University of Naples “L’Orientale” within the framework of the Korean Culture Week

http://www.iai.it/en/eventi/south-korea-under-new-administration

International Summit: Prague European Summit, 13-15.6.2017, Lobkowicz Palace and Czernin Palace, Prague

Now in its third year, the Prague European Summit (PES) is an annual event established to provide a platform for a high-level strategic and open debate among government officials, political and business representatives, academicians and journalists on the future of the European Union in the context of current world affairs. As a means to provide strategic solutions to key challenges in Europe, this year’s summit will seek to answer questions regarding political radicalisation in Europe, Brexit, energy security and the future of the single market.

For more information please visit the following link: http://www.iir.cz/static/prague-european-summit-2017

14-15 June, Washington D.C.

From 14 to 15 June 2017 the third workshop of the German-American Dialogue on the Post-Soviet Space will be held at the premises of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in Washington D.C. The workshop is titled “Transatlantic Cooperation in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood – Old challenges, New Policies?” and will bring together a group of about forty high-level experts from the Eastern Partnership countries, the United States, and Germany for an open dialogue on transformation and EU-U.S. cooperation in the post-Soviet space.

Séminaire Grand Paris, Londres et New York: Le Grand Londres après les Jeux Olympiques de 2012, Mercredi 14 juin 2017, Sciences Po

Intervenante :
Claire Colomb, University College London, présentera ses recherches en cours sur le Grand Londres après les Jeux Olympiques de 2012

http://www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etudes-europeennes/fr/events/2017-06-14

Seminar: “Global Order in a World of Diversities” 14 June 2017. Venue: The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Drottning Kristinas väg 37, Stockholm.

The Global Politics and Security Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs invites you to a roundtable on world-order conceptions.

The roundtable brings together internationally renowned academics to discuss key features of a legitimate global order and the main challenges to legitimate global governance. Is for example state sovereignty and open world economy essential for a legitimate global order? Or do human rights and sustainability play a more crucial role? The speakers will highlight a diversity of perspectives on what constitutes a legitimate global order. This high-level discussion will give a snapshot of how we best could manage diverging conceptions of what constitutes a legitimate global order.

The round-table is coorganized with the Legitimacy in Global Governance programme, a research program carried out jointly by researchers from the Departments of Political Science at Lund and Stockholm University, and the School of Global Studies at the University of Gothenburg.

More details here: https://www.ui.se/english/events/upcoming/global-order-in-a-world-of-diversities/

The Center for European and International Affairs of the University of Nicosia in cooperation with University of Nicosia Global Semesters and the Eastern Mediterranean Studies Initiative (EMSI) is organizing a Conference entitled

THE NEW INTERNATIONAL ORDER, THE RETURN OF THE NATION STATE AND CONTEMPORARY GEOPOLITICS

Thursday, June 15, 2017

18:00 – 19:50

UNESCO Amphitheatre, Europa Building

University of Nicosia

Friday, June 16, 2017

09:30 – 12:20

Main Conference room, Main Building (2^nd floor)

University of Nicosia

Public discussion “From Warsaw to Brussels: NATO’s Deterrence in the Baltic Sea Region and the Broader Transatlantic Context”, 16 June 2017, Riga

More info: www.liia.lv

Seminar Cities are back in town: Eritreans neighbourhoods around the Red Sea. Social organisation of a diaspora of refugees in camps, villages and urban communities in Eastern Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, Wednesday 21 June 2017, Sciences Po

The Eritrean refugee diaspora has settled around the Red Sea since the early 1960. The forms of urban or rural settlement in the sub-region has varied according to the legal, political, sociological, economic and geographical context in which Eritreans have been integrated. Focusing on the legal and political context, we describe three sites of ethnographic fieldwork (2004-2007 / 2013-2015) corresponding to three types of « managing » refugee flows in the Middle East. Sudan has been hosting the majority of Eritrean refugees mostly in urban centers (Khartoum, Kassala, Gedaref, Port Sudan) and refugee camps which progressively became urban centers in the Eastern part of the country. Yemen has also hosted thousands of Eritreans mainly in the Red Sea coastal rural areas (villages) and urban centers (Hodeidah, Sanaa, Aden). Saudi Arabia has welcomed Eritreans as migrants mostly in Urban centers (Riyadh and Jeddah). The social organisation of those communities vary greatly as much as the connection of those communities with each others and with the « mother land ». This comparative work serves as an empirically grounded reflection on the varieties of « transnationalism », « integration patterns » and « social transformation » at stake in a refugee diaspora in the Global South. We use spatial analysis and an ethnographic survey (around 250 interviews) to try and describe the main features of those different communities and their relations with their host context.

Speaker: Hélène Thiollet, Sciences Po, CERI, CNRS
Hélène Thiollet is a CNRS permanent researcher. Her research focuses on the politics of migration and asylum in the Global South, and she focuses her empirical research on the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. She teaches international relations, comparative politics and migration studies at Sciences Po.

http://www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etudes-europeennes/fr/events/2017-06-21

“The Western Balkans in the European Union: Perspectives of a region in Europe?”, Reflection Forum on the run-up to the Summit of Trieste on the Western Balkans, Trieste, 26-27 June 2017

In cooperation with the Istituto Affari Internationali (IAI) and the Österreisch-Französisches Zentrum (ÖFZ/CFA)

The registration to the event is necessary and will be possible via the web page of the IEP. The Lunch Debate will take place in Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

Regional discussion: “LAMPA”, 31 June 2017 – 1 July 2017, Cesis

Summer School Academia Aestiva Internationalis: “Global Environmental Politics: Adaptation vs. Mitigation”, 1–8 July 2017 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

The Academia Aestiva Internationalis will highlight a number of most pressing topics regarding environmental policies, ranging from the most salient issues, legal perspectives, United Nations endeavours, pollution, and renewable energy to economic perspectives, and human rights. It will furthermore present environmental dimension of 2030 development agenda, and reflect on pollution and waste-management. Faced with complex multi-sectoral crises, the summer school will focus on deconstruction of environmental problems to the pure essence of theirs.

The attendees will be immersed into interactive lectures, participate in workshops, and lively debates, all of which will be conducted by professionals and experts with many references, and rich expertise in their respective fields of work and research. There is a possibility of earning 4 ECTS for participating in the Academia Aestiva Internationalis summer course.

There is no participation fee for Academia Aestiva Internationalis and the organisers will provide accommodation co-financing for foreigners, coffee breaks, and free transportation around Ljubljana.

Students, young volunteers, and activists are kindly invited to apply. The deadline for applications is 1 June 2017; the number of participants is limited.

Additional information can be found here.

A seminar tailored to your needs
Bruges & Brussels, Belgium
3 - 21 July 2017

What is the Intensive Seminar?

The Intensive Seminar on the European Union is a three-, two- or one-week training programme providing professionals with in-depth knowledge and practical skills on EU decision-making and policies. Participants can choose between three different programmes, depending on their prior level and experience on EU affairs:

• For participants who seek to gain a thorough understanding or to refresh their knowledge on the EU, we propose a comprehensive programme covering the institutional framework and the main EU internal and external policies: the Classic three-week programme;
• Participants that already possess a good knowledge of the EU institutional framework are invited to join the Advanced two-week programme benefiting from a full analysis of both the internal and external policies of the EU;
• Participants who already master the institutional framework and have a very good understanding of the EU policies are invited to join the Compact one-week programme on the European Commission priorities, a practical review of the current initiatives put into practice by the European Commission.

The three programmes focus on the latest developments of the EU and are practice-oriented; the seminar aims to improve participants’ professional skills and performance when working on EU affairs.

The seminar will be organised for the 24th year in a row in the Bruges campus of the College of Europe and is the flagship programme among the College of Europe Delopment Executive Education courses.

Why participate?

Each year, a group of 40 to 80 highly motivated professionals from all over the world representing the public and private sectors, civil society and academia participate in the Intensive Seminar to improve their EU knowledge and skills.

The programme offers an intensive and practice-oriented learning experience in a truly European environment giving you the possibility to:

Challenges and vision for a common EU energy policy

3 - 14 July 2017 / Bruges & Brussels, Belgium

About the course

This two-week executive training course wishes to embrace the logic of the Energy Union, thus putting energy consumers – i.e. businesses and households – at the centre of European energy systems and policy-making.

The training course will therefore give participants the opportunity to analyse the current EU energy-climate policies and legislation as well as allow them to delve into the various components of the EU Energy Union. Additionally, wider energy policy concerns will be tackled, such as climate change, innovation and competitiveness, smart cities, energy security and the geopolitics of energy. The interactive lectures will be complemented with study visits, simulation games and case studies. By the end of the course, participants will have a full understanding of the different aspects to take into consideration when approaching the topic of energy and will possess the tools to be able to grasp and address the complex challenges ahead.

Learning methodology

• Interactive training: theoretical and practical aspects of the Energy Union;
• Business and country case studies: designed to present and develop essential skills and discuss current issues;
• Simulation games: to apply skills such as crisis management and negotiations on energy matters;
• Study visits: to learn directly from EU and private sector practitioners.

Active participation is required and networking opportunities are strongly encouraged.

Why participate?

Through this programme, participants will have an opportunity to:

• Update and improve their knowledge and understanding of the EU’s energy policy and the Energy Union;
• Explore the links between energy sources, renewables, energy efficiency and climate change;
• Go on a study visit to Brussels and discuss the challenges and future of the Energy Union with high-level EU officials;
• Go on field visits to energy sites, such as a Liquefied Natural Gas terminal;
• Learn in a multicultural environment;
• Extend their personal and professional networks;
• Receive a certificate upon successful completion of the course.

Participants & Trainers          Programme          Practical Information          Registration

Conference: “Geopolitical Change in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus: What Future Role for Europe?”, 3^rd and 4^th July 2017, Berlin

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Julian Plottka (julian.plottka@iep-berlin.de).

Link to programme and to details for registration: http://www.cife.eu/en/4/news_128-1

Maison Heinrich Heine, Cité internationale universitaire de Paris

2017 marque un tournant décisif dans l'histoire de l'UE. Alors que l'on fête les 60e ans des Traités de Rome, les négociations autour du Brexit s'ouvrent et d'importantes élections nationales se préparent dans un contexte de progression du populisme.

Intervenants:
Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut a pris ses fonctions d’ambassadeur de la République fédérale d’Allemagne en France le 27 juillet. Il a remis ses lettres de créances le 8 septembre 2015 au Président de la République, François Hollande.

Olivier Rozenberg est professeur à Sciences Po, au Centre d’études européennes. Ses recherches portent sur les institutions et particulièrement l’étude des parlements en Europe - des parlements nationaux comme du Parlement européen.

Wolfgang Wessels, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam, est directeur du Centre d'études de la Turquie et de l'UE à l’Université de Cologne.

http://www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etudes-europeennes/fr/events/2017-07-03

Bruges, Belgium
10-19 July 2017
Full course *

* These two courses can be also taken independently:
EU Competition Law
Bruges, Belgium
10-14 July 2017

IT Markets and Competition matters
Bruges, Belgium
17-19 July 2017

» Register to the full programme to benefit from a 10% discount

What is the EU Competition Law course?

Understanding how the law governs business practices that may restrict competition in economic markets through private and public enforcement and analyzing how competition law can curb anticompetitive activities and facilitate free competition, are the raisons d’être of this training programme.

The College’s EU Competition Law training programme provides its participants with a professional guide to EU competition law and the essential tools necessary to master legal complexities and overcome challenges at work.

Through detailed case studies and in-depth economic and legal analysis, this interactive programme aims to provide professionals with an in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of EU competition law, focusing on practical aspects as well as substantive law.

What is the IT Markets and Competition matters course?

The European Commission has set itself the priority to eliminate barriers that prevent Europe from reaping out the benefits that the internet and digital technologies are bringing to our world. As the Commission has stated, online barriers mean citizens miss out on goods and services, internet companies and start-ups have their horizons limited, and businesses and governments cannot fully benefit from digital tools.

The IT Markets and Competition matters course serves to understand how competition law can be an effective tool to further the objective of a single digital market in the European Union, promoting competition, eliminating anticompetitive trade barriers and generally enhancing market efficiency.

Which is the main benefit of attending the full course on EU Competition Law and IT Markets?

Attending the two courses will enable participants to enhance their understanding on EU Competition law and gain insights on the impact of competition law on the EU digital single markets.

Which methodology is used?

The training programme aims to promote rigorous legal and economic analysis of competition matters, as well as competition policy reforms in the EU on a global scale and to provide a forum for discussion among and between experts and non-specialists interested in the subject.

High level experienced professionals lead participants through a curriculum based on the latest developments and trends of EU Competition law.

The programme is designed to be as interactive as possible. Active participation is required and a variety of workshops and case studies are scheduled. Networking opportunities are strongly encouraged throughout the course.

Different training methodologies are combined to guarantee a dynamic approach:

• Interactive training sessions examining theoretical and practical aspects of EU competition law;
• Workshops and case studies designed to identify and develop essential practical skills;
• Individual and collective feedback is a key part of the exercise giving participants the opportunity to maximise their personal learning experience;
• Active debates between lecturers and participants.

Why participate?

The advanced course on EU Competition Law will enhance your knowledge on competition law through interaction with prominent experts in the field. The course aims to offer a variety of perspectives of the main areas of EU Competition law.
Through this programme, participants will have an opportunity to:

• Improve, extend and update their knowledge and understanding of EU competition law;
• Promote rigorous analysis of competition policy reforms;
• Analyse recent cases and their practical implications on your everyday work;
• Obtain cutting-edge advice and insights on crucial legal incidents;
• Strengthen their legal and economic analysis skills through practical exercises;
• Enjoy a unique opportunity to learn in a multicultural environment and extend their personal and professional networks;
• Receive a certificate from the College of Europe upon successful completion of the course.

IEP Lunch Debate with Matthias Ruete, Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission: “The Future of the European Asylum and Migration Architecture” (Working Title): 14 July 2017, Berlin

The registration to the event is necessary and will be possible via the web page of the IEP. The Lunch Debate will take place in Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

The Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP), the European Academy in Otzenhausen (EAO) and Europe Direct Saarbrücken cordially invite you to join the panel discussion “Which Europe do we want to live in? Visions for a future Europe” on 25 July 2017 in Saarbrücken (in German).

Details here.

After participants exchanged their views on the future of the EU at a series of previous workshops, panel discussions and debates in the course of the cooperative 10-month project, they will continue to develop their visions in working groups at the second “Alternative Europa!” future workshop.

The Institute for European Politics (IEP) is organizing a Lunch Debate on Thursday, 14 September 2017 with Richard Nikolaus Kühnel, Representative of the European Commission in Germany. Mr Kühnel will speak on the topic “Debate on the Future of Europe – Juncker’s State of the Union Adress” (in German). The event takes place from 12:30 to 14:00 h (light lunch at 12.00 h) at Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

Please note that pictures will be taken during the event. By registering you agree to a publication. Please bring your identity card or passport for entrance control purposes.

Please register on the IEP’s German website before 11 September 2017, 12:00 h. The Lunch Debate will take place in Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

Conference: “Economic and political challenges for a more convergent €-zone”, 20 – 21 September 2017, Brussels

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Hartmut Marhold (hartmut.marhold@cife.eu). Registration required.

Link to programme and to details for registration here.

The registration to the event is necessary and will be possible via the web page of the IEP. The Lunch Debate will take place in Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

EU Aid and Development Planning in Area C: Linking Humanitarian and Development Assistance in the Occupied West Bank
4 October, 2017, Rome

The seminar will address Italy’s and the EU’s evolving strategy towards Area C, presently comprising over 60% of the West Bank, and highlight the primary impediments, risks and constraints impacting humanitarian and developmental projects in the area. Invited speakers will provide detailed accounts of current and future initiatives in Area C and discuss potential strategies at the national and EU level that may help to improve long-term developmental initiatives for the area in the context of the EU’s policy of support for two states in Israel/Palestine. Particular attention will be directed at efforts to enhance coordination between the EU and its member states in the context of the provision of humanitarian and development aid to Area C as well as the experiences and priorities of Italian Development Cooperation in Palestine.

Links:
Programme
Registration form

NUPI researcher Pernille Rieker launches her new book on French foreign policy, and how its development affects the country’s relationships to Russia, USA, NATO and the fight against terrorism. The event is open to the public, and will be streamed on NUPI’s YouTube channel.

More info here

At the start of the Academic Year 2017-2018, the College of Europe and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (Medford, MA), launch their new joint Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs (MATA) programme.

This event celebrates the start of the programme with a round table on the present and future of transatlantic relations. It closes with a reception.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required before 25 September 12:00 (noon). The working language is English.

• Registration
• Contact at info.mata(at)coleurope.eu

On the day following this launch event, 29 September 2017, an international conference on EU-China-US relations involving faculty from both the College of Europe and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is organized on the Verversdijk campus of the College in Bruges.

Check the programme here.

At the conference, around 50 participants from science and politics will, while bearing in mind the founding years and bringing to mind the strategic course of action of Rome and placing it in a historical context, try to determine the state of European integration after 60 years. This, in turn, is the prerequisite for opening up future perspectives of the European Union.

During the Manifesto Workshop, the working groups' papers will be completed and work on a common manifest for the future of Europe carried out. Additionally, the next steps and the utilization of the manifest will be discussed.

International Conference: "A New Order or No Order? Continuity and Discontinuity in the EU-China-US Relationship", 29 September 2017, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium

On 29 September 2017, the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies and its EU-China Research Centre at the College of Europe, Bruges campus, will hold a conference to discuss the extent to which the ongoing changes in the world are fundamental discontinuities in the EU-China-US triangle, or whether they actually leave the underlying geometry unchanged, especially in a situation where it is unclear, following the election of Donald Trump as US president, if one side in the triangle has chosen no order over a new order. The conference will focus on the continuities and discontinuities in the fields of trade and investment, foreign and security policy, and climate and energy policy. The position of other major powers outside the triangle in defining the EU-China-US relationship will also be taken into account.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. For the conference programme and further information see here.

The Opening Ceremony of the academic year 2017-2018 at the College of Europe in Natolin will take place in the Auditorium Copernicus and at the Natolin Palace and Gardens on Friday 29 September 2017. Our guest of honour will be the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr Andrzej Duda
 

Follow this link for the programme and details for registration.

Mary Sumner House, 24 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3RB

By the 3rd October, the European Union may have decided whether to move to the second phase of its Brexit negotiations with the UK. Our panel experts will review progress and prospects in the negotiations.

Confirmed speakers:

John Palmer, former European Editor of The Guardian and  Founder and former Political Director of the European Policy Centre, Brussels

Denis MacShane, former Minister for Europe

Brendan Donnelly, Director, the Federal Trust

Further speakers to be announced.

RSVP to events@fedtrust.co.uk, or ring the Federal Trust on 020 7320 1677.

Find out more here

4-5 October 2017, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Prague

The Institute of International Relations Prague and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic would like to cordially invite you to the 9th International Symposium on “Czech Foreign Policy”. This year's main topic will be "Responsibility in a Leaderless World". The event will take place on 4-5 October 2017 in the Czernin Palace.

Please check our website regularly, as we will soon update the preliminary program.

Click here for more information

Vilnius University and 10 partners are hosting the midterm conference of EU-STRAT, an EU-funded research project entitled “The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment” (EU-STRAT). The conference will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, 5 - 6 October 2017 (IIRPS Vokiečių str. 10, Vilnius).

As EU-STRAT has been running since May 2016 and this midterm conference will present EU-STRAT’s intermediary research findings, related to varieties of social orders in Eastern Partnership countries, interdependencies with and soft power by the EU and Russia, and feature insights and debates on the future of the Eastern Partnership. Bringing together participants from the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries, as well as third countries, project team seeks to continue raising awareness of EU-STRAT's research agenda, one which is highly relevant in today's political climate.

The midterm conference features a keynote speech by Leszek Balcerowicz, Advisor to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, and a Roundtable discussion on the future of the Eastern Partnership among such participants as professor Tanja A. Börzel (The Jean Monnet Chair at the Center for European Integration, the Freie Universität Berlin), Taras Kuzio (Center for Transatlantic Relations School of Advanced International Relations John's Hopkins University), Dzianis Melyantsou (Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies) and other guests and representatives of partner institutions. Throughout the conference, all project partners, invited guests, and the interested public will have the opportunity to discuss EU-STRAT’s intermediary findings and debate its future research agenda.

Please find further information on the EU-STRAT website.

Please find the draft programme of the event here.

Please follow this link to register for the conference.

The book explores the neglected issue of Euroscepticism in the Baltic societies. The book consists of a collection of articles from experts in economics, politics and sociology, as well as Eurosceptic politicians. Authors from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia seek to unveil not only the development of criticism towards the European Union in the Baltic politics over the last twenty-five years, but also sceptical opinions among the Baltic entrepreneurs and the sociological profile of Baltic population, looking separately at the Russian-speaking population in Estonia and Latvia. This book is the most recent successful collaboration between the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

The Institute of International relations and Political Science of Vilnius University together with 10 partners would like to invite you to the Midterm Conference of EU-STRAT Project. The Midterm Conference will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, October 5 - 6, 2017 (VU IIRPS Vokiečių str. 10, Vilnius, room 402).

EU-STRAT fully titled as “The EU and Eastern Partnership Countries: An Inside-Out Analysis and Strategic Assessment” is an international research project that studies the relationship between the European Union and the countries in the European Eastern neighbourhood. As EU-STRAT has been running since May 2016 and this midterm conference is dedicated to present EU-STRAT’s intermediary research findings, related to varieties of social orders in Eastern Partnership countries, interdependencies with and soft power by the EU and Russia, and feature insights and debates on the future of the Eastern Partnership. Bringing together participants from the European Union and Eastern Partnership countries, as well as third countries, project team seeks to continue raising awareness of EU-STRAT's research agenda, one which is highly relevant in today's political climate.

The midterm conference features keynote speeches by Leszek Balcerowicz (Professor at  the Warsaw School of Economics, former Advisor to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko) and Vassilis Maragos (European Commission, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations) followed by  the roundtable discussion on the future of the Eastern Partnership. Prof. Tanja A. Börzel (The Jean Monnet Chair at the Center for European Integration, the Freie Universität Berlin), Dr. Taras Kuzio (Center for Transatlantic Relations School of Advanced International Relations John's Hopkins University), Dzianis Melyantsou (Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies) and Khatuna Salukvadze (Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Lithuania) will be among the discussants. All project partners, invited guests, and interested public will have an opportunity to discuss EU-STRAT’s intermediary findings and debate its future research agenda throughout the conference.

Conference registration is obligatory. Please find registration form here

For more information about conference program and project visit EU STRAT website

What is the EU Fact Finding workshop?

EU Fact Finding is a focused half-day workshop in which participants learn how to find their way through the ‘jungle’ of EU-related websites. An experienced trainer will guide them using an interactive presentation made available to all participants during and after the workshop.

The course has been organised since 2005 as part of the College of Europe Executive Education.

Why participate?

The workshop is targeted at professionals working on European affairs and representing the public and private sectors, civil society and academia.

After this hands-on crash course, you will be able to quickly and effectively find relevant information on EU legislation, policies and institutions.

The programme will offer you the possibility to:

TEDxCIFE is an independently organised TED event, which is set up by the Centre international de formation européenne (CIFE) in Nice, France.

Barrier or bridge? Sharp cut or continuity? A change of status is always a shaping experience which we can live as enriching or divisive. The TEDxCIFE event seeks to explore the richness that lies within the idea of "Transition". For our first ever TEDx event, we have selected this theme as we believe that the world is in a crucial transition period – the concept of transition covering, for sure, a wide range of areas.

Contact & Registration: tedxcife@cife.eu

More info here

Bruges, Belgium
Autumn course: 9 - 11 October 2017

What is the EU Diplomacy & Diplomatic Skills Training Course?

This three-day interactive course is designed for the participants to learn about EU diplomacy, to share experiences and to improve their diplomatic skills. After giving a general introduction to the EU's external affairs and to the main changes brought by the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the course will focus on relevant diplomatic skills. Practical sessions and exercises will explain to the participants how to report, communicate and negotiate at international level.

The training programme will assist professionals in grasping the complexities of EU external affairs by combining the study of the institutional setup with the skills required to communicate, report and negotiate across cultures.

High-level experienced professionals lead participants through a curriculum based on the new European diplomatic identity and on the key international diplomatic skills.

Which methodology is used?

The programme combines training sessions on both substance and skills:

• Interactive training sessions examining theoretical and practical aspects of EU Diplomacy;
• Workshops and case studies designed to present and develop essential diplomatic skills;
• Feedback session to consolidate knowledge and encourage debate;
• Debates to promote networking and exchange experiences with lecturers and other participants.

The programme is designed to be as interactive as possible. Active participation is required and networking opportunities are strongly encouraged throughout the course.

Why participate?

Through this programme, participants will have an opportunity to:

Today’s generation of youth is the largest the world has ever known and often forms the majority of the population of countries affected by armed conflict. The disruption of young people’s access to education and economic opportunities has a dramatic impact on durable peace and reconciliation. In the context of war and conflict, youth have too often been viewed only as either the perpetrators of violence or its victims, and not as potential agents of positive change. In recent years the focus has been shifting and the world’s most powerful nations have started to recognise that young people are a force for peace. This common understanding gained new ground in December 2015 with the UN resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security.

Focusing on the positive changes young people are making in their communities and societies, Höfði Reykjavik Peace Centre wants to bring together a dynamic group of young people and creative thinkers to engage in an inter-generational dialogue, seeking innovative solutions to global threats and challenges.

Keynote addresses will be given by Tawakkol Karman and Unni Krishnan Karunakara. Tawakkol Karman is a Yemeni journalist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate in 2011. At that time she was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Unni Krishnan Karunakara is a Senior Fellow at Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and former International President of Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Amongst other speakers are: Emi Mahmoud, a poet and activist that was on the BBC’s 100 Women list of "the most inspirational women across the world in 2015” and Deqo Mohamed, a Somali-born doctor that has helped refugees and is Chief Executive Officer at Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation.

For more details click here

IRMO in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Croatia and University of Rijeka will organize a round table ʻEnergy Union: Opportunities and Challenges for Croatiaʼ. The event will be held on the 12th of October 2017 in the premises of the Jean Monnet Inter-University Centre of Excellence in Opatija, Croatia. The round table will be organised within the Jean Monnet support to institutions project ‘POLO-Cro28 – Policy Observatory in Croatia’ financed by the Erasmus+ program and implemented by IRMO, coordinated by Prof. Visnja Samardzija.

The speakers, representatives of the EC Representation in Croatia as well as experts and researchers from Croatia, will highlight potential impact of the Energy Union on the development within Croatia. The topics will include aspects of the Energy Union related to technological development, decarbonisation, creation of new business opportunities and development of competition, as well as role of various stakeholders, including drivers of energy transition in creation and implementation of national policies and their impact on society.

Complete details here

Event to commemorate the life and work of our former Council member and sadly missed friend Stephen Haseler.

You can read a tribute to Stephen Haseler by our director Brendan Donnelly on our website, with an opportunity to leave a message of condolence: http://fedtrust.co.uk/about-us/advisory-council/professor-stephen-haseler-rip/

For planning purposes, please contact us if you would like to attend this event. Please send an email to ulrike.rub@fedtrust.co.uk, or ring the Federal Trust on 020 7320 1677.

Find out more here

How does it work? Challenges, mechanisms and institutional framework

16 – 18 October 2017 / Bruges, Belgium

About the course

This interactive course is delivered by  experienced professionals and designed for participants to learn about EU Economic Governance, to share experiences and discuss challenges.
After a general introduction to the EU's economic policy and integration, practical sessions and exercises will explain to participants how the European economic governance has evolved and will further cope with the current challenges.

Learning methodology

The programme combines training sessions on both substance and skills:

• Interactive training sessions examining theoretical and practical aspects of EU economic governance;
• A workshop and a case study;
• Debates to promote networking and exchange experiences with lecturers and peers;
• A feedback session to consolidate the knowledge.

Why participate?

• Update and improve your knowledge and understanding of the EU’s economic governance and the recent reforms following the economic and financial crisis;
• Explore the role of the EU’s economic policy and economic governance;
• Find your way amidst the recent reforms so to understand the mechanics of EU economic governance;
• Enjoy a unique opportunity to learn in a multicultural environment and extend your personal and professional networks.

Participants & Trainers               Programme               Practical Information               Registration

Joint event with Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation and Global Policy Institute

17.00 – 19.00, followed by a drinks reception

Mary Sumner House, 24 Tufton Street, London SW1P 3RB

At this seminar, our expert panel will discuss the implications of Donald Trump’s Presidency for Europe’s role in the wider world. Traditionally the EU, and particularly Germany, has seen Europe’s global role as being exercised in close collaboration with the US.  Is such an attitude still desirable or even possible with the current US administration? Does Europe perhaps find itself today confronted by twin challenges to its West and to its East, from the US and Russia? If this is so, do these new challenges create opportunities as well as dangers?

Confirmed Speakers:

Ansgar Graw, Chief Reporter for Die Welt and its former US correspondent

Dr Jacob Parakilas, Deputy Head, US and the Americas Programme, Chatham House

RSVP to events@fedtrust.co.uk, or ring the Federal Trust on 020 7320 1677.

Find more here

Andrea Szalavetz, Miklós Szanyi and other economists among the participants.

More details here.

The programme is available here.

This international workshop seeks to gather academics, practitioners, activists and students to discuss the situation of civil society in the ENP countries.

The workshop seeks to critically assess the situation of civil society in the Southern and Eastern neighbourhood countries, evaluate the results of the ENP civil society promotion efforts and the effects of the ongoing political transformation in the region on civil society.

The workshop builds upon the assessments of the weakness of civil society in the region and the difficulties of democratic consolidation. However, it also intends to go beyond these aspects by discussing institutional conditions of civil society consolidation and by trying to understand the socio-political conditions under which civil society can be successfully involved in democratic transitions, while also taking into account the risks — including the personal risks for civil society and activists — of anti-protest backlash and violence.

Link to the programme and registration website: https://www.coleurope.eu/events/international-workshop-civil-society-enp

Understanding the essentials of EU Trade Law, WTO and the EU's trade agreements

Bruges, Belgium
23 - 26 October 2017

About the Course

In addressing the trade policy concerns of today’s professionals, the College of Europe has redesigned its Trade Policy course updating it especially vis-à-vis the EU’s trade negotiations with other large trading blocks, such as the USA and Canada for example. The main purpose of the seminar is to ensure that participants are thoroughly acquainted with the main aspects of EU Trade law and policy, WTO-related issues, and the role played by the EU in the global trade arena.

This four-day seminar gives a thorough and detailed introduction to trade law and policy and the WTO.
The programme includes a broad overview of the sources, structure and basic principles of international trade law, as well as its main actors and subjects. It offers participants a comprehensive analysis of the types of bilateral and plurilateral trade agreements as well as the EU’s trade policies and aspirations in a geopolitical sense.

Which methodology is used?

The programme combines training methodologies requiring active participation and guaranteeing a strong interaction among professionals:

Why participate?

Through this programme, participants will have the opportunity to:

IAI conference with Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Roberta Pinotti, Italian Minister of Defence.

For the programme and registration form click here

What is the Negotiations in Practice Training Course?

The purpose of this five-day advanced training course is to provide participants with a practical insight into the mechanisms and dynamics between and within the EU institutions. They will receive the necessary tools and guidance to enhance their negotiation, communication and lobbying skills.

Drawing on their extensive experience, our lecturing staff will teach the participants how to become successful and strategic negotiators within the political and legal structures of the EU.

The course has been organised since 2004 as part of the Development Office’s professional training courses on EU affairs.

Which method will be used?

The course consists of different sessions combining lectures and practical elements and is divided into three strands:

Interactive training sessions examining theoretical and practical aspects of negotiations and the specificities of the EU decision-making process: the theory and practice of international negotiations; mechanics and dynamics of the EU Institutions; EU decision-making structures; influencing the EU from outside.

Workshops designed to identify, develop and practise negotiation, communication and other essential skills: communication techniques and strategies; negotiation skills; lobbying strategies.

A simulation exercise stretching over one day: participants will take over the role of negotiators in the Council of the European Union and will be confronted with actual conditions and constraints of the official decision-making procedures.

Why participate?

The course is primarily targeted at officials from EU and non-EU countries and it also attracts professionals from the private sector, civil society organisations, universities and institutes.

After this one-week advanced training course, you will have gained the necessary know-how and self-confidence to participate effectively and successfully in negotiation processes in the EU context.

The programme will offer you the possibility to:

The two-panel event will address, in the first part of the discussion, the issues related to the status quo and future prospects of the constituent issues of CSDP – strategic goals of the policy, EU defence funding, cooperation and the national and supra-national priorities, EU defence industry, research and development. The second part of the discussion will address the external dimension of CSDP – the current and future prospect of the EU missions and operations overseas, cooperation with NATO and other organizations and nations. Ultimately, the event will assess if a more integrated EU approach can act as a supplementary element to NATO in defending the EU against external turbulences.

More information will follow soon.

Follow the news on the Institute’s webpage

More info here.

Mr Klaus REGLING, Managing Director and Member of the Management Board at the European Stability Mechanism, visits the College of Europe's Bruges campus for a guest lecture on the deepening of the European Monetary Union (EMU).

The event is open to all registered participants: to register click here

Registration deadline is Monday 13 November 2017 at 12:00 noon.

The book “The Centenary of Latvia's Foreign Affairs: Events and Personalities” by Andris Sprūds, Valters Ščerbinskis and Diāna Potjomkina aims to revisit and look beyond the well-analyzed chapters of Latvia’s foreign policy-making history, seeking to answer the questions: how is Latvian foreign policy made? Who participates in this process, with which prerogatives, and on what grounds? Which factors determine the prioritization of Latvia’s foreign policy aims? And what determines the reaction of Latvia to international pressures?

Presentations are also scheduled to take place in New Delhi, Warsaw, Paris, London and Turku.

Read Volume 1 of the publication “The Centenary of Latvia’s Foreign Affairs: Ideas and Personalities” for free on the Institute’s webpage.

Richard Kühnel, Head of the European Commission Representation in Germany, will give a welcoming speech. The registration to the event is necessary and possible via the web page of the IEP. The Lunch Debate will take place in Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin.

More info here

The Office of CIFE in Brussels has the pleasure of inviting you to the 40th CIFE Lunchtime Debate "La diplomatie parlementaire dans les relations euro-méditerranéennes. Nécessités et opportunités ".

Speaker: Inés AYALA SENDER, Member of the European Parliament,  Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union, and member of the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

The conference-debate will be preceded by sandwiches at 12:30 (optional, upon registration).

Introduction in French. Debate in English and French (without interpretation).

Registration by 21 November is compulsory : Registration Form

For more information click here

The Department of European Economic Studies, in collaboration and with the support of the Swiss Mission to the EU, organizes a one-day workshop on "The Swiss Experience with EU Market Access: Lessons for Brexit".

The objective of this workshop is to illustrate the options available to the UK and the EU for a deep post-Brexit economic relationship, on the basis of the experience with the EU-Switzerland agreements. Topics to be discussed include migration, the effect of changes in trade policy on employment, and the factors determining the formation of trade agreements.

The event is open to the public and all College of Europe students. Should you like to participate, please register by filling in the registration form available here .

The deadline to register is 22 November 2017, 09:00.

Info: Workshop on Trade – "The Swiss Experience with EU Market Access: Lessons for Brexit"

23 November 2017, Budapest, Hungary

Participants: Tamás Gerőcs, Judit Ricz, Tamás Szigetvári, Ágnes Szunomár, Katalin Völgyi, Csaba Weiner

More info here

On 27 November 2017, the EUISS hosted a launch event in Brussels for the recently published Chaillot Paper 'Permanent Structured Cooperation: What’s in a name?'. The launch event provided a forum for senior policymakers from EU institutions and representatives from the Political and Security Committee to share their thoughts with think-tank and academic representatives on Permanent Structured Cooperation (PeSCo) and the range of security and defence initiatives launched by the EU since the publication of the EU Global Strategy. Björn Fägersten, director of the Europe Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs joined the panel. Click the link below to access the report.

Link

Romanian Center for European Policies & Monica Macovei (ECR) invite you to a public hearing which brings to the forefront the topic of clientelism and state capture in state owned companies (SOE), as illustrated by such cases in Romania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Italy.

The project assessed state capture and clientelism in state owned companies in the respective countries, by means of indicators  highlighting their exposure to such phenomena.

RSVP: monica.macovei@europarl.europa.eu

Details about the project are available on www.statecapture.eu.

So many security conferences, and we’re still so insecure. It‘s time for some fresh thinking on (in)security!

The Prague Insecurity Conference (PIC) exists to change this situation by facilitating a critical yet constructive exchange on this issue. The PIC will challenge the ways we understand security - and how we pursue it in policy, practice and research. The PIC is the place to come to for fresh thinking on (in)security and for the type of networking that drives better policies and practices.

More info here

Elcano Royal Institute, 29 November 2017

The conference analysed relevant issues of the international energy agenda. The title chosen for this edition is "Energy futures: cybersecurity and financing emerging transitions" with two main topics: cibersecurity in the energy sector; and financing the energy transition in emerging countries.

For more info click here

Main focus on "New global challenges of European regulation, institutions and policies"

The conference is organized by the Institute of World Economics of the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Center for European Neighborhood Studies, Central European University.

Website of the conference: http://svoc-conference.webnode.hu/

Link to IWE CERS HAS announcement: http://www.vki.hu/news/news_1078.html

The Europe Programme held an event as part of the Transatlantic Forum on Strategic Communications (StratCom) project together with the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the Atlantic Council November 30^th on “Disinformation – new trends and responses” with a set of closed panel discussions the following day. The spread of disinformation is becoming increasingly popular and news of foreign interference into national elections has become a common sight in today’s newspapers. Reports of how algorithms are created to make “dark ads”, only visible to the target audience, challenge key principles of open societies. How can we make our democracies more resilient and how can open societies fight back against their enemies in the information realm? The event was recorded and can be watched via the link below.

Link

Main focus on "New global challenges of European regulation, institutions and policies".

The conference is organised by the Institute of World Economics of the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Center for European Neighborhood Studies, Central European University.

Website of the conference here.

Link to the announcement here.

This year’s German-Portuguese Expert Meeting primarily focuses on reforms of the Eurozone, as well as on reform initiatives of the European defence policy, taking transatlantic relations and the EU-African relations into consideration. The Expert Meeting aims to promote an enhanced mutual cooperation and understanding, in addition to a coherent representation of the respective interests of the states regarding European reforms. This is particularly important to demonstrate the possibilities of unified European approaches and initiatives that are in line with European reforms.

More info here

The Office of CIFE in Brussels has the pleasure of inviting you to the 41st CIFE Lunchtime Debate "Futurte of Europe. The Quest for Government".

Guest speaker : Andrew DUFF, President of the Spinelli Group, Visiting Fellow at EPC (European Policy Centre), former MEPGuest: Andrew Duff, President of the Spinelli Group and former MEP.

The conference-debate will be preceded by sandwishes at 12:30 (optional, upon registration).

Registration by 5 December is compulsory. Please return the online registration form.

On 7/8 December 2017, the “Alternative Europa!” project’s closing conference will take place at Deutsches Architektur Zentrum in Berlin. In addition to a panel with the title “What Role Does Digitalization Play for the Visions of a Europe of the Future?” moderated by Prof. Dr. Wolf Schünemann from Heidelberg University, the Alternative Europa! participants will present their manifesto with visions for the future of Europe. Read more about the project on alternative-europa.de.

More info here

We have used the year of the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome together with Polis180, the Young European Federalists, Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen and many other partners, to strengthen and sharpen the European consciousness especially among junior researchers, civil society activists and young professionals. After several workshops and discussions within the project “Alternative Europe!” over the last year, there will be a final conference on the Future of the European Union on 7/8 December at Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ Berlin to which we would like to cordially invite you. On this occasion, the young participants of the project present their visions for the future of Europe and a common manifesto and put them up for discussion.

More info

Organised by CIFE in cooperation with the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (CFA), Vienna and the Minsk Dialogue Track II Initiative (MD), Minsk.

More info here

Addis Ababa, 11/12/2017

The conference will discuss six policy reports and gather recommendations on the strategies to be adopted by the EU and US. It is organized in collaboration with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

More info here

Presentation of the final report of the New Pact for Europe (NPE) project.

This is the third NPE report. It is the culmination of five years of work at EU and member state level. It reflects more than 120 national and transnational debates with policymakers, experts, civil society organisations, ‘ordinary’ citizens, and other stakeholders across Europe, which took place between 2013-2017 in 17 EU countries.

The report argues that the EU-27 must find the political will and the courage to reach agreement on an ambitious but realistic and beneficial package for all, in order to overcome the current deadlock and face the biggest challenge we are facing, in the face of the risk of a more regressive, nationalist, closed, illiberal and authoritarian Europe.

This report will be presented and debated at the occasion of this event by, inter alia, the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Benedetto Della Vedova.

More info here

More information will follow soon. Follow the news on the Institute’s webpage.

The event that will take place in the Moldovan capital Chisinau provides a platform for exchange on the development of a civic identity in the Republic of Moldova and gives a possibility to discuss previous achievements and challenges.

On 14 December 2017, Razumkov Centre together with Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in Ukraine held expert discussion «Political Culture in Ukrainian Society and the State of Parliamentarism at the Present Stage: Problems and Development Trends, Ways of Improvement».

Among participants there were representatives of legislative authorities, scientists, government and independent researchers and experts, as well as representatives of foreign embassies and international organisations.

Razumkov Centre presented its informational-analytical materials that among other things included sociological survey.

We are pleased to invite you to our third Ukraine Breakfast Debate on 14 December from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on the topic of “Which amendments does the education reform in Ukraine envisage and can the country benefit from it?”. The debate is organized within the framework of our project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) which aims to promote professional expertise among Ukrainian think tanks, the creation of synergies between German and Ukrainian think tanks and the transfer of knowledge about processes in Ukraine to Germany.

More info here

On 20 December 2017, the Razumkov Centre, supported by the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation and Council of Europe project «Support to the implementation of the judicial reform in Ukraine», conducted round table «Problems in Implementation of Constitutional Changes Regarding the Justice System and the Status of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine».

Representatives of legislative and executive autho-rities, scientists, independent experts, as well as repre-sentatives of embassies and international organisations were participants in the discussion.

Informational and analytical materials was presented, and the following issues discussed:

• The process of introducing a constitutionally deter-mined judicial system (current state, problems).
• Changes in the constitutional and legal status of a judge (problems of access to the profession and securing the status of a judge).
• Prospects of proper provision of the right to a fair trial in connection with changes in procedural legislation.

23 November 2017, Budapest, Hungary

Participants: Tamás Gerőcs, Judit Ricz, Tamás Szigetvári, Ágnes Szunomár, Katalin Völgyi, Csaba Weiner

More info here

On 27 November 2017, the EUISS hosted a launch event in Brussels for the recently published Chaillot Paper 'Permanent Structured Cooperation: What’s in a name?'. The launch event provided a forum for senior policymakers from EU institutions and representatives from the Political and Security Committee to share their thoughts with think-tank and academic representatives on Permanent Structured Cooperation (PeSCo) and the range of security and defence initiatives launched by the EU since the publication of the EU Global Strategy. Björn Fägersten, director of the Europe Programme at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs joined the panel. Click the link below to access the report.

Link

The Institute for European Studies will be welcoming Dr Asa Hansson for a public talk entitled Current Issues in International Taxation on Thursday 4th January 2018 at 17.30 p.m. at the European Documentation Centre within the Institute.

Dr Åsa Hansson is a well-renowned expert on taxation. Her research focuses on the behavioral aspects of taxation concerning both individuals and firms. A large part of her research centers around the effects globalization and increased tax competition have on current tax systems and public expenditures, and how tax systems should be designed in order to attract and retain economic activities. Dr Hansson is an associate Professor at Department of Economics, Lund University, and a research fellow at Research Institute for Industrial Economics. She is a member of the Swedish Corporate Tax Commission.

For more information and booking instructions kindly visit the official page 

The traveling presentation of the book “The Centenary of Latvia's Foreign Affairs: Deeds and Personalities” edited by Andris Sprūds, Valters Ščerbinskis and Diāna Potjomkina aims to revisit and look beyond the well-analysed chapters of Latvia’s foreign policy history, seeking to answer the questions: how is Latvian foreign policy made? Who participates in this process, with which prerogatives, and on what grounds? Which factors determine the prioritization of Latvia’s foreign policy aims? And what determines the reaction of Latvia to international pressures?

More information available here

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs continues to assess Latvian foreign and security policy, inform society and provide recommendations for foreign policy makers and shapers through its annual yearbook. This year’s edition aims to contribute to the understanding of Latvia’s foreign and security policy decisions and considerations in 2017, along with opportunities and concerns for 2018.
The latest edition of the book will be available on the homepage of the Latvian institute of International Affairs www.liia.lv.

More information available here

IEP cordially invites you to its Public Debate on Friday, 19 January 2018 with Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank on the topic “Role and perspectives of the European Investment Bank as driver of economic growth in the EU”. Richard Kühnel, Head of the European Commission Representation in Germany, will give a welcoming speech at the event that will take place at Europäisches Haus.

This conference is part of a recently awarded Jean Monnet Projects grant. The project’s name is “Post-Brexit Europe: Lessons from the European Economic Area”.

The UK government’s stated objective in relation to Brexit is to ‘take back control’ and at the same time ensure as close access to the EU’s internal market as possible. What is the situation one year after the UK started the Brexit process (triggered Article 50)? We have invited UK experts to discuss the situation and the status of the negotiations. In addition we have brought together experts from the three EEA countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway to discuss the likely effects on the EEA countries. The conference is co-organised among ARENA (UiO), Institute of International Affairs (University of Iceland) and British Politics Society. The conference is open to all.

European defence has progressed more than expected since its re-launched with the EU Global Strategy in June 2016. The High Representative and the European Council have been developing this program. The European Commission has given common funds to its European defence Plan of Action, and the Member States have committed to participate in the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). The debate will serve to reflect on what has been achieved and what to expect in 2018.

More info here

Those “Recuerdos políticos” (trans. Political memories) are covering the professional and political trajectory of the Spanish ambassador, since his beginnings in the Minister of Foreign Affairs Cabinet until his memories when he became the ambassador of Tokyo, Copenhagen and Washington (during Clinton´s second presidential term).

More info here

In EUCOPAS seminars PhD candidates and early post-docs discuss their research with peers and senior academic colleagues in an intense two-day workshop format. The seminars are supposed to help the young researchers to step out of tight disciplinary boundaries and to link their particular research to broader questions concerning European integration.

Programme and details for registration here

On 25 January 2018, the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, in collaboration and with the support of the Swiss Mission to the EU in Brussels, will hold a conference to discuss the various forms of ‘privileged partnerships’ between the European Union and its neighbours. These ‘privileged partnerships’ range from bilateral and rather static models (such as the EU’s relations with Switzerland) to multilateral and dynamic models (like the European Economic Area), with the EU-Turkey customs union and the Eastern Partnership countries’ Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas somewhere in between. The conference will also provide a timely analysis in light of the UK government’s quest for a post-Brexit ‘new strategic partnership’ with the EU.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required.

For the conference programme and further information  click here

More info here

The Natolin European Centre is organizing an international conference entitled "How deeply does the current crisis affect identity and values of the West?

More info on the programme and registration here

Are think tanks able to keep up with the speed of today’s global changes? Can they stand out among misleading and fake news, which thrive in social and new media? Can they convey messages that are both accurate and easy to understand by the wider public? Are they truly independent, and do they provide unbiased analyses? To what extent do their initiatives facilitate dialogue among business leaders, experts, and politicians? ISPI and IAI address these topics in a joint event in the context of “Why Think Tanks Matter”, an initiative taking place simultaneously in over 150 cities across the world, promoted by the University of Pennsylvania.

More info here

IRMO in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Croatia will organize a round table ʻ Importance of the EU Cohesion policy for development of Republic of Croatia ʼ. The event will be held on the 31st of January 2018 (Wednesday) in the premises of the European Commission Representation in Croatia, Augusta Cesarca 4, Zagreb. The envisaged duration is between 11 a.m. and 14 p.m. The round table will be organised within the Jean Monnet support to institutions project ‘POLO-Cro28 – Policy Observatory in Croatia’ financed by the Erasmus+ program and implemented by IRMO, coordinated by Prof. Visnja Samardzija.
The speakers, representative of the DG Regio of the European Commission as well as experts and researchers from Croatia, will highlight the existing and potential impact of Cohesion policy on development of the Republic of Croatia. Topics will particularly emphasize following aspects of the cohesion policy: experiences of implementation during 2014-2020 period, visible and invisible impacts on Croatian economy, impacts on the regional development within Croatia, implications for the Croatian budget etc. Working languages will be Croatian and English.

For more information please click here

From 1 to 3 February 2018, the European Civilization Chair organises an international conference titled: "Rousseau, Poland and Europe: Federalism – Sovereignty – Prosperity – Patriotism" at the College of Europe's Natolin campus in Warsaw

More info on the programme and registration here

This workshop will address briefly the economic aspects of FDI in the EU and will examine how the EU treaties and other policies relate to FDI. We will look at possible limits to the exercise of the EU’s power resulting from WTO commitments. We will then examine how screening is currently being done in selected EU Member States as well as in the US under CIFIUS, before turning to the European Commission proposal. We will hear how EU businesses and non-EU investors are, or may be, reacting to the current and proposed future screening. The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion and Q&A session.

Read more here

Should foreign direct investment (FDI) in the EU be subject to screening in order to address security or public interest concerns? This question has recently re-emerged in public policy discourse due to some high-profile acquisitions by foreign investors of EU companies with technologies and structures considered to be essential for critical functions of society. Several EU Member States are advocating for increased EU guidance and intervention in this area which, up to now, has been regulated differently (if at all) by the EU Member States. As a result, the European Commission recently submitted a proposal to establish an EU-wide framework for the screening of FDI.

This workshop will address briefly the economic aspects of FDI in the EU and will examine how the EU treaties and other policies relate to FDI. We will look at possible limits to the exercise of the EU’s power resulting from WTO commitments. We will then examine how screening is currently being done in selected EU Member States as well as in the US under CIFIUS, before turning to the European Commission proposal. We will hear how EU businesses and non-EU investors are, or may be, reacting to the current and proposed future screening. The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion and Q&A session.

​​The workshop – organised by the European Legal Studies Department of the College of Europe in co-operation with Sidley – should be of interest to non-EU businesses (and their advisers) that are contemplating FDI in the EU and to EU companies active in the sectors likely to be subject to FDI screening such as defense, energy production and transportation, telecommunications, and information technology. The workshop should also be of interest to academics and policy makers.

More info available here

This seminar will analyse the relations between Europe, Japan and the related countries, both in its economic and security dimensions. It will gather experts from various countries.

More info here

Le Grand Paris Express est l’un des plus importants chantiers jamais réalisés en Europe. Il a pour ambition de transformer la métropole du Grand Paris en développant 200 km de nouvelles lignes, construisant 68 nouvelles gares et entraînant la mutation des quartiers de gare.

L’objectif de ce colloque est d’interroger les incidences actuelles et futures de ce nouveau métro et de l’aménagement de ses quartiers de gares. Deux enjeux retiennent en particulier notre attention : d’une part, la création possible de nouvelles centralités urbaines dans la métropole et, d’autre part, les mutations sociales, économiques et territoriales potentielles suscitées par ce nouveau réseau.

La comparaison de l’aire métropolitaine du Grand Paris avec des aires comparables comme celles du Grand Londres et de New York City alimentent et enrichissent nos réflexions.

La journée, ouverte à tou.te.s les praticien.ne.s, chercheur.e.s et étudiant.e.s intéressé.e.s par le Grand Paris, se structure en trois temps. Premièrement, les interventions prévues dans la matinée visent à évaluer les incidences actuelles et prospectives de l’aménagement des quartiers de gare du Grand Paris. Deuxièmement, nous comparerons en début d’après-midi l’expérience parisienne avec le cas londonien en termes de restructuration des centralités métropolitaines. Troisièmement, nous envisagerons en fin de journée l’impact en termes de transformations sociales et économiques de l’aménagement des quartiers de gare à New York et à Paris.

Read more here

IEP is pleased to invite you to the fourth Ukraine Breakfast Debate on 8 February from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on the topic of “EU-Ukraine Association Agreement: Major Achievements and Challenges of the Implemen-tation in Ukraine”. The Debate is organized within the framework of our project “Platform for Analytics and In-tercultural Communication” (PAIC) which aims to promote professional expertise among Ukrainian think tanks, the creation of synergies between German and Ukrainian think tanks and the transfer of knowledge about pro-cesses in Ukraine to Germany. The executive director Liubov Akulenko of the “Ukrainian Centre for European Policy“ (UCEP) will talk about the implementation of the Association Agreement in Ukraine and provide answers to the following questions: How does the implementation of the Association Agreement work in Ukraine? Which existing tools enable the monitoring of the implementation process and how can the monitoring opera-tion become more effective? In which areas is the implementation process proceeding slowly? Which areas are most successful?

More info here

The European Legal Studies Department organizes a conference that brings together world-leading academics and practitioners, to reflect critically yet constructively on the current state of constitutional democracy in the European Union, and its future. In this assessment, comparisons shall be drawn with the United States on the one hand, and the EU Member States on the other hand, in order to understand both the commonalities and the differences in the challenges faced, which include populism, a lack of trust in political and legal institutions, de-parliamentarization and a degradation of the rule of law. While topical, current developments will be at the heart of the discussions, the conference will also seek to tie current issues into the more perennial, theoretical debates about the balance between democracy and constitutionalism, and their place beyond the confines of the nation state. This subject matter necessitates a broad, interdisciplinary approach to a certain extent, but shall have a mainly legal focus, in that a central underlying question running throughout the conference will be what the role of law is and should be, in the future of the European Union.

This conference is open to the public but registration and payment of the registration fee (100€) is required before 5 February 2018. A discount of 50% is granted to PhD researchers. No fee for students of the College of Europe but registration is still required.

To what extent are democratic governments responsive to citizens’ demands and preferences between elections?  Are governments more likely to be responsive to the interpretation of public opinion through surveys or to collective and publicly expressed opinion - often in the form of protests?  When does one or the other type of expression prevail as a mechanism to foster governmental responsiveness? These are some of the questions the ResponsiveGov project will try to answer by developing a comparative study of governmental responsiveness in established democracies between 1980 and 2010.

ResponsiveGov is a seven-year (2011-2018) research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under its 7th Framework Programme (FP7).  FP7 is the EU funding programme for research and technological development, and runs for seven years (2007 to 2013).  ResponsiveGov runs for seven years from 2011 to 2018 and was initiated using a 'starting grant' under the Ideas programme included in the FP7 framework of funding.  Researchers and staff are based within the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester.

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The European Documentation Centre (EDC) will host Professor Michelle Pace (Roskilde University, Denmark) on Monday 19th February 2018 at 17.30.

Professor Michelle Pace will present her contribution in a book entitled Syrian Refugee Children in the Middle East and Europe: Integrating the Young and Exiled (see attached leaflet for instructions on how to order the book with a discount).

Professor Pace, together with Somdeep Sen is a co-editor of this publication which will be published in March 2018

Places are limited and can be booked by replying to stefan.bezzina@um.edu.mt

The participants will be Tarik Yousef, Director, Brooking Doha Center; Ángeles Espinosa, correspondent in Dubai, El País; Kristina Kausch, Senior Residen Fellow, German Marshall Fund, and Haizam Amirah Fernández, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute. Moderated by Charles Powell, Director, Elcano Royal Institute.

More info here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

This conference, organised by the S&D Group in the European Parliament, aims at gathering citizens, students, politicians and progressive partners in Bruges to engage into a lively debate about the European elections.

The "TOGETHER" project was launched in 2016 by the S&D Group, in co-operation with its progressive family. The aim is to truly engage citizens in key debates all across Europe. They want people to actively contribute and to share with us their thoughts on how to improve our lives and how to strengthen European democracy.

At the end of each event, a statement is adopted by acclamation. The statement presented at the event in Bruges incorporates not only comments from the strategic partners (YES, FEPS, PES, PES Group in CoR, Solidar, Socialist Group in the Council of Europe, Trade Unions, Rainbow Rose) but it also integrates many of the comments received online from people all over Europe. The Bruges’ statement will be added online to previous TOGETHER statements, in order to provide their political family with concrete proposals from the wider public. The aim is that people set the agenda for Europe.

Click here for the detailed programme and registration to come and debate Europe with us!

For more information, please contact Dana CHIRU.

In the framework of the Natolin European Forum, the College of Europe in Natolin will have the honour to host, on 28 February 2018, Madam President Atifete JAHJAGA who served as the fourth—and the first female—President of Kosovo. President JAHJAGA will deliver a keynote speech entitled: "Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict Reconstruction".

For more info and the programme of the event click here

Join ANDREW DUFF, President of The Spinelli Group and former Member of the European Parliament, in conversation about his new book. "ON GOVERNING EUROPE - A FEDERAL EXPERIMENT"

Followed by cocktails.

Register online here

Andrea Éltető, Andrea Szalavetz and Ágnes Szunomár held presentations in different sections.

Within the frames of our institute’s ’Guest Seminar Series’ Agnieszka McCaleb, adjunct fellow, Warsaw School of Economics, World Economy Research Institute presented a lecture under the title: Emerging MNCs in Poland in turbulent times of Belt and Road Initiative and Brexit. Details of the event and the presentation here

Presentation of the book “The EU, Resilience and the MENA Region”, result of the research project launched by IAI and Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS)

 More info here

Ágnes Szunomár in the panel: “Reconstruction and Development of Railway Connections Between Ukraine and the V4 Countries as an Opportunity to Strenghten Economic Ties”.

Whereas András Deák in the panel: “What Can Be the Price for Détente in Russia-West Relations and Who is Going to Pay for It?”

More info here

The fifth edition of the Natolin Neighbourhood Days organized by the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair at Natolin aims to take stock of a number of crucial, though often overlooked, issues at the heart of political and security developments in the South Caucasus. The nature of the event envisaged is related to an understanding of the macro-dynamics of regional and international politics as fundamentally interlinked with the micro-universe of domestic politics. The event takes an inside-out perspective and wishes to advance a conversation about how the respect for human rights and civil liberties (or lack thereof) in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, can have broader regional and international repercussions. By zooming in on rarely discussed topics in the context of the region's geopolitical dynamics, such as minority rights, property rights, but also the domestic drivers of regional conflicts, this event raises a most pertinent question regarding the role of local factors in the quest for regional stability.

Read more here

On 15 March 2018, the European Civilization Chair hosts the debate: "Between Russian Empires. One hundred years on". The debate will be dedicated to the centennial of the Russian revolution and the ending of WWI. The debate will concentrate on the totalitarian legacy of the revolution and will analyze its consequences for Russian imperialism.

More info on the programme and registration here

On 16 and 17 March 2018, the European Civilization Chair hosts an international symposium titled "Revolution, War and their Consequences" at the Natolin campus of the College of Europe. The symposium continues the work of the 3R Project, initiated by the Chair in 2016 and will be dedicated to the events which took place in post 2014 Ukraine and their consequences for the Ukrainian society as well as the international relations in the region and globally.

More info on the programme and registration here

At our fifth Ukraine Breakfast Debate on Tuesday, 20 March 2018 with the title "Six Security Scenarios for Ukraine: Options and Strategies for a Future Integration in the International State Order", Dr. Andreas Umland, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation (IEAC) in Kiev, will report on the current security situation in Ukraine and present six security policy scenarios. The registration to the event that will take place in the course of the project "Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication" (PAIC) and the "Ukraine Week", an initiative of the GIZ and the Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin from 19 - 23 March, will be possible via our website soon.

Read more here

Is Spain's constitution really beyond negotiation? Who decides which players should be brought to the table? Is a wider European dialogue possible and useful to bridge tensions? What should Germany and Brussels do? What implications do the events in Catalonia have for movements in places like Italy, France or the UK, let alone Eastern Europe and the Balkans? The participants will be: Argelia Queralt, Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law of the Universitat de Barcelona. Ignacio Molina, Senior Analyst, Elcano Royal Institute. Sabine Riedel, Professor of Political Science at the University Magdeburg and Senior Associate at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. And chaired by Alina Mungiu-Pippidi is Professor of Democracy Studies at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.

Read more here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

In the framework of the Master of Arts on Transatlantic Affairs (MATA) offered jointly with The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, the College of Europe organises its first High-Level Lecture on Transatlantic Affairs on 22 March 2018.

The lecture will be delivered by Dr Hans BINNENDIJK, who will address the topic: "The Future of Transatlantic Relations". He will be introduced by Prof. Dr Dr Jörg MONAR, Rector of the College of Europe. The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session and a reception.

Dr Hans BINNENDIJK is a renowned US expert of transatlantic relations, who is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He is former Vice President for Research of the National Defense University and Theodore Roosevelt Chair in National Security Policy.

The lecture is organised with the support of the US Mission to the European Union.

The lecture is open to the public. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required before 19 March 2018 at 12:00. The working language is English.

For more information, please contact Ann VAN VOOREN.

The high-level international conference “Baltic-EU Conversations 2018: is Europe back?” is the biggest annual event of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. It will discuss the future of the EU, rebooting its economy, the EU in the Transatlantic relations, the European Neighbourhood Policy and CSDP, among other topics.

The high-level international conference “Baltic-EU Conversations 2018: is Europe back?” is the biggest annual event of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. High-level representatives will discuss issues such as the New shape of the European Union, the possibility of completing the EMU by 2025, EU budget in the post-Brexit time, the role of the EU in Latvian parliamentary elections of 2018, the EU migration crisis, European defence, as well as reliable and efficient transport and infrastructure connections.

More info here

On 27 March 2018, Mr Piotr MICHALOWSKI, Head of the Warsaw Office of the European Investment Bank, will deliver a lecture entitled "Those Who Implement: The Changes Within the EIB Since 2014 and Their Consequences for EU’s Actorness".

Details for registration here

On 28 March 2018, the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair organizes a round-table debate entitled: "The role of regional and global actors in the South Caucasus". The debate proposes a discussion of the crucial role of regional and global actors in the region, the dense web of interdependent relationships and the constellations of power and influence which shape patterns of security  conflict, as well as authoritarianism and good governance.

More details here

The fifth edition of the Natolin Neighbourhood Days organized by the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair at Natolin aims to take stock of a number of crucial, though often overlooked, issues at the heart of political and security developments in the South Caucasus. The nature of the event envisaged is related to an understanding of the macro-dynamics of regional and international politics as fundamentally interlinked with the micro-universe of domestic politics. The event takes a bird's-eye view of the South Caucasus and proposes a discussion of the crucial role of regional and global actors in the region, the dense web of interdependent relationships and the constellations of power and influence which shape patterns of security and conflict, as well as authoritarianism and good governance. The event aims to not only disentangle the intricate network of alliances and competing relationships between the South Caucasus and external actors, but to also enquire into the effects of power asymmetries and the extent to which Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are merely defenseless pawns, devoid of agency, in the geopolitical contests of the great powers.

Read more here

The Institute of International Relations in cooperation with Arabfest cordially invites you to the seminar: "A turning point for Iran?". This seminar looks at the recent uprising in Iran and examines both similarities and differences with the 2009 protests. This seminar will elucidate the socio-economic challenges facing President Hasan Rouhani and their long-term implications both for his government and the Islamic Republic.

More info here

We are pleased to invite you to our sixth Ukraine Breakfast Debate on Thursday, 5 April 2018 from 8.30 to 10.30 a.m. on the topic of “Open Data – how do the collection of data and free access to them influence the reform process in Ukraine?” Vladyslav Herasymenko, analyst at the think tank texty.org, will discuss the importance of Open Data for the work of civil society and a successful and profound democratic reform process in Ukraine. The following questions will be answered during the Breakfast Debate: What is Open Data and how can it contribute to making political action more democratic? Why is Open Data important for the reform process in Ukraine? What are the main problems and challenges of creating and gaining open access to data in Ukraine? How does the cooperation between the ministries and the civil society on Open Data work? How can international donors support the Ukrainian civil society in their strive for more transparency and accountability?

More info here

Digital innovation is permeating a big portion of the economy, reshaping the way we live, work, interact. Two paradigms currently stand out as potentially disruptive: the emergence of Distributed Ledger Technologies such as blockchain, and the increasingly pervasive use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in a variety of applications, from e-commerce to self-driving cars. Policymakers find it increasingly difficult to keep track of this evolution given the breath-taking pace of innovation, and the challenge of dealing with algorithms, collective intelligence, and often a patchy and uncertain set of legal rules. The College of Europe Chair in Digital Innovation organizes a one day conference to discuss the challenges and opportunities for innovation in the digital age.

Key themes addressed by the conference will be:

• What are the key opportunities and challenges of DLTs and Artificial Intelligence?
• Is Europe competitive in the deployment of these technologies?
• What new forms of innovation may emerge from the diffusion of these disruptive technologies?
• Is the EU legal system well-equipped to cope with the peculiarities of these technologies?
• What can the EU do to harness the potential of DLTs and Artificial intelligence to strengthen the Single Market and promote better economic, social and environmental outcomes?

The conference will see the participation of academics, industry representatives and policymakers, and will be enriched by a closing keynote speech delivered by the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Carlos Moedas.

Diálogo and Elcano Royal Institute have presented the poll results “Europa vista desde España y Francia” that they have made together with the aim of knowing the opinion of Spanish and French citizens on the European current affairs. The participants will be Daniel Debomy, associate researcher of Institut Jacques Delors – Notre Europe, Carmen González Enríquez, Senior researcher of Elcano Royal Institute and Xavier Vidal-Folch, El País columnist.

Read more here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

 In the framework of the Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs (MATA), jointly offered by the College of Europe and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University), and in cooperation with the EU-funded Horizon 2020 project EL-CSID (European Leadership in Cultural, Science and Innovation Diplomacy), the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, is organising a workshop on "Soft Power in Transatlantic Relations" on 13 and 14 April 2018.

The workshop will be kicked off with a keynote lecture on "The role of soft power in transatlantic relations", delivered by Professor Giles SCOTT-SMITH (Professor of Diplomatic History of Transatlantic Relations since WW II, Leiden University), on 13 April 2018 (16:30-18:00). The lecture will be followed by a reception.

The workshop sensu stricto takes place on 14 April 2018 (9:00-16:15). It focuses on a topic of growing importance at times of strained transatlantic relations over issues such as security and trade, namely the role of soft power and "soft diplomacy" in transatlantic relations.

The keynote lecture and workshop are open to the public. Participation is free of charge, but registration is required before 9 April 2018 at 12:00. Places for the workshop on 14 April are limited. The working language is English.

Link to programme and to details for registration.

The conference is part of a broader Jean Monnet Network "Crisis-Equity-Democracy for Europe and Latin America (CRISEULA)", that the Interdisciplinary Institute for Relation between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (IRELAC) has developed in cooperation with the IAI, the Instituto de Relações Internacionais of the Universidade de São Paulo and a number of other academic institutions and think thanks from EU member countries. By bringing together experts, journalists and academicians from both European and Latin American countries, the conference will focus on the main features of the economic and political crises affecting both European member states and Latin America, with the aim of highlighting paths for increasing regional cooperation.

 (Programme)

The Latvian Institute of International Affairs is hosting the 1^st Networking Conference and Review Workshop of the SEnECA consortium. The two-day conference will discuss the current and the future priorities of EU-Central Asia cooperation. The project is implemented with the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme funding.

The 1st Networking Conference and Review Workshop of the Project “Strengthening and Energizing EU-Central Asia Relations” will take place in Rīga, Latvia, 17 – 19 April 2018. The SEnECA consortium partners will come together in Rīga to discuss the methodology of the stakeholder analysis as well as the methodology of the mapping of European and Central Asian researchers. The consortium partners will discuss the conceptual and analytical toolkit and ways to promote networking with policy-makers and stakeholders for the further network and policy analysis. Furthermore, the event will provide the opportunity to review the respective working plans and the progress achieved by the SEnECA task leaders, as well as to review the general progress achieved by the members of the project’s Advisory Board. As part of the event, a public discussion “The EU and Central Asia” will take place with Peter Burian, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia (TBC), as one of the speakers.

Read more here

The Europe Direct Information Centre University Malta (hosted by the Institute for European Studies)  is pleased to welcome Dr Liam Weeks (University College Cork, Ireland).
Dr Weeks will give a public talk entitled Brexit: The Irish Context  on Wednesday 25th April at 17.30 followed by a reception.
The talk will be held at Dar l-Ewropa, Dar l-Ewropa / Europe House 254, St Paul Street Valletta - VLT 1215 Malta

Summary of talk

What will be the implications of Brexit for Ireland? Will it revive nationalist aspirations of a united Ireland? Will it motivate talk of an ‘Eirexit’, i.e. an Irish withdrawal from the EU? Will there be greater co-operation between Ireland and Malta, the two remaining English-speaking members of the EU?

A Facebook event has been created for this talk:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2031582227083329/

Places are limited and they will be allocated on a first come basis. Book your place by compiling and submitting the below google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1w3V9UOzPser1NBr1zFUtY9ldaj-U9aC5D4QzLC_EOX8/edit

The participants will be Lars-Hjalmar Wide, ambassador of Sweden, Mariam Martínez-Bascuñán, professor of political affairs at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Corinna Horst, senior researcher at German Marshall Fund and María Solanas from Elcano Royal Institute. Cristina Manzano, Esglobal director, will moderate the debate. This debate is part of the Elcano Debates cycle, organized by the Elcano Royal Institute and the Botín Foundation whose intention is to offer a space for public debate, with rigor and deepness as a way to provide clues for understanding the international reality.

Read more here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

The participants will be Corinna Horst, Senior Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund; Lars-Hjalmar Wide, Ambassador of Sweden to Spain; Máriam Martínez-Bascuñán, Professor of Political Science, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and María Solanas, Project Coordinator, Elcano Royal Institute. Moderated by Cristina Manzano, director of esglobal. This debate is part of the Elcano Debates cycle, organized by the Elcano Royal Institute and the Botín Foundation whose intention is to offer a space for public debate, with rigor and deepness as a way to provide clues for understanding the international reality.

More info here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

Hosted by Institute for European Studies - University of Malta and European Documentation Centre - EDC - University of Malta

The Institute for European Studies is pleased to welcome Dr Liam Weeks (University College Cork, Ireland). He will give a lecture at the European Documentation Centre on Thursday 26th April at 16:00 entitled "The Discreet charm of STV (Single Transferable Vote)".

The lecture will focus on the voting system used in Malta and Ireland to elect members to the houses of parliament.

For more details and for information on how to book your place click  here

Prof. Christopher Hill will analyse the challenges that Brexit poses to British foreign policy-makers and institutions and to the future of UK-EU relations in the context of foreign, security and defence policy. It is evident that regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, EU member states will remain essential partners of the UK, given the number of common interests and shared security concerns. However, once outside the EU, the UK might well appear as a less attractive foreign policy partner–including for the United States. So as not to undermine its capacity to promote and pursue British interests globally, the UK will need to remain an influential voice within the wider multilateral system but this will not be easy.

More info & registration here

IEP is pleased to invite you to our seventh Ukraine Breakfast Debate on Thursday, 3 May 2018 from 8.30 to 10.45 a.m. on the topic of “The EU-Ukraine-Russia Energy Triangle: Nord Stream 2, energy security, and reforms in Ukraine”. Olena Pavlenko, Roman Nitsovych and Denys Nazarenko from the Ukrainian think tank DiXi Group and Dr. Kirsten Westphal from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) will discuss the current state of the EU-Ukraine-Russia Energy Triangle. The following questions will be addressed during the debate: What are the key developments within the EU-Ukraine-Russia energy relations since 1991? How does the recent decision by the Stockholm arbitration court affect the Ukrainian-Russian energy relations? What does the construction of Nord Stream 2 imply for Ukraine as a transit country and for Ukraine’s and the EU’s energy security?

More info here

The Institute of International Relations Prague would like to cordially invite you to the lecture and presentation of a new book by Mark Galeotti The Vory: Russia’s Super Mafia.Is Russia, as some claim, a 'Mafia State'? How has Russian organised crime evolved, and what role does it play in country's business and politics? Is it a threat in the Czech Republic and across Europe? In this public event Mark Galeotti, a senior researcher at the IIR, will explore Russian organised crime past, present, and future.

More info here

On Europe Day, Wednesday, 9 May 2018, we cordially invite you to an IEP Breakfast Debate from 8:30 to 10:30 am on “Citizen Participation 4.0 – The European Added Value of Political Participation”. Julian Plottka, graduate Political Scientist and Research Associate at the Institute for European Politics, will present his new study “The added value of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), and its revision”, which he co-authored with Carmen Gerstenmeyer, Julia Klein and Amelie Tittel for the European Parliamentary Research Service. The study analyses proposals for the reform of the ECI regulation with regard to their potential to generate added value for Europe and to strengthen democracy at European level. Our Deputy Director Dr. Katrin Böttger will welcome the guests and moderate the event.

Read more here

The annual “Riga Dialogue” is LIIA’s biggest event of the year, organised in cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Nuclear Threat Initiative and European Leadership Network. During the three closed roundtable discussions and two working dinners, as well as a public event, the conference aims to discuss issues related to the economic, political and military aspects of the Russia-West relations. The event will be followed by an Afterthoughts paper, published and presented in September 2018.

Read the “Riga Dialogue Afterthoughts 2017: Transforming Euro-Atlantic Security Landscapes” for free on LIIA’s homepage

The convenors were pleased to present some papers of the programme "Equality as a  multidimensional Process; An Interdisciplinary Agenda" co-directed by Michèle Lamont & Paul Pierson (forthcoming)

Read it here

Dans Face à Gaïa (2015) Bruno Latour alertait sur l’émergence d’un nouveau régime climatique. Dans Où atterrir ? (2017), il fait du dérèglement climatique, associé à la dérégulation et à l’explosion des inégalités, l’enjeu géopolitique majeur. Face à ces défis deux attitudes sont possibles : le déni, comme l’illustre le retrait de Donald Trump de l’accord de Paris sur le climat, le 1er juin 2017. Ou la réinvention du politique, de l’Europe et d’un monde commun. Comment s’orienter dans ce nouveau paysage ? Où atterrir ? Que faire ? Telles sont les questions auxquelles l’auteur tente de répondre.

par Bruno Latour(Emeritus Professor at Sciences Po).

More info here

More info here

This advanced training course, organized by the College of Europe Development Office in Bruges, provides participants with a detailed presentation of the main principles and techniques of monitoring and evaluation of European external cooperation projects. The main focus of the course will be on the understanding of concepts and tools for effective monitoring and evaluation, as well as on their role and importance throughout the project cycle.

More information

International conference organised by the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in cooperation with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and the European Fund for the Balkans. The conference will engage politicians, journalists, businesspersons, civil society actors and academics in a creative forward-looking exercise on the future of European enlargement towards the Western Balkans.

The expected impact of the event is to advance an understanding of the strategic win-win gains that the EU and the WB6 would get by recommitting to reform and cooperation, as much as of the costs of not doing so, which would fuel nationalist, populist and illiberal discourses in both the EU and the Western Balkans.

Click here to check the programme and register

We cordially invite you to our upcoming Public Debate on Wednesday, 6 June 2018 with Ambassador Thomas Ossowski, Special Representative for the Negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework and Director for EU Policies at the German Federal Foreign Office. The registration for the event that deals with the "Perspectives on the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework", can be made on the website of the IEP. The greeting will be given by Richard Kühnel, Head of the Representation of the European Commission in Germany.

Read more here

The EU-Ukraine conference of our project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Cooperation” (PAIC) on the topic of: “The European Union and Ukraine: How to enhance the cooperation and maintain the reform process?” will take place on Friday, 8 June 2018, from 9:00 am to 3:45 pm on the premises of the Representation of the European Commission in Germany.The conference will focus on the reform process in Ukraine and the relations between Ukraine and the European Union.

More info here

This year's conference theme is: Contradictions – Whither the Political, Economic and Social Integration of Europe?

More info here

The conference will provide a high level and a high profile public assessment of the status of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence and the emerging threats to NATO. In particular, it will focus on the context of the security developments in the Baltic Sea region and beyond since the Brussels Summit of 2017, and prior to the upcoming Brussels Summit of 2018. The conference is the third consecutive annual discussion organized by LIIA with the support of NATO.

More information on the last year’s conference is available on LIIA’s homepage

As Sweden is heading for elections this autumn, an increasingly intensive debate is taking place on the EU's major future issues.

Those who represent Sweden in Brussels this autumn will have to deal with migration issues, the EU's role in the world, Brexit and closer cooperation within the Eurozone. What role have the European issues played in Swedish elections? What are the major reform processes today? And what EU issues should get more attention in Sweden?

Welcome to a seminar where experts and European politicians discuss Europe in Sweden and Sweden in Europe.

• Christoffer Fjellner, Moderate Member of the European Parliament
• Jytte Guteland, Social Democratic Member of the European Parliament
• Annika Ström Melin, journalist, writer and EU correspondent for Dagens Nyheter
• Magnus Blomgren, University Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Umeå University
• Maria Strömvik, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Deputy Director of the Center for European Research, Lund University.

Björn Fägersten, Senior Researcher and Head of the UI European Program will moderate.

The seminar is organised together with The Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and co-financed by the EU's "Europe for Citizens" program.

More info here

IIR cordially invites you to attend Prague European Summit 2018, which will be held on 19-21 of June. This year a special focus will be put on the role of the EU as a global power, Brexit, populist and nativist forces, industrial revolution 4.0, Juncker’s plan and new EU financial framework. For the first time this year, the Summit will be preceded by the debates on the EU topics for young professionals, which will follow up on a pilot involvement of new voices – personalities capable to shape the world around them and adding fresh perspectives into traditional discussions.

More info here

On 20 June 2018, the College of Europe in Natolin will host for the third time a TEDx event organized by a group of Natolin students. The theme of this edition of TEDxCollegeOfEuropeNatolin will be “Embracing Diversity” and what better place to do it than a community of 29 different nationalities?

Here all the details for registration

The participants will be Elena Pisonero, President of Hispasat; Emiliano López Atxurra, Chairman of Tecnalia; Aleix Pons, Director at “Economía y Finanzas Fundación COTEC” and Andrés Saborido, Director at Wayra España, Telefónica Open Future. Moderated by Félix Arteaga, senior analyst Elcano Royal Institute. This debate is part of the Elcano Debates cycle, organized by the Elcano Royal Institute and the Botín Foundation whose intention is to offer a space for public debate, with rigor and deepness as a way to provide clues for understanding the international reality.

More info here

Important to note: Attendance at events organised by the Elcano Royal Institute is by personal invitation and should be confirmed in advance. Invitations requests here

The Intensive Seminar on the European Union is a three-, two- or one-week training programme providing professionals with in-depth knowledge and practical skills on EU decision-making and policies.

Choose the one-, two- or three-week course tailored to your level of experience:

• Classic three-week programme
• Advanced two-week programme
• Compact one-week programme on the European Commission priorities

Registrations are open till 11 June 2018.  10-15-20% discount for groups, former participants, College of Europe Alumni and EU Officials.

More information

Challenges and vision for a common EU energy policy

This two-week interactive executive training course will give participants the opportunity to analyse the current EU energy-climate policies, as well as allow them to delve in depth into the various components of the EU Energy Union. The interactive lectures will be complemented with study visits, simulation games and case studies. By the end of the course, participants will have a full understanding of the different aspects to take into consideration when approaching the topic of energy and will possess the tools to be able to grasp and address the complex challenges ahead.

Registration is open until 11 June 2018.

More information

A professional exchange on European transport policy and railway sector management 

This annual two-week seminar on EU Transport and Railway Affairs presents the latest developments within the railway sector on a European level. Participants get the unique opportunity to work for two weeks in an international environment, to set up a network among colleagues from all European and non-European countries and think about the changes within their sector, on a national as well as on an international level. They get the opportunity to confront the changes they are working out at home with the solutions others have given to the same problems in the various European countries.

Places are limited. You are encouraged to register as soon as possible.
The final deadline to register is 11 June 2018.

Mastering the legal complexities of the EU's Competition Practice

This advanced training course organized by the Development Office at the College of Europe's Bruges campus, from 9 to 13 July 2018, provides participants with a professional guide to EU competition law and the essential tools for mastering legal complexities and successfully facing the challenges in everyday work. Upon completion, participants will appreciate how EU competition law facilitates fair business practices and regulates those practices that may restrict competitive economics.

Registration is open until 18 June 2018.

More information & Registration

IRMO is organising a scientific conference “Socio-economic, Environmental and Cohesion Challenges for Croatia and other New EU Member States”, which is to be held in Zagreb on the 9^thof July 2018. The conference will be organized as a closing event of the triennial Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Support to Institution “POLO-Cro28 – Policy Observatory in Croatia”. It will bring together Croatian and foreign experts in order to discuss the most relevant topics in implementation of selected EU policies. Additionally, it will also serve as a forum communicating achievements of the POLO-Cro28 project. The event will be opened by a keynote speech of the higher official of the European Commission. Following the keynote speech there will be two thematic sessions: i) The EUʼs economic governance and coordination of socio-economic policies and ii) Cohesion policy, environmental protection policy and energy issues. Working languages of the conference will be Croatian and English. The POLO-Cro28 project is aimed at strengthening IRMO’s capacities in multidisciplinary policy analysis. It also intends to spread the knowledge and increase understanding of the EU policies as well as contribute to development of young researchers.Through the envisaged research activities and events this project fosters rising the awareness about the necessity for continuous implementation of economic and social reforms, within revised Europe 2020 Strategy. The project coordinator is Višnja Samardžija, PhD.

More information here

The Competition Policy & High-Tech Markets serves to understand how competition law can be an effective tool to further the objective of a single digital market in the European Union, promoting competition, eliminating anti-competitive trade barriers and generally enhancing market efficiency.

Registration is open until 25 June 2018.

More information & Registration

The ENP PhD Summer School 2018 takes place from 16 to 21 August 2018 in the framework of the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) in the mountain village of Alpbach (Austria) and is an integral part of EFA. The topic of this year’s edition is: “The European Neighbourhood Policy: Principled Pragmatism and the Quest for Resilience”. Link to details for registration

On 30/31 August 2018, the 3rd International EUCACIS Conference “Central Asia and the South Caucasus in Transition: International Perspectives” will take place at Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Experts from the European Union, the South Caucasus and Central Asia will come together to discuss conflicts in the South Caucasus, take a close look at the latest events in Central Asia as well as explore possibilities for cooperation and dialogue between the European Union, the South Caucasus and Central Asia in three different panels.

Taking stock of the tools, best practices and challenges in the field of migration and asylum in Europe

In the coming years, the European Union (institutions, Member States, national parliaments, EU agencies, regions, etc.) should mobilise its resources and have its legislative, diplomatic, financial, security and humanitarian instruments drive a global strategy.

To this end, for those working, researching or purely interested in this important policy it is critical to review, extend and update the knowledge and understanding of the  instruments, best practices and tools on the current European migration and asylum policy.

The programme, therefore, includes an overview of the main legal instruments for migration management at EU level, as well as its main actors. Participants will reflect upon and understand implementation challenges that might arise when using these instruments at national level.

Linking theory to immediate practice, this three-day seminar incorporates interactive presentations on the technical content, practical case studies in small groups and feedback sessions.

More information

Exiting the EU presents the need for a major rethink in terms of the future aims, ambitions and conduct of British European strategy. As there is no precedent for a country choosing to leave the EU, the consequences of departure for the UK’s foreign and security policy are uncertain and the impact on its role in Europe is indeterminate.

Defining the ambitions of a post-EU UK foreign and security policy will be a major undertaking for the next decade. Through its current membership of the EU, Britain participates in a set of policies that structure relationships between the EU and other states and organizations involved in international relations. With Brexit, this set of policies—covering trade, security (including defence), development and foreign policy will most likely be recalibrated. Alteration of Britain’s status in relation to the EU will also have the consequence of an extensive recalibration of its bilateral relationships with both its EU and non-EU European neighbours.

As the Brexit negotiations has demonstrated the UK’s political and diplomatic energy is far more preoccupied with Brexit than that of the EU institutions and the overwhelming majority of EU member states. It is still indeterminate as to whether the current heavy enmeshed UK-US diplomatic, defence and intelligence relationship is likely to be strengthened or weakened by Brexit. Furthermore, as the Brexit negotiations move into ‘Phase 2’, and the nature of the future EU-UK relationship becomes the dominant preoccupation, the UK’s post-Brexit diplomatic ambitions will become clearer. This will also require the EU’s member states to clarify their own ambitions and expectations for their relationship with the UK. The effects of Brexit on the power, alliances and influence of European states is yet to get underway.

This is what Professor Richard G. Whitman talked about when he visited NUPI on the 27 September.

Check the video on YouTube, and find more information here.

The Institute for European Studies (University of Malta) and the Institute of International Affairs (IIA) from Iceland are hosting two international workshops on small states, back to back, on the 27 and 28 September.

The workshop on 27 September discusses on small states and how they deal with challenges associated to migration pressure, especially in the political sphere.

This project is supported by the Erasmus+ programme, managed by the European Commission.

Please, see more details on the programme here.

The Institute for European Studies (University of Malta) and the Institute of International Affairs (IIA) from Iceland are hosting two international workshops on small states, back to back, on the 27 and 28 September.

The workshop on 28 September discusses the need of a cross-disciplinary approach when assessing small states dynamics. The seminar will focus on the perspectives of small states in foreign policy and economic security, migration issues, international law and public administration.

This project is supported by the Erasmus+ programme, managed by the European Commission.

Please, see more details on the programme here.

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) together with the Mercator Stiftung and Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) organise the third event of the Global Turkey in Europe V Programme "Eu-Turkey cooperation on migration management: going beyond ad hoc short-termism".

The event, a closed-door meeting among key stakeholders to be held in Kos on 1st October, aims to foster debate on how to go beyond the currently predominant ad hoc short-termism and unpredictability of EU-Turkey migration management cooperation.

Find all the information on the event here.

In May 2017, China hosted a major conference on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), President Xi Jinping's landmark project that aims to massively increase China's land and maritime trade with Central Asia and Europe. The summit was attended by major world leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, during Rome's chairmanship of the G7. One year later, President Xi’s initiative has attracted significant attention across Europe and is mentioned in almost all bilateral meetings between China and the over 60 countries involved in the BRI, from the Balkans to South-East Asia, but also including EU member states. What has happened since the inaugural BRI Forum? How is China supporting its BRI in Europe? What could be done to better align the BRI with Europe’s strategic priorities in a fast-changing global environment?

You can find more information about it here.

Full information on the conference here.

This intensive half-day workshop is organized by the College of Europe Development Office on 5 October 2018. During this workshop, participants learn to find their way through the ‘jungle’ of EU-related websites in order to be able to quickly and effectively search for relevant information on EU legislation, policies and institutions. Participants will receive a certificate testifying their acquired knowledge of the EU institutions, and ability to wade through its vast amount of information.

On Friday,5 October 2018, the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studiesof the College of Europe, Bruges campus, will hold a conference to discuss some of the main achievements in the field of EU external relations studies, discuss current trends and further research avenues. Questions around the conceptualisation of the EU’s ‘actorness’ and the coherence of its external action as well as contributions by broader theoretical trends in the social sciences will be addressed. The conference will also focus on the way the EU is seen from the outside and how this is taken into account in the analysis of EU external action. The keynote address will be delivered by Professor Ian Manners.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. For the conference programme, further information and the registration form, check here

How to navigate the EU's diplomatic waters? Reporting, communicating and negotiating

The College of Europe Development Office is organizing a specialized training course on the main policy issues of EU external relations, at the Bruges campus on 8-10 October 2018. To provide participants with valuable insight into the workings of the EEAS, the seminar will cover the complexities of EU external affairs through a dynamic and comprehensive approach, offering workshops, case-studies and debates. It will be delivered by a faculty of excellence, consisting of distinguished academics and practitioners.

More information

The Institute for World Economy, Romanian Academy in association with

The Institute of World Economy, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies of Hungarian Academy of Sciences will organise

The 12th Romanian – Hungarian Academic Round Table “Romania and Hungary in the Globalised World and Partners in the European Integration”, 

on October 11-12, 2018.

The programme may be consulted here.

On Friday 12 October 2018, the College of Europe in Natolin has the pleasure to host Professor Alex Szczerbiak of the University of Sussex. Professor Szczerbiak will deliver a lecture entitled "Will there be Eurosceptic Backlash in Eastern Europe?".

Professor Aleks Szczerbiak is Professor of Politics and Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex. He is currently Director of Doctoral Studies for Law, Politics and Sociology and was Co-Director of the Sussex European Institute (SEI) from 2006-14. His full biography is available here.

This event is open to the public. In order to register, please e-mail: civilization-chair.pl@coleurope.eu.

You can find more information about the event here.

How does it work? Challenges, mechanisms and institutional framework

This course is designed for participants to gain sound understanding of the European multifaceted economic governance and how it contributes to shaping the economic, monetary, fiscal and banking future. A unique opportunity to get a thorough understanding and practical insights of how institutions are addressing European economic and financial challenges.

Register by 31 July 2018 and get a 10% discount

More information

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) organise the workshop "Game (Not) Over: Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios in EU-Turkey relations in a Global Perspective" in Bodrum, Turkey, on 15 October 2018, within the framework of the FEUTURE project.The closed-door workshop will bring together a selected group of experts for a strategic dialogue on the future of the EU’s relations with Turkey.

You can find more information about the Workshop here.

The Institute for European Studies and the Europe Direct Information Centre (University of Malta) organises the launch of its publication 'Malta's EU Presidency: a Study in a Small State Presidency of the Council of the EU'. The book represents the first in a series of publications which the Institute intends to issue focusing on Malta and the European Union. It is fitting that, for our initial publication, we provide the first and only academic assessment of the Maltese Presidency of the Council.

The launch will comprise an address by the Prime Minister, Dr Joseph Muscat, as well as a panel discussion on the book, followed by a reception (sponsored by the Europe Direct Information Centre at the University of Malta).

All those attending will be given a complimentary copy of the book.

Due to the small size of the venue, spaces are limited to a first-come-first-serve policy and places can be booked through the following link:

You can find here the registration form

The 'shadow banking system' refers to a system of credit-provision occurring outside of the official regulatory perimeter of commercial banks. Facilitated by securitization vehicles, mutual funds, hedge funds, investment banks and mortgage companies, the function and regulation of these shadow banking institutions has come under increasing scrutiny after the subprime crisis of 2007–8. Matthias Thiemann examines how regulators came to tolerate the emergence of links between the banking and shadow banking systems. Through a comparative analysis of the US, France, the Netherlands and Germany, he argues that fractured domestic and global governance systems determining the regulatory approach to these links ultimately aggravated the recent financial crisis. Since 2008, shadow banking has even expanded and the incentives for banks to bend the rules have only increased with increasing regulation. Thiemann's empirical work suggests how state-finance relations could be restructured to keep the banking system under better state control.

More information here.

Understanding the essentials of the EU Trade Law and WTO and the EU's trade agreements

A four-day seminar organized by the College of Europe Development Office, Bruges campus, this training session is designed to offer a thorough and detailed introduction to trade law and the WTO, and to the EU's trade negotiations with other large trading blocks, such as the USA. It provides the participants with a comprehensive analysis of the significance of the International Trading System. This seminar is designed for officials from EU institutions and agencies, and from national administrations.

More information

On 23 October 2018, Professor Martyn RADY visits the College of Europe in Natolin and gives a lecture entitled: "The Fall of the Habsburg Empire". The event is part of the cycle of centenary events organized by the European Civilization Chair under the heading "Breaking Empires, Making Nations?" which has started in 2015 with the conference on the First World War.

H.E. Marie-Anne Coninsx, EU Ambassador at Large for the Arctic, will deliver the fifth annual high-level EU Diplomacy Lecture at the College of Europe in Bruges. Ambassador Coninsx will address why and how the European Union is strongly engaged in the Arctic. She will explain the key challenges of the Arctic region, including the geo-economic and geopolitical implications of major transformations in the Arctic, and the main elements of the EU’s Arctic policy.

The event is open to the public but online registration is required before 18 October 2018, noon. For further information and the registration form, please visit the website.

About the speaker

​​Marie-Anne CONINSX is since September 2017 the European Union’s first Ambassador at Large for the Arctic. She previously was the EU Ambassador to Canada (2013-2017), after serving four years as the EU Ambassador to Mexico (2009-2013). In Canada, she extensively visited the Canadian Arctic. Her other postings abroad include having served as the number two at the EU Delegations in New York and in Geneva, which provided her with an extensive experience on multilateral issues.

Ambassador CONINSX has been an official of the European Union since 1984. She started her career in the European Commission at the Legal Service, and worked during 12 consecutive years as a staff member at Cabinets of three Commissioners, dealing respectively with: External Relations and Trade, Internal Market, Development Policy, and relations with the European Parliament. She also worked at the External Relations Department at EU headquarters, overseeing relations between the EU and Latin America. Ambassador CONINSX studied law at Gent University and carried out post-graduate studies at Cambridge University and at the European University Centre in Nancy.

Nationalist and populist tendencies are gaining weight across the European Union - not least in Central Europe. Thus, we have invited experts from Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria to discuss current developments and the impact the political debate has on EU-public opinion in their respective countries. The project “National populism and its reception in Central Europe” is co-funded by the Europe for Citizens Programme of the European Union.

Panel:

Maja Bučar, Centre of International Relations, University of Ljubljana

Dominika Hajdu, GLOBSEC Policy Institute Bratislava

Christian Kvorning Lassen, EUROPEUM Prag

András Szalai, Center for European Neighborhood Studies, CEU Budapest

Chair:

Paul Schmidt, Austrian Society for European Politics, Vienna

Registration: astrid.schoeggl@oegfe.at or 0043/1/533 49 99 – 16

Programme: https://oegfe.at/2018/10/24_brussels_event/

‘UK-Hungarian Policy Dialogue on Science and Innovation’ by the British Council Hungary, the British Embassy Budapest and the UK Science & Innovation Network, 25 Oct. 2018

Miklós Somai’s gave a lecture on Brexit: Challenges for Europe, challenges for Britain. 

The purpose of the event is to review the Hungarian-British scientific relationship and discuss the possibilities of the future. The conversation will provide an opportunity to learn about the current situation and discuss the possibilities for closer cooperation between research communities. The focus of the event is Brex and its impact on existing and future scientific relationships, with particular reference to European research programs.

More information here.

Renowned international experts, members of the scientific community, and European top energy institutional and industrial stakeholders will discuss the main energy security challenges for the European Union and its members states, as well as the potential responses to be put in place at the EU level to cope with current and future threats in the energy domain.

You can find the programme and the registration form here.

The theme of the 2018 conference of the European Consortium for Sociological Research is “Causes and Consequences of Inequalities in Europe”. This theme will receive special attention and they welcome presentations on all relevant areas of sociological research, such as the labor market, education, gender, the family, migration and ethnicity, urban and spatial inequalities, political sociology, health and well-being, social mobility, assortative mating and social stratification in general.

The conference is organized by the Observatoire Sociologique du Changement (Sciences Po & CNRS), with the support of the French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), the Quantitative Sociology Laboratory (ENSAE–CREST), the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics – CEE (Sciences Po & CNRS) and the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies – LIEPP (Sciences Po).

Check all the information on the conference here.

Dominique Ristori, Director-General for Energy at the European Commission will speak about Energy transition at the heart of the European vision for a modern, sustainable and competitive economy.

Details of the event: 

6 November 2018, from 1 to 2.30 pm

Fondation Universitaire, Rue d’Egmont 11, 1000 Brussels

Registration required via https://fr.surveymonkey.com/r/WXF6DTC

‘Scenarios for Brazil after the elections’ – roundtable meeting by the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Budapest, Hungary, 7 Nov. 2018.

Judit Ricz, Research Fellow, Institute of World Economics, Center for Economic and Regional Studies, among the lecturers:

Béla Soltész, Assistant Professor, Eötvös Loránd University, Department of International Relations and European Studies

Sándor Gyula Nagy, Deputy Director, Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Moderated by Barnabás Szabó, Research Fellow , Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade

To access the programme: http://kki.hu/hu/esemenyek/scenarios-for-brazil-after-the-elections/81

The Institute of International Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic would like to cordially invite you to a conference on the topic: "Reaching out to the Other: Overcoming Intercultural Conflicts." The conference discusses the possibility of overcoming the intercultural conflicts and focuses on diverse methods of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. It will highlight the importance of dialogue and communication for the transformation, de-escalation and potential resolution of political and armed conflicts. The event will provide a platform for representatives of diplomatic delegations and international organizations who are involved in mediation and conflict resolution, as well as academics and NGO experts.

More information about it can be found here.

Interregional and intermetropolitan economic divergence is greater in many western developed countries than it has been in many decades. Divergence manifests itself in many ways, including per capita income, labor force participation, and the spatial distribution of skills and returns to education. At the same time, geographical polarization of political preferences and electoral choices has increased, with gains in populism and nationalism in some regions, and broadening of socially liberal, pro-trade and multicultural attitudes in other regions. The task of explaining these developments poses challenges to economic geography and regional and urban economics. These fields have already developed some of the building blocks of an account, but a number of important gaps persist. How to tackle the key mechanisms behind divergence as well as integrate them in a common overall framework?

More information and registration here.

Round Table, Book panel discussion of Jenny Andersson‘s new book, “The Future of the World: Futurology, Futurists, and the Struggle for the Post-Cold War Imagination” 

with discussion by Marco Cremaschi (Sciences Po, CEE) and Martin Giraudeau(Sciences Po, CSO)

Organized by Sciences Po, MaxPo in collaboration with the CEE

Contact: allison.rovny@sciencespo.fr

Compulsory registration – For the external people to Sciences Po: You will have to arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the seminar and to provide you with your identity papers)

More info here.

Towards effective negotiations with and within the EU

The purpose of this seminar is to train professionals to become strategic and effective negotiators. It will enhance negotiation and communication skills that are used in interactions of different actors both between and within EU institutions, by means of interactive training sessions, workshops and simulation games.

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The management of projects from A to Z

This seminar is an interactive journey through the lifespan of European projects, from EU funding to tender writing, project implementation and evaluation. Participants will gain a comprehensive knowledge of the essential techniques for successful, cost-effective management of EU projects. This is a particularly pertinent course for those wishing to understand the EU funding process in these most uncertain economic times. The seminar will take place in Bruges from 12 to 16 November 2018 and is organized by the College of Europe Development Office.

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The conference aims at discussing the potential benefits and risks of differentiated integration within the EU in an internal and external dimension. The issue is to understand how forms of differentiated integration relate to the disintegrative pressures that have built up in Europe, and the impact it may have on the European Neighbourhood and enlargement policies.

Check all the related information here.

A Gala Dinner is organized by the Cyprus Center for European and International Affairs (CEIA) to celebrate its 25th anniversary, in which the Former President of the Eurogroup Mr Jeroen Dijsselbloem will be the Guest of Honour and deliver a Keynote Address. The topic to be addressed is “The Eurozone Crisis and the Future of the EU”.

Fee: 50€ (limited seats)

More details here.

‘Conference on European Integration’ – organized by The Swedish Network for European Studies in Economics and Business (Lund University)

When? 13-14. Nov. 2018

Title of Norbert Szijártó’s lecture: Varieties of Peripheries - How economic models of Iberian, Baltic and Visegrad countries have changed after the crisis?

Keynote speakers:

• Professor Karolina Ekholm, State Secretary, Ministry of Finance
• Dr. Lars Nilsson, Deputy Head of Chief Economist and Trade Analysis Unit (DG TRADE)

The full programme accessible here.

In addition to the well-known security dimension, years of military strife and state collapse in the Middle East and North Africa have created new economic realities on the ground that are likely to persist in post-conflict phases. They will shape how ongoing conflicts are to end and how “normal life” might resume afterwards. The conference will explore the pathways from war economy dynamics in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and neighbouring countries and will be structured in four thematic panels:

– The dynamics of war economy, the realities they have left on the ground and the actual rules that govern economic transactions and the access to natural resources and infrastructure.
– The political economy of reconstruction and how it may create losers and winners and hence either contribute to peace building or to the creation of new grievances
– The impact of hydrocarbon revenues in oil-rich countries like Iraq and Libya and whether they will ease reconstruction and reconciliation or conversely become an additional bone of contention between rival groups.
– The role that market-oriented and profit-driven private sector actors might play in any future reconstruction (considering also the unlikelihood of massive inter-governmental inflows). To conclude the conference, a roundtable of a selected group of international experts from the worlds of academics, practitioners and mass media will flesh out the main points highlighted during the four panels. The objective of this debate is to encourage connections, comparisons and further perspectives.

More details here.

Contact:

Sarah Katherine St John – Send a mail

Hydrogen – clean energy par excellence – appears more and more as a future energy sector, both in the field of transport and in stationary industrial applications. Today, many cities around the world have harnessed it as one of the most effective ways to manage the problems of urban mobility, passenger transport, or last-mile logistics for goods.

CIFE organises this conference in cooperation with the City of Nice, the AFHYPAC, and the Club de Nice, to reflect on hydrogen-fuelled responses to cities’ transportation and environmental challenges. We wish to involve industrial players in this event, as well as interested local authorities and individual guests.

The conference takes place in French.

Link to programme.

To register.

4th SVOC 'The Role of State in Varieties of Capitalism’ conference – with main focus on ‘Uneven Development, Inequalities and the State’organised by IWE CERS HAS & CEU CENS (Center for European Neighborhood Studies, Central European University).

Deadline for abstract submission: July 31, 2018

More details here

CERS HAS and the Central European University CENS (Center for European Neighborhood Studies, Central European University) 4th SVOC ’The Role of State in Varieties of Capitalism’ conference with the main focus on ‘Uneven Development, Inequalities and the State’.

The main aim of the 4th "The Role of State in Varieties of Capitalism"conference is to contribute to the better understanding of uneven development in three aspects and their interrelations: social, spatial and economic inequalities, furthermore state policies aiming at reducing these inequalities and multi-scalarity.

Link to the event page here.

Save the dates of 29 – 30th November 2018 for the conference on “Moving Sands in Global Politics and European Security: Resilience and Beyond”. Invitation and programme for this year’s Czernin Security Forum will be coming soon. The organizing team from the Institute of International Relations Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences at the Charles University and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking forward to welcoming everyone at the Czernin Palace.

Find more information about it here.

Save the dates 29th – 30th November 2018 for the conference on “Moving Sands in Global Politics and European Security: Resilience and Beyond”. The invitation and programme for this year’s Czernin Security Forum will be coming soon. The organising team from the Institute of International Relations Prague, the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking forward to welcoming everyone at the Czernin Palace.

Find more about it here.

The year 2017 was marred by the assassination, in Malta, of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, an event which represented one of the darkest hours for media freedom and media pluralism in the European Union in recent years. In 2018 other journalists on the front line, Jan Kuciak and Viktoria Marinova were murdered in Slovakia and Bulgaria. These crimes have profoundly shaken Europe and have had an impact on its image as a bastion of human rights and democratic values.

Several years of monitoring the state of play of media pluralism and freedom in Europe by the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) clearly show that no country is free from risks deriving from political, economic or legal conditions for media and journalism. What is worrisome is that the latest findings show a deterioration in most areas covered by the MPM. In particular, an increase of risk for the area of Basic protection, which covers the very essential conditions for a democratic society, including the safety of journalists and protection of freedom of expression, stands as a call for immediate action.

In addition to the “traditional” sources of risks to media pluralism, contemporary digital environment creates new challenges. Growing importance of a few digital intermediaries and social platforms strongly affect the news business, news distribution and audiences habits. It has opened a Pandora’s box of threats such as spread of online disinformation and hate speech, misuse of personal data for political advertising, non-transparent content moderation, net neutrality violations, etc.

The aim of this event is twofold: first, to present and discuss the latest findings of the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM 2017); and second to deliberate – with scholars, experts, stakeholders and policy-makers  from different parts of Europe – the digital-related challenges, trying to address possible ways of measuring such risks, as a precondition for acting upon them.

More information here.

15.00-16.30, 12 December 2018. Birojnīca, Dzirnavu street 84 k-2, Riga

 The Latvian Institute of International Affairs, with the support of the US Embassy in Riga, will hold a public discussion “Securing Democracy 2018: Strategic Communication Challenges in Latvia". The discussion will aim to review, among other issues, the means of securing the truth in the post-truth age to secure a common awareness of the meaning of democracy, Latvia’s capacity and outlook in the field of StratCom, and the top challenges for StratCom in 2018.

More information available here

The Institute of International Relations in cooperation with the Jan Masaryk Centre for International Studies and the Center for Asian Studies at the Faculty of International Relations, the University of Economics, Prague would like to invite you to a seminar and launch: Untangling the Mayhem: Crises and Prospects of the Middle East.

What were the reasons for the diverse political trajectories in the MENA countries and Turkey after the 2010/11 uprisings? Can we speak about democratization in this case at all, both regarding the concept as such and in the context of applying it at a time when the region is to a large degree still in turmoil? The seminar will start with a presentation by the guest speaker Tereza Jermanová on Reflections on the Democratization Debate after the Arab Uprisings. It will be followed by a presentation and a book launch of the recent book titled Untangling the Mayhem: Crises and Prospects of the Middle East. Among the speakers will be the editor Radka Havlová and also two selected authors of chapters in the book: Aneta Hlavsová (Yemen, Iraq) and Kristýna Tamchynová (Turkey). The event will be chaired by Jan Daniel.

16:30-17:15: Presentation

• Tereza Jermanová, Department of Middle Eastern Studies, Charles University/Association for International Affairs: Reflections on the Democratization Debate after the Arab Uprisings
• Radka Havlová, University of Economics: Untangling the Mayhem: Crises and Prospects of the Middle East: Arab Spring and the “Forgotten” Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
• Aneta Hlavsová, Kristýna Tamchynová, University of Economics: Iraq, Turkey, Yemen – the author’s view: The De-democratization Triad
• Chair: Jan Daniel, IIR Prague

17:15-18.00: Book launch and discussion

You can find more information about the event here.

This interactive FSR 1-day training, based on practical information and case studies, will guide you through everything you need to know about EU lobbying.

Gain key insight into the EU lobbying labyrinth while exploring the various principles, process and tools for developing effective strategies to influence the European decision-making processes and its ecosystem.

Learning Objectives

Conference: “Challenges in the South: Strengthening Transatlantic Cooperation”, 14 December 2018, Centre international de formation européenne, Nice

 With the support of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division

The conference will feature panels on ‘The New Security Environment in the Mediterranean’,‘Regional Stakes in the Mediterranean’, and ‘Deepening NATO-EU Cooperation’

Please note that the working language is English.
Lunch and dinner will be served. 

Link to programme and to details for registration

Simulation FEUTURE

CIFE organizes a two-day simulation of a Meeting of the European Council tackling the future of Europe with a special focus on EU-Turkish relations. The simulation takes place in the framework of the HORIZON2020 Project FEUTURE.

The simulation will take place at CIFE in Nice on 9 and 10 January 2019. The working language is English.

The following topics will be on the Agenda:

Internal and External Dimension of Migration

• Is the EU-Turkey-Agreement still appropriate or does it need to be revised?
• Can it be seen as a blueprint for other neighbouring countries?

Enlargement

• Should the EU adjust its enlargement policy in response to recent developments in Turkey?
• Are the EU institutions ready for further enlargement?

More information about the event: https://www.ie-ei.eu/en/8/News/simulation-on-eu-turkey-relations_95-2

Conference “War & Peace in the 21^st Century: Cities as Place of Refuge and Promoters of Peace”, 19 January 2019, Palau Reial de Pedralbes, Barcelona

Cities stand in the frontline when it comes to responding to violent conflict, ranging from local, national and international wars to everyday violence. They are the first to feel the impact of these conflicts and to mitigate their consequences. Having become experts in formulating and implementing resilience strategies that minimize vulnerability in highly complex conflict scenarios, cities often act as places of refuge and safety. Yet, beyond their capacity to manage violent conflict, cities are also key drivers of peace-building processes and conflict prevention. They promote post-conflict reconstruction and formulate reconciliation initiatives between alienated local cultural groups or nations as in the case of French-German town-twinning post-World War II. More fundamentally, with their proximity to citizens, municipal governments are well positioned to address the structural causes underlying violent conflict and to mediate in situations of emerging tensions. This edition of War & Peace reflects on the important role of cities in violent conflict, focusing on their double role as, on the one hand, managers of vulnerability and places of refuge and, on the other, as promoters of reconstruction and peace.

Link to programme

The recent evolution of the European Union’s politics and policies has demonstrated that differentiation can no longer be treated as an anomaly in the integration process. This has posed a key set of questions to academics and policy-makers on whether, how much and what form of differentiation is not only compatible with but also conducive to a more effective, cohesive and democratic EU.The project EU IDEA – Integration and Differentiation for Effectiveness and Accountability – addresses these issues and try to find viable solutions. EU IDEA puts together 15 EU and extra-EU partners in a joint research and dissemination effort coordinated by IAI, starting from January 2019 and lasting for three years. 

On the 28th of January a kick-off meeting will take place in Rome, which will constitute the opportunity to present to relevant stakeholders the new project on differentiated integration coordinated by IAI, entitled EU IDEA – Integration and Differentiation for Effectiveness and Accountability, putting together 15 EU and extra-EU partners in a joint research and dissemination effort funded by the European Commission within the program Horizon 2020.

Check out more information about the project here.

CIFE Lunchtime debate with Mr Claude MORAES, MEP (S&D, GBR), Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE): “What European solidarity to respond to humanitarian emergencies in the Mediterranean?”

When? 29 January 2019, 13:00 – 14:30

Where? Fondation universitaire, Brussels

Link to programme and to details for registration

An initiative of the office of CIFE in Brussels and of the group of CIFE Alumni in Brussels

The CIFE office in Brussels regularly organises lunchtime debates on the major questions that are at the centre of interest concerning the European Union. Five times a year, the “Midis du CIFE” provide an opportunity for notable actors and observers of the European integration process to comment and debate with the audience on topics concerning the internal and external policies of the European Union. The success of these meetings, which take place at the University Foundation in Brussels, is not for the least part due to the active participation of the public. Their guests mainly come from the European institutions, from universities, business, foundations, civil society organisations, and the press. Numerous former students of the CIFE programmes also take part in these events which they regard as career long learning opportunities. 

Executive Training Seminar on “Economy in War-torn Countries: Pathways to Recovery and Reconstruction”, 30 January – 1 February 2019, European University Institute

 This executive training focuses on the economic dimensions of civil wars. It explores how economic life changes amid widespread violence and state breakdown. It also addresses how wartime political economic arrangements create durable and remarkably resilient socio-economic mechanisms and networks.

For full scholarships, the deadline for application is on 16 December 2018, for the other applications, the deadline is on 6 January.

When? 31 January 2019

Where? CIDOB, sala Jordi Maragall, Elisabets 12,08001 Barcelona

The University of Pennsylvania will present their Index 2018 Global Go To Think Tank, directed by James G. McGann, on the 31^st of January, 2019. This Index ranks global leading think tanks in different categories and is designed to identify centres of excellence in key areas of public policy research and in every region of the world.

On the occasion of the launch of the index, CIDOB has organized a session of discussion on the role of think tanks as generators of ideas amidst political transformation and disinformation in our society. The launch will also involve a series of coordinated events in more than 100 international organizations and NGOs that are intended to highlight the important role think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the world.

Link to programme

Conference “What is going on in the world?” In defence of housing in Europe, 7 February 2019, CIDOB, Barcelona

Accessing adequate housing is becoming increasingly difficult for the bulk of residents of today’s major urban areas. Each city has its particularities, but this is a worldwide trend that most share and that is rooted in the internationally predominant political and economic conditions that shape housing provision. What global processes underpin our local housing predicaments? How can we tackle them?

“Think globally, act locally”, the saying goes. Housing issues will be central to the upcoming municipal elections in Spain on the 26^th of May. To what extent are they also relevant to the European Parliamentary election that will be taking place on that same day?

To analyse the different scales through which housing problems and solutions are being articulated, CIDOB is hosting a conversation between David Madden, sociologist at the London School of Economics and its Cities Programme and co-author of the book “In Defence of Housing” (2016), and Sorcha Edwards, Secretary General of Housing Europe, the European Federation of Public, Co-operative and Social Housing. The conversation will be moderated by Lorenzo Vidal, researcher at CIDOB’s Global Cities Programme. 

Link to programme

The College of Europe’s Department of European Political and Governance Studies is delighted to welcome you to the conference “Decarbonising energy: Lessons from history and policies for the future.” Join us on 7 February from 16:00-18:30 at the House of European History, Fables Room and Auditorium, Rue Belliard 135 1000 Bruxelles. We will celebrate the launch of the Iberdrola Manuel Marín Chair for European Energy Policy. With the development of the EU’s long term decarbonisation strategy as a key component of the Union’s Paris Agreement commitments, this should be a timely and insightful discussion.

The deadline for registration is 31 January 2019, 12:00 (noon) here.

Public Event: “Germany’s Role in Georgia’s European Future: How to align expectations?”, 8 February 2019, Representation of the European Commission in Germany

The Georgian public often perceives Germany as a sceptical and hesitant partner concerning Georgia’s European aspirations. For instance, the delay in granting visa-free travel to Georgian citizens was partly based on German concerns. Angela Merkel’s visit to the South Caucasus in August 2018 raised hopes in Georgia for an increased interest and support from the German side towards Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, but these expectations were largely disappointed. At the same time, Germany was the first country of the then European Community to recognise Georgia’s independence and is Georgia’s largest bilateral partner in development cooperation. Furthermore, the German government supported the creation of the Eastern Partnership in 2009 and strongly advocated the signing of the Association Agreement with Georgia.

The particular role of Germany for Georgia’s European aspirations as well as possible ways to align mutual expectations will be discussed at the event. After introductory remarks by the Georgian Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Dr. rer. pol. Elguja Khokrishvili (in German), Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) and the Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP) will present the main conclusions of their recent paper on perceptions and misperceptions in Georgian-German relations. This will be followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Kornely Kakachia, Director of the GIP, Liana Fix, Körber Foundation and Dr. Franziska Smolnik, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), moderated by Dr. Katrin Böttger, IEP.

http://iep-berlin.de/registration-germanys-role-in-georgias-european-future-how-to-align-expectations

Save the date for 8th February for the conference "NATO@70: The Role of the Transatlantic Community in the Past, Present, and Future". Invitation and programme for the conference will be available soon. The organizing team from the Institute of International Relations Prague, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung - Representation in the Czech Republic is looking forward to welcoming everyone at the Czernin Palace.

Check all the information about it here!

Conference “CIDOB Breakfast with Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management: A Europe that protects: Strengthening EU civil protection in natural disasters”

When? 11 February 2019

Where? CIDOB, Barcelona

Alone in 2017, over 200 people were killed by natural disasters in Europe and over one million hectares of forest have been destroyed. “The tragedies of the past few years have shown that our current disaster response system has reached its limits in its existing voluntary format. The challenges we face have evolved, and so must we. It is a matter of solidarity and shared responsibility at all levels” said Christos Stylianides during the presentation of rescEU,a new European system to tackle natural disasters.

This proposal is a central part of President Juncker's agenda of a Europe that protects and comes in light of more complex and frequent natural disasters that have seriously affected many European countries over recent years. A key part of the proposal is the creation of a reserve at European level of civil protection capabilities such as aerial forest fighting planes, special water pumps, urban search and rescue and field hospitals and emergency medical teams. These will complement national assets and will be managed by the European Commission in order to support countries hit by disasters such as floods, forest fires, earthquakes and epidemics.

Link to programme

Conference: "Governance and Security in the Sahel: Tackling Mobility, Demography and Climate Change"

When? 12 February 2019

Where? Rome

International conference supported by Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The event is based on a research project commissioned by IAI, Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), that has firstly analyzed the factors underpinning good governance in the Sahel, and has secondly considered how the quality of governance is influenced by and can affect the management of demographic changes, climate change and mobility.

The first session of the conference will provide an overview of governance in the Sahel. The second session will be devoted to the analysis and research findings in Burkina Faso and Niger. The final session will focus on the role of the EU and other international actors in the region. The conference will also serve as a platform to gather recommendations for the African, EU and US institutions in these fields.

Here is the link to the programme.

Finding the right balance between national autonomy and cross-national integration has been a key question throughout the history of European integration. It has also become more urgent following the British government decision to withdraw from the EU and the fear that other states may do the same. In the current situation, it is likely that we will see a process of more flexible integration. However, we know little about what it means in practice, and how will it be addressed by different actors and levels of government (the EU, the member states and associated member states).

What is differentiated integration? How has it developed? And what are its conditions and mechanisms? In an overall assessment of differentiated integration, Frank Schimmelfennig will argue that differentiation has facilitated European integration but is of limited use for overcoming the current crises of the EU.

Frank Schimmelfennig is Professor of European Politics and member of the Center for Comparative and International Studies at ETH Zurich. His main research interest lies in the theory of European integration and, more specifically, in EU enlargement, differentiated integration, democracy promotion, and democratization.

The seminar is part of NUPI’s seminar series Norway meets Europe and the new project EUFLEX. It will be chaired by Pernille Rieker, Research Professor at NUPI.

Link to programme and to details for registration.

Conference: “Brexit fall out: The citizen’s perspective - The economic and social impact of Brexit"

When? 13th February 2019, 2.30 – 7.30 pm

Where? Europe House, London

EU27 citizens in the UK still face an uncertain future if Britain leaves the EU and British citizens still face being stripped of their EU citizenship. Meanwhile many of the anticipated social and economic consequences of Brexit are already with us, even before Britain leaves the European Union. At this conference we will be discussing, among other questions: Is there a Brexit brain drain? Where are the skills gaps of the future and how will they be filled? Who is leaving the UK and what challenges do they face? What has free movement ever done for Britain? How will the health and social care sector be impacted by Brexit? Will ending free movement lead to increases in real wages?

More info about the event: http://fedtrust.co.uk/brexit-fall-out-the-citizens-perspective/

It is a free event but please register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brexit-fallout-social-and-economic-impacts-from-the-citizens-perspective-tickets-54673021479

Event (public/ on record) “The European Energy Transition: a year ahead of the twenties” 19 February 2019, Bruegel, Brussels

This event will look at the most important issues related to energy for the next few years. The event will coincide with the launch of the book ‘The European Energy Transition: Actors, Factors, Sectors’ and an ENTSO-E – FSR online course on the same topic. 

When? 19 February 2019, 10:00 am - 2:45 pm

Where? Bruegel, Rue de la Charité 33, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode Brussels

More information: http://fsr.eui.eu/event/the-european-energy-transition-a-year-ahead-of-the-twenties/

Panel Discussion. EU-Japan cooperation for a free and open international order: The EU-Japan partnership agreements

When? Thursday, 21 February 2019, 9:30-13:45

Where? Fundación Botín, Castelló 18 C, Madrid

On 1 February 2019 the EU and Japan's Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force and since then a large part of their bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement also applies on a provisional basis. Both agreements signal the commitment of the EU and Japan to an open, fair, and rules-based international order.

Elcano Royal Institute organizes a conference on 21 February 2019 gathering officials and experts from different European countries and Japan to discuss in detail the implications of these EU-Japan partnership agreements on the bilateral relation andon global governance in a context of rising international instability.

For more information, the programme and registration, please click here.

High-level Conference organised by the Department of European Legal Studies on "The Internal Market 2.0"

Where? College of Europe, Verversdijk 16, Bruges, building A, Auditorium 1

When? Thursday 21 and Friday 22 February 2019

This conference brings together world-leading academics and practitioners, to reflect critically yet constructively on the past achievements of the internal market in the process of European integration, its current state (including the various legal and political controversies that have arisen over the past years, especially in relation to its arguably imperfect accommodation of other public interests), and its future (including the challenges and opportunities posed by digitalization and technological progress more generally).

You can find more information here.

And download the programme here.

Natolin student delegation at the London International Model United Nations

From 22-24 February 2019, eighteen students from the College of Europe in Natolin participate in the prestigious London International Model United Nations (LIMUN). The London International Model United Nations is the LIMUN Foundation’s flagship annual event, welcoming over 1,500 delegates to the great cosmopolitan capital of Britain, for three days of intensive debate and exciting social events.

The conference consists of a simulation of United Nations organs and other fora of international affairs, challenging young people to take on the roles of world leaders. Participants assume the mantles of national ambassadors, simulating various organs, committees and specialised agencies while seeking to resolve outstanding issues on the international agenda, from human rights to breaches of the peace.

Students selected to form the Delegation are: Gevorg BAGHDASARYAN, Nina BASOK, Yasmine BENNOUAR, Oussama BOUZEROUATA, Mareva BUNGA, Boniface CHAMPRIS, Ines DOS SANTOS, Jasmine GODIER, Mohammed-El-Amin HAMIDOU, Maelle IMBERT, Vira KOMPANIIETS, Hugo PENICAUD, Stanislav POLCHENKO, Benjamin ROBINET, Angeline SANZAY, Mallory TAMAIN, Louise VALLEDOR, Marie-Ange WAMBO.

More information can be found at the following link.

22-24. Febr. 2019 ‘YSI North America Convening’ – international conference in Los Angeles

Title of Ádám Kerényi’s presentation: Brave New Digital World? Financial technology and the power of information

You can access and download his presentation here.

Conference "The future of Europe", 26 February 2019

When? 11am-2pm

Where? Escuela Diplomática, Paseo de Juan XXIII 5, Madrid

Opening remarks: Fernando Fernández-Arias Minuesa, Ambassador-Director of  the Diplomatic School, and Gabriela Dancău, Ambassador of Romania in the Kingdom of Spain.

Keynote speeches: Josep Piqué Camps, Former Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lazăr Comănescu, Former Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

More info here.

Seminar: “What went wrong with the theories of moderation and what does the AKP case of Turkey show us?”

When? 27^th of February 2019

Where? IIR Prague

Why do some Islamist parties adopt democratic ideas and then move away toward more authoritarian ones? What explains these shifts and what have the relations between the state and Islamist movements to do with this process?

The core idea of party moderation implies a party's embracement of open worldviews that do not contradict democratic principles and compromise with other actors. While much has been written on the factors leading to the moderation of Islamist parties, little is known why such moderation does not sustain or why de-moderation is likely to follow afterwards.

More information here.

CIFE Lunchtime debate with Mrs Themis Christophidou, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission: “The strategy and priorities of the European Union as to Education and Training after 2020”

When? 27 February 2019, 13:00 – 14:30

Where? Fondation universitaire, Brussels venue [ex: Trans European Policy Studies Association]

Link to programme and to details for registration.

An initiative of the office of CIFE in Brussels and of the group of CIFE Alumni in Brussels

The CIFE office in Brussels regularly organises lunchtime debates on the major questions that are at the centre of interest concerning the European Union. Five times a year, the “Midis du CIFE” provide an opportunity for notable actors and observers of the European integration process to comment and debate with the audience on topics concerning the internal and external policies of the European Union. The success of these meetings, which take place at the University Foundation in Brussels, is not for the least part due to the active participation of the public. Their guests mainly come from the European institutions, from universities, business, foundations, civil society organisations, and the press. Numerous former students of the CIFE programmes also take part in these events which they regard as career long learning opportunities. 

28 Febr. – 2 March 2019: “From imperial splendor to revolutionary Islam” - 40th Anniversary of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A cooperation of Bruno Kreisky Forum for international Dialogue BKF and Federal Ministry of Defense, Department for Security Policy and Institute for Peace Support and Conflict Management and Institute of World Economics – Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Location: Vienna

IWE CERS HAS will be represented by Erzsébet N. Rózsa

More information here.

Final Public Conference “The Middle East and the EU: New Realities, New Policies”

When? 6^th March 2019

Where? Egmont Palace, Brussels

MENARA and MEDRESET, both H2020 collaborative research projects, will unveil on March 6^th its findings during a public conference entitled The Middle East and the EU: New Realities, New Policies at Egmont Palace. The event will include a key-note speech by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU Commission Federica Mogherini, introduced by Ambassador Marc Otte.   

This conference aims at fostering a debate among the Brussels-based expert and policy community on the present and the future of the Middle East and North Africa and in particular on the EU’s role towards this region. The agenda of the meeting will also include the presentation of the projects’s main results by MENARA’s scientific coordinator Eduard Soler, senior research fellow at CIDOB, MENARA’s policy coordinator Nathalie Tocci, director of IAI, and MEDRESET’s scientific coordinator Daniela Huber, senior researcher at IAI, among others experts from both consortia that will discuss where the Middle East is heading to.

Link to programme

Conference: “The Future of Europe and the Scottish Dimension”, 7^th March 2019, Mary Sumner House, London

The Federal Trust is collaborating with the Scottish Centre on European Relations (SCER) to produce a report on Scotland’s future place in Europe. This conference is organised as part of this project. During the conference there will also be a panel to discuss the recent publication of the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) entitled “The future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, to which our Director Brendan Donnelly contributed.

2.00 – 6.30pm, free event but please register by email to events@fedtrust.co.uk

Please find the programme here.

What? CEE General Seminar "Including Strangers, Now and Then: How Old Ideas Drive Contemporary Migrant Policies in Catalonia and South Tyrol"

When? March 12, 2019, 12.30 to 2.30 pm

Where? Sciences Po - Room Goguel, 27 rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007 Paris

More information and registration here.

2019 marks the 10^th anniversary of the annual political economy conference of the College of Europe’s Department of European Political and Governance Studies. Participants are invited to reflect on changes to euro area governance over the last decade in order to identify whether these changes have yielded their expected outcomes, which reforms remain in order to ensure a robust monetary union, and the political feasibility of such reforms. The evolution of the ECB and the establishment of banking union are the focus. Leading academics and practitioners will engage in a debate on the future of economic and monetary union.

Registrations for this event will be open until 11 March 2019 at 14:00.

Find more information about it here.

 What Agenda for the Next European Parliament? 19 March 2019, in Brussels

European Parliament elections in May 2019 come at a critical time in the evolution of the EU: these will be the first elections after the departure of the UK and at a time when divergence on many issues characterise member state relations. Wider global developments weigh heavily on Europe with the return of hard geopolitics and efforts to undermine the global multilateral order.

The EUI wants to highlight the issues that are at the heart of the political agenda at this juncture. A number of EP Elections Policy Papers were produced on all of the major issues and will be presented and discussed at this event in Brussels on 19 March.

Registration will be open soon. More info here.

What? Conferences Series "Waiting for European Elections", with Thomas Piketty

When? March 20, 2019, 7 to 9 pm

Where? Sciences Po

More info here.

Conference “Cultural Pluralism in Cities of the Global South” 20 – 21 March 2019, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

This conference focuses on cities that are emerging (or striving to emerge) as regional centres of power in the Global South. We focus on capital cities and major urban centres in Asian, African, and Latin American countries at different stages of the nation building process. We want to unpack the power relations within the city and the ways in which the city projects itself beyond the national scale and positions itself both at a wider regional level and within global cultural hierarchies.

For more information, the programme, and to register, click here: https://www.eui.eu/events/detail?eventid=149783

The summer of 2015 was a turning point in the history of the EU. The massive influx of migrants not only manifested a global refugee crisis, but was also a huge challenge for Europe; the EU apparatus proved unable to respond sufficiently. Since then, the political debate on migration in Europe has been polarizing, heated, and even dangerous. For European decision-makers to find a joint policy on migration has been an extremely difficult task, eventually leading the EU to harden its approach by boosting its frontier and coastguard. This has led to a decrease in the number of arrivals, even though in 2018, 68,5 million people were displaced, nearly 3 million more than the year before. A key issue in this regard is that closing the borders may force people to take refuge in weak or vulnerable states, leading to increased pressure on systems that are already struggling to stay afloat. This may potentially lead to more conflict, radicalization, and eventually also more refugees. It should be recognized that the current refugee and migration crisis is not just a local or European problem – it is global. Building a “Fortress Europe” might be necessary as a short-term solution. However, a long-term solution would require different approach. At this event, we will discuss the EU’s crisis response towards the countries in the Middle East and the Sahel where migrants and refugees come from or are important transit countries – is it helping, or is it counterproductive? The event is organized by EUNPACK and is part of the project’s final conference which will take place at CEPS 18-19 March 2019.

Please register here.

When the EU launched its Global Strategy in June 2016, it stated that “We need a stronger Europe. This is what our citizens deserve, this is what the wider world expects.” However, in an already fragile world, a range of challenges emerged like beads on a string: Brexit, the election of US President Trump, and the proliferation of authoritarianism, populism, and nationalism in the EUs immediate and wider neighbourhood. The protracted crises in Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel, and continuing uncertainties in the Balkans, are of no less concern. Together these events have led some to argue that the very liberal world order of free trade, international law, and multilateralism, is in decline. The obvious consequence is that it is becoming increasingly challenging for the EU to balance its autonomy and interests with those of other key stakeholders both on a national, regional and international level. In this evolving context of new internal and external challenges, what is the EU’s actual toolbox in delivering at home as well as abroad? Can the EU regain the trust of its citizens as well as those living in conflict areas whose rights it wishes to protect or promote? What role can the EU have in the transformation of its Eastern neighbours into peaceful and prosperous democracies? And what lies ahead for the relationship between the EU and other major powers such as Turkey? To highlight these crucial questions, we discuss findings from four, international and interdisciplinary H2020-funded research projects: EUNPACK, EU-STRAT, FEUTURE, and INFORM. The event is organized by EUNPACK and is part of the project’s final conference which will take place at CEPS 18-19 March 2019.

Please register here.

Lecture: “Who in Russia shapes foreign policy? The role of think tanks, the Presidential Administration and the Security Council,” 25^th of March 2019, IIR Prague

Russian foreign policy decision-making remains one of the grey areas of operation of the Russian state. With the Security Council clearly claiming the primary role in formulating the top foreign policy agenda, what role do the MFA and the Presidential Administration play in shaping the decision-making and execution of foreign policy agenda? Are the Russian foreign-policy think-tanks involved in decision-making or do they only play the role of intellectual backing of the dominant narratives in place? How can we access the role of individuals and state-corporations in formulating foreign-policy agenda – with Rosneft’s Sechin active involvement in Russia’s relations with Venezuela, Iraq and Libya?

Russian political analyst Anton Barbashin will provide his insights into those questions, attempting to decipher the complicated relations of Russian foreign policy agencies."

More information here.

The Europe Direct Information Centre University and the Institute for European Studies will be hosting Professor Richard W.T. Pomfret (University of Adelaide, Australia) for a public talk on 'The EU and its International Trade Policy'.

The talk will be held at Dar l-Ewropa/Europe House in Valletta on Tuesday 26 March at 17:30.

The talk is open to the public. Places are limited. Please, book your place by filling and submitting the event's form.

Visit the Facebook event page for further updates

See you in Valletta!

New Generation Summit — 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership

On 27 March 2019, the College of Europe in Natolin hosts the New Generation Summit on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership.

The New Generation Summit is an initiative of the European Neighbourhood Policy Student Society of the European Interdisciplinary Studies programme. During the Summit, the participants discuss achievements and future goals of the Eastern Partnership and prepare an official declaration, including policy recommendations.

For more information please visit our website.

Ministerial Debate — 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership

On 27 March 2019, the College of Europe in Natolin organizes a debate on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Ms Margot Wallström, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Mr Jacek Czaputowicz with the participation of the Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Ms Helga Schmid.

You can find out more on our website.

March 28, Workshop "Political Economy - What’s the Value Added" in honor of the the launch of HAY, Colin and SMITH, Andy, (eds.). Dictionnaire d'économie politique : Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoir. Paris : Presses de Sciences Po, 2018

Political Economy as an approach focuses on the link between politics and economics, refusing to think one without the other. In a time of disciplinary specialization, it is particularly challenging to maintain such a focus of research. So what is the value added of such an enterprise, given these adverse conditions? This workshop is devoted to answer this question, using the contributions and contributors of the “Dictionnaire” to prime the discussion.

More information here.

International Conference — 10th Anniversary of the Eastern Partnership

On 28 March 2019, the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair at the Natolin campus of the College of Europe organises an international conference, entitled "The Eastern Partnership 10 Years after the Prague Summit: In Search of New Momentum". The conference, addressing the EaP’s four platforms, will be opened by Mr Christian DANIELSSON, Director-General of the European Commission’s DG NEAR, and it will benefit from the participation of leading experts.

For more information please visit our website.

Seminar “Local Energy Supplies and Recommunalization of Utility Providers”, 29^th March 2019, CIDOB, Barcelona

Privatization of utility companies and provision of basic services via Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) has been the conventional wisdom of a liberal dogma that reigned supreme from the 1980s until the global financial crisis in 2008. Private providers would run municipal enterprises more efficiently and their privatization would free capital for other purposes, so the argument went. Critics have pointed to negative consequences of such privatizations: often the new owners hiked prices and contributed to energy poverty. Urban communities on the other hand were deprived of the ability to actively shape local energy policies and introduce social and environmental consideration into local energy politics. Such criticism has led to initiatives for improved schemes of local energy provision, ranging from changed ownership structures, modified private-public partnerships to prevention or reversal privatization of communal energy providers.

This seminar will gather practitioners, civil society and academics to discuss merits and challenges of such initiatives and similarities and differences between them.

Link to programme

FSR-CEER Joint Training Introduction to Fundamentals of Energy Regulation, 1 – 5 April 2019 in Brussels

The Florence School of Regulation (FSR) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) announce a new edition of the joint Training Course on the Introduction to Fundamentals of Energy Regulation.

The course is ideal for participants from National Regulatory Agencies looking for an introduction to, and a comprehensive overview of EU energy regulatory principles and practice.

For more information about the event and for registration, click here.

“Roundtable | Syria: How are regional and international actors reshaping the Assad’s regime sovereignity? | Launch of the Wartime and Post-Conflict in Syria project (WPCS)”, 3 April 2019, European University Institute

The regional and international actors involved in the war in Syria have significantly influenced the Syrian regime’s capacity to reassert its control over the country. While government forces have regained military control over most of the territory, to what extent are the political agendas and influence of external actors shaping the Syrian regime’s ability to regain its sovereignty over the country? These and more issues will be tackled by the new WPCS project launched on the conference day.

Find more information about this event here.

International Workshop: "Small States and Good Governance"

When? 4 April 2019

Where? University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

The fourth and final workshop of the project is to be hosted by the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia under the heading Small States and Good Governance in the spring semester of 2019. It will be organized as an open event giving the civil society and policy makers, as well as the academic community, direct access to the network and the research conducted by the partners. The University of Ljubljana is the coordinator of this workshop to be co-hosted by Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia. The location of the workshop correlates to the expertise of the host partner.

More info on the workshop and the project as a whole can be found here.

You can also have alook at the Facebookp page: https://www.facebook.com/NAS.JMNetwork/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 World Bank 2019 World Development Report "The Changing Nature of Work", 4 April 2019, European University Institute

The World Bank's 'World Development Report (WDR) 2019: The Changing Nature of Work’ analyses how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology, and considers how governments can best respond to these changes. The WDR will be presented by its Co-Directors Simeon Djankov and Federica Saliola. The event is co-organised with the University of Florence.

More information about the report and the event here.

April 4, Conference "Cities and Digital Technology Chair": Data, Platforms & Cities

Organized by Sciences Po, Urban School and Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics

How do data and algorithms transform relationships between actors within cities? How do digital companies aim to manage our daily lives as city dwellers and workers? How does it feel to be managed by an algorithm? What is Google's vision of urban planning? What alternatives can be considered?

This conference aims to question the dynamics of power in cities linked to the accumulation of data by digital platforms. First, Alex Rosenblat will present her four-years ethnographic research on Uber drivers’ working conditions. Then, Bianca Wylie will expose the controversial project of Sidewalk Labs, a subsidiary of the Alphabet group (Google), which plans to create Toronto's neighbourhood of the future.

More information here.

The World Bank Annual Report will be presented at the EUI by the Co-Directors of the World Development Report 2019, Simeon Djankov and Federica Saliola.

The World Bank's 'World Development Report (WDR) 2019: The Changing Nature of Work’ analyses how the nature of work is changing as a result of advances in technology. Fears that robots will take jobs have dominated the discussion on the future of work, but the Report finds that on balance this appears to be unsubstantiated. Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress. Firms adopt new ways of production, markets expand, and societies evolve. Overall, technology brings opportunity, creating new jobs, increasing productivity, and delivering effective public services.

The Report analyses these changes and considers how governments can best respond. Investing in human capital must be a priority for governments in order for workers to build the skills in demand in the labor market. In addition, governments need to enhance social protection and extend it to all people in society, irrespective of the terms on which they work. To fund these investments in human capital and social protection, the Report offers some suggestions as to how governments can mobilise additional revenues by increasing the tax base.

More information can be found here.

Livestreamed Conference: “Baltic EU Conversations 2019: Awaiting Political Change”

When? 5 April 2019

Where? Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, Jēkaba Street 6/8

During the conference, together with high-level representatives, we aim to discuss how 2019 will be a year of change in the European Union, by exploring topics such as Brexit, the ongoing negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework, the EU's tactics in the current international trade environment and many more.

This event will be the 4th annual Baltic EU Conversations conference organised by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs together with the European Commission Representation in Latvia and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, with the support of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at the University of Vilnius.

More information about the event here.

Follow the live stream of the event here.

Lecture: “Energy, Climate Change & Comprehensive Security in the EU-Russia-US relations,” 5^th of April 2019, IIR Prague

Centre for Energy Policy, IIR along with Center for Security Studies Department of International Relations and European Studies and Department of Security Studies, MUP cordially invite you to attend a public lecture entitled: Energy, Climate Change & Comprehensive Security in the EU-Russia-US relations. Energy security is typically understood as either security of supply (“EU perspective”) or security of demand (“Russian perspective”).

The lecture will discuss future relations between the EU, Russia as well as the USA via the prisms of spatialities, geoeconomics and commodity chains of different energy sources in the EU – Russia energy constellation. Changing global climate is the contextual factor that compels to incorporate the perspective of comprehensive security into the traditional energy-security considerations, but it also opens avenues for mutually beneficial foreign relations. The lecture ponders possibilities to move from the asymmetric “energy as a weapon” perspective to a symmetric “energy as a tie“.

More information is available here.

EACES Workshop at Szeged University, 5-6 April:

What? 3^rd workshop in cooperation with the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies

Supported by the project EFOP-3.6.2-16-2017-00007 “Aspects on the development of intelligent, sustainable and inclusive society: social, technological, innovation networks in employment and digital economy”

When? 5-6 April 2019

Where? Szeged, Hungary

More information about the agenda and the conference here.

The International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID) at Higher School of Economics in Moscow together with the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies (EACES) in collaboration with International Journal of Public Administration (IJPA) are pleased to invite submissions to the workshop: “The Rise of State Capitalism: consequences for economic and political development”.

The workshop is a part of the 20th Annual April International Conference on Economic and Social Development that will take place at Higher School of Economics in Moscow on April 9-12, 2019. The event attracts a large number of researchers from the world’s leading universities with a variety of topics being discussed.

To participate in the workshop, please submit a draft of the paper or an extended abstract (up to 1000 words), together with a short CV, to Professor Andrei Yakovlev to ayakovlev@hse.ru by 15 January 2019. Applicants will be informed about the selection before 25 January 2019, and the authors of accepted proposals are expected to submit full papers by 1 March 2019.

Detailed information from here.

EACES Workshop at the XX April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development -IWE CERS HAS among the organizers

When? 9-12 April 2019, Moscow

Where? Higher School of Economics in Moscow

Contributions from the fields of political economy, economics and political science are invited. Selected papers presented at the workshop will be published in a special issue of IJPA in 2020. All nominated papers are subject to a blind peer-review. The guest editors will be Miklos Szanyi from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Amanda Zadorian from the Higher School of Economics.

Detailed information regarding the papers to be submitted, and the event itself: here.

High-Level Transatlantic Lecture by Heather A. Conley: “Transatlantic relations and global order in the 21st century”, 10 April 2019, The College of Europe, Belgium

The College of Europe is organising its second High-Level Lecture on Transatlantic Affairs, with the support of the United States Mission to the European Union.

The lecture will be delivered by Heather A. Conley, senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic; and director of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She has previously served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau for European and Eurasian Affairs, United States Department of State, and as executive director of the Office of the Chairman of the Board at the American National Red Cross.

The deadline for registration is 3 April.

Link to programme and to details for registration.

Europe Direct Information Centre University (through its host, the Institute for European Studies) will be hosting Dr Gemma Bird (University of Liverpool) who will give a public talk entitled Refugee Journeys through the Balkan Route(s) on 11 April 2019.

The talk discusses recent changes in EU border management that have limited refugees’ movement across Europe, and as such, have resulted in outsourcing of refugee settlement and care to states previously described as ‘transit’ countries along the Balkan Route(s): Serbia, and Greece. The problems related to refugee provisions and accommodation in these countries and along the Balkan Route(s) towards Western Europe will be talked about, highlighting the disparity of refugee services, housing and living conditions across the region, and acute and ongoing humanitarian crises. Based on the findings of a co-authored report written by Gemma Bird, Amanda Russell Beattie, Patryzia Rozbicka and Jelena Obradovic Wochnik the talk discusses the key factors affecting poor living conditions for refugees, including: overcrowding, fragmentation of services along the routes, and a lack of consistency in camp management. Subsequently, it discusses a range of other refugee housing options existing in transit countries: including informal and makeshift camps, squats, hotels and UN-supported housing schemes known as ‘urban shelters’, and notes the strengths and weaknesses of each. The findings are based on field research in Serbia, mainland Greece and the islands of Lesvos, Samos, Chios and Kos, between 2017 and 2019.

For registration, please click here.

Conference, The EU and ASEAN: Real partners or summit friends?, 15 April 2019, Turin

The conference - jointly organized by IAI and T.wai - aims to provide participants with insights on current dynamics in Southeast Asia and on ASEAN-EU relations, including a discussion of the role that the EU can play in this distant but increasingly important part of the world.

You access the programme here.

Meeting, L’Europa al voto – La posta in gioco, 10 May 2019, Rome

The meeting - organised in collaboration with the European Commission Representation in Italy and Europea - will serve as a moment of confrontation between representatives of the main political forces in the context of the campaign for the European elections.

More information here.

High-level lecture by Prof. Alvin Jackson: "War and the disintegration of union and empire, 1914-21: The United Kingdom in comparative context"

On Tuesday, 23 April 2019, Professor Alvin JACKSON of the University of Edinburgh School of History, delivers a high-level lecture on "War and the disintegration of union and empire, 1914-21: The United Kingdom in comparative context". The event is organized by the European Civilization Chair at the College of Europe Natolin campus, as part of its centennial cycle "Breaking Empires, Making Nations?", and chaired by Professor Richard BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI.

More information about the event is available here.

Presentation: “Ukraine Between Elections: The New President and the October 2019 Parliamentary Vote,” 24^th of April 2019, IIR Prague

This year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine will determine the future of this country for several years to come. The stakes are multidimensional: Will the old power-pyramid or even clan system crumble? Will the elections complete or reverse the 2014 Revolution of Dignity impulse? What kind of support will the new (or old) president have after the parliamentary elections in October? Could the elections start a new era in Ukrainian politics in such regards as gender balance or deoligarchization? Our non-resident senior fellow Andreas Umland will try to deal with these issues in his upcoming presentation at the IIR.

Find more about the event here.

Presentation: “Ukraine Between Elections: The New President and the October 2019 Parliamentary Vote”, 24th of April 2019, IIR Prague

This year’s presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine will determine the future of this country for several years to come. The stakes are multidimensional: Will the old power-pyramid or even clan system crumble? Will the elections complete or reverse the 2014 Revolution of Dignity impulse? What kind of support will the new (or old) president have after the parliamentary elections in October? Could the elections start a new era in Ukrainian politics in such regards as gender balance or deoligarchization? Our non-resident senior fellow Andreas Umland will try to deal with these issues in his upcoming presentation at the IIR.

Annual Conference ‘European Financial Infrastructure in the Face of New Challenges’, 25 April, European University Institute

This conference is jointly organised by the European University Institute (EUI), the Brevan Howard Centre at Imperial College and BAFFI CAREFIN at Bocconi University. It aims to assess the challenges to Europe’s and the global payment systems in the context of rising US extra-territorial sanctions, debate what steps could mitigate the costs of sovereign debt crises without raising sovereign yields or exacerbating liquidity risk in the short run and to ask whether Europe needs a safe asset that helps address challenges from both directions, and how this could be designed.

More info here

Con la participación de:

• Amel Belaid (@amelbelaid), experta en economías del Magreb, energía y desarrollo social.
• Gonzalo Escribano (@g_escribano), director del Programa de Energía y Cambio Climático del Real Instituto Elcano.
• Dalia Ghanem (@DaliaGhanemYazb), investigadora del Carnegie Middle East Center de Beirut.
• Miguel Hernando de Larramendi (@mhlarramendi), profesor y director del Grupo de Estudios sobre las Sociedades Árabes y Musulmanas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha.
• Haizam Amirah-Fernández (@HaizamAmirah), investigador de Mediterráneo y Mundo Árabe del Real Instituto Elcano.

Modera Chares Powell (@CharlesTPowell), director del Real Instituto Elcano (@CharlesTPowell).

More infromation here.

Although a relatively small part of the United Kingdom (fewer than 5.5 million people, or 8 per cent of the UK population), there have been considerable and important political changes in Scotland over the past fifty years and some divergence with other parts of the UK, and perhaps England in particular. Those include an apparent shift to the left in voting behaviour, the creation of a devolved Parliament that has continued to gain new powers, a growth in support for independence, and a considerable majority of voters in Scotland supporting remaining within the EU at the 2016 referendum.

This lecture outlines some of the key changes that have taken place in Scotland and the UK, and seeks to explain the reasons for the apparent growing divergence, and the implications of Brexit for the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK, and indeed for the future of Scotland.

Find more about the event here.

Conference “The State of the Union”, 2-4 May 2019, European University Institute, Florence

The State of the Union, organised by the European University Institute (EUI), is a high-level conference for reflection on the European Union. For a few days, the city of Florence becomes a hub of debate as experts from around the world gather to discuss the most pressing issues faced by Europe today. The State of the Union forms a key part of the European University Institute’s contribution to European and international debates on governance, integration and the shared challenges of a globalised world.

Find more about the event.

May 4, Élections européennes : comment construire une Europe plus durable ? Les candidats nous répondent !
Organized by Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (Iddri and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)

More about the event.

Workshop, Eu-Turkey cooperation on migration management: going beyond ad hoc short-termism, 6 May, 2019, Kos

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and the Mercator Stiftung and Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) organise the fourth event of the Global Turkey in Europe V Programme "Eu-Turkey cooperation on migration management: going beyond ad hoc short-termism".
Today, we are at a point when intra-EU political deadlock continues to exert pressure on frontline member states and tilt Europe towards further externalisation, accompanied with transactionalist approaches. As for the EU-Turkey cooperation, the expiry date of the Statement and the Facility for Refugees in Turkey is fast approaching. Thus, it is high time to put sustainability at the heart of the debate. This also allows us to tackle through a coherent framework the interrelated challenges of: (i) EU-Turkey joint governance of mixed migration flows, (ii) going beyond the emergency reception mode in Greece, and (iii) enabling refugees’ self-sufficiency and cohesion with more resilient local communities in Turkey. Approaching these issues through a sustainability lens, the fourth GTE workshop aims to foster debate among a diverse set of stakeholders on how to go beyond the currently predominant ad hoc short-termism and unpredictability of EU-Turkey migration management cooperation.

Click here to find more.

CIDOB Breakfast with Nasser Kamel, Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, 9^th May 2019, CIDOB, Barcelona

A career diplomat for the Egyptian government, Nasser Kamel held the position of Ambassador of Egypt to the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2018. He was also Ambassador to France in the period 2006-2012, during which he took part in the drafting of the Joint Declaration of the 2008 Paris Summit that marked the launch of the Union for the Mediterranean. Furthermore, between 2012 and 2014, he was Assistant Minister for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs. From 2004 to 2006, he was the Director of Egypt’s Public Information Service. Prior to this position he served in various embassies, including Washington (1984-1988), Lisbon (1990-1994), Tunis (1994-1998), Brussels (1999-2001) and Paris (2001-2004).

Nasser Kamel studied Political Science at Brussels University (1977-1979) and Cairo University’s Faculty of Economics and Political Science, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in 1981. He graduated from the Diplomatic Institute – Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo (1981-1982) and the École Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in Paris (1982-1983). He holds the title of Grand Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite of the Republic of France and has also received decorations from the Kingdom of Belgium and the Republic of Portugal.

Find the programme here.

International Conference: “EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation”, 13 May 2019, European Economic and Social Committee

This international conference brings together a wide range of top-level academics, practitioners and policymakers, from both the EU and China, to set the stage for a crucial stocktaking exercise, aimed at assessing the scale and scope of both progress and problems in relations between the EU and China, as well as their mutual perceptions.

Registration is required using the form below before 6 May 2019 at 12:00 noon.

Link to programme and to details for registration.

Workshop, Migration between Africa and Europe: The Role Foreign Aid and Labour Migration, 13 May 2019, Rome

Irregular migration across the Mediterranean is still high on Europe’s political agenda. Despite fewer attempts to cross the Sea in the recent past, pressure has been mounting on the European Commission and the most affected EU member states to find ways to manage migration flows more effectively. This workshop discusses the role of two specific policies – development aid and legal labour migration pathways – in medium – to long-term strategies for addressing the root causes of migration and for creating safe and orderly alternatives to irregular migration. The workshop is co-organised by the Mercator Dialogue on Migration and Asylum (MEDAM), Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) in Rome, the Migration Policy Centre (MPC) at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels.

More about the programme.

EUROLIB General Assembly at Natolin

EUROLIB is a network of library and archives services from EU institutions, agencies, bodies and associated organisations that promote the development and preservation of European Union information while supporting the programmes and policies of the EU in the field of library and Open access initiatives. EUROLIB members cooperate in the fields of information services and management, professional training and development, innovation, access to public formation and conservation in order to raise the visibility and efficiency of their library and archives services.

13-14 May 2019

Natolin, Library of the College of Europe

More information about the event can be found here.

May 15, Conferences Series "Waiting for European Elections" - #4 We, the people of the European Union". Le populisme & l'Union européenne

Convenors : Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE), Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (OFCE), Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), School of Public Affairs (EAP).

More about the event.

May 16, Qu’a fait l’Europe ? Bilan de la législature européenne
Organized by Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics & OFCE

More about the event.

Debate: “The European Elections of 2019: towards a common European future? 21 May 2019. At Botín Foundation.

The goal of this kind of events is to create a space for public debate that helps to understand the international reality. This event will deal with the post- election European scenario and the challenges the EU is facing.

Read more about the event.

Conference “Migration between Africa and Europe: Knowledge Production, Attitudes, and Governance", Migration Policy Centre Annual Conference 2019”, 23-24 May 2019, European University Institute, Florence

The 2019 conference will focus on the relationships between knowledge production, attitudes and governance on migration between Africa and Europe. The conference aims to understand more about these gaps and also to think about whether and how they can be bridged.

Find more about the event here.

International Conference on “The EU, Central Asia and the South Caucasus: new approaches on regional and international cooperation” in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 23.-24. May 2019

Organised in cooperation with the IEP and OSCE Academy Bishkek

Link to programme and to details for registration.

Come and visit the beautiful campus of the College of Europe in Warsaw in its spring colours!

During the Open Day (25 of May), you will be able to discover the academic offer of the College of Europe, our recruitment procedure and many scholarship opportunities. In the programme of the Open Day you will also find: guided visits of the historic campus and the Natolin Palace, meetings with the Natolin Careers Office, visits of the Natolin Library, screenings of the historical film about Natolin as well as meetings with current students and alumni of the College. More information about the event is available here.

Roundtable, The most contested European elections ever? A read-out of the 2019 vote for the European Parliament, 29 May 2019, European University Institute

European Parliament (EP) elections in May 2019 come at a critical time in the evolution of the EU.They were supposed to be the first elections after the anticipated departure of the UK, before the
failed ratification of a withdrawal agreement imposed that the UK, too, must hold European elections. They also come at a time when divergence on many issues characterise member state relations, and wider global developments weigh heavily on Europe with the return of hard geopolitics and efforts to undermine the global multilateral order. The election results are expected to produce a highly fragmented Parliament, with the long-dominant centre-left and centre-right blocs unable to form a coalition by themselves, therefore assigning greater influence to smaller players such as the Liberals, Greens and populists. Eurosceptics are expected to win a third of the Parliament’s seats, reflecting the global rise in nationalism. As an international hub of high quality research and reflection on the European Union, the European Governance and Politics Programme has contributed to the build-up to the European elections with a two-pillar project: euandi2019, an online Voting Advice Application allowing citizens to match their policy preferences with the positions of the political parties running for EP elections in all 28 Member States, and spaceu2019, an interactive database informing users on their electoral rights and to allowing them to compare the conditions and requirements for voting in their country of residence and citizenship.

Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo, Rijeka 2020 and University of Rijeka are organising, in cooperation with Culturelink/IRMO and Observatoire des politiques culturelles, France, a conference on International Cultural Relations of the European Union – Europe, World, Croatia to be held on 30 and 31 May 2019 in Rijeka, the European Capital of Culture 2020.

The aim of the conference is to encourage dialogue about the opportunities and challenges of today's international cultural cooperation and to analyse the modalities that lead to more intense and more functional global cooperation and exchange between the European Union and the world. Rapid changes that mark today's world (revolution in digital communication, rise of social media, new global actors, rapid urbanization, changes in cultural values) raise questions about how to support, enhance and strengthen the practices of cultural exchange and interaction. The main topics of the conference are the following: The role of cultural policies in fostering international cultural cooperation; Cultural networks - the expression of cultural changes in international relations; Cultural Diplomacy: strengthening external relations in a globalized world; Croatia in international cultural cooperation.

For more information, please visit the link.

Seminar, Conversation for the Future of Europe (5): Differentiated Integration, 4 June 2019, European University Institute

This 5^th edition of the ‘Conversation for the Future of Europe’ seminar series will analyse and discuss the concept of ‘Differentiated Integration’ together with Frank Schimmelfennig (ETH Zürich) and Sergio Fabbrini (LUISS Guido Carli).

You would like to exchange views with the who’s who of the EU association process? Listen to high-ranking speakers discussing their views on EU integration? Broaden your network and shape the future of Ukraine’s European journey? Then join us for our EU association event “Moving forward together?!” Civic activists will share their stories of regional engagement for EU association. Following their accounts, the panelists will discuss successes and challenges on the path towards the implementation of the Association Agreement. To complete the event, you will have the opportunity to stroll through a European project gallery and to network at the lunch reception.

Find more.

June 13 & 14, Conference : "Housing in urban China: policies, practices and comparative approaches", organized by Sciences Po, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, Centre for International Studies, Urban school and the programme Cities are back in town.

Find more about the event here.

Prompted by the 70th anniversary of the Washington Treaty, this event aims not only to stimulate a forward-looking reflection on NATO's future, but also to assess the Italian priorities within the Alliance and the strategy to pursue them. In light of the current international security environment, a frank and in-depth debate is needed regarding stabilization of the Mediterranean region, EU-NATO cooperation, an adequate balance of deterrence, defence and dialogue towards Russia, as well as the development of the industrial and technological capabilities needed to equip Italian and allied armed forces. The conference is orgenized by IAI in partnership with NATO Public Diplomacy Division, and features Formiche as mediapartner.

Learn more.

Conference, 8th Conference on the Regulation of Infrastructures. Digital Platforms – The New Network Industries? How to regulate them? 20 - 21 June 2019, European University Institute

This 8^th edition aims to identify the key challenges of digitalisation for traditional network industries; discover various regulatory approaches to platforms and determine benefit scenarios for consumers and to the platform itself.

International Symposium: "Emerging Scenarios of International Co-operation, Atmosphere and Security", 20-21 June 2019

Hosted jointly by the Elcano Royal Institute, The Military University of New Granada, and the Centre for Strategic Studies of the Peruvian Army, the International Symposium seeks to promote academic work in fields of common interest in the fields outlined above. Chairing a range of experts from diverse nations shall be Aitor Pérez and Sonia Alda, principal investigator and Director of the Observatory for Illicit Traffic and Criminal Networks respectively, at the Elcano Royal Institute.

Read more about the event here.

Conference “Terrorism & Security Governance”, 21 June 2019, European University Institute

This Forum’s is to feed an academic reflection about analytical problems in the study of Terrorism, and to frame and inform the public discussion on the security situation in Europe. The discussion will involve both well-known academics as well as officials from the EU Commission, NATO and EUROPOL.

Invited speakers include leading European, Iranian and international scholars and researchers as well as key EU practitioners dealing with European policy towards Iran and the Middle East. This will also be an opportunity to discuss future cooperation initiatives, continuing to build on our fruitful cooperation with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), which has already resulted in the exchange of three study visits in Rome and Tehran. The event coincides with the completion of a one-year research and public engagement project jointly-coordinated by FEPS and IAI focussed on Europe-Iran relations against the backdrop of regional tensions in the Middle East and the international fallout from the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Entitled, ‘Europe and Iran in a Fast-Changing Middle East: Confidence Building Measures, Security Dialogue and Regional Cooperation’ the project consists of five research studies on different dimensions of EU-Iran relations, Iranian foreign policy and regional and international geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. A final policy strategy report, including recommendations for EU member states and institutions, will also be produced and presented at the event in Brussels in June.

Register and find more information here

Round Table: Energy Transition and the New European Parliament, 24^th June 2019

This Round Table shall consider the impact of the new European political cycle on evolving energy and industrial strategies on a European and Spanish level. Featuring conversation between Antonio Brufau, President of Repsol, and Emilio Lamo de Espinosa, President of the Elcano Royal Institute on the energy transition, followed by a round table on energy policy.

Read more about the event here.

With the participation of Anna Koukkides-Procopiou, Senior Fellow and Member of the Advisory Board. 

26 June 2019

 Cost: €50 – €70

Read more about this lecture here (in Greek).

The urbanization process that is transforming our planet is amply described by a large number of documents, studies and publications. However, sources rarely mention the fact that as a result of this transformation, another process is transforming our surroundings, surpassing all existing decision-making frameworks: metropolisation.

The aim of this seminar is to analyse the impact of the emergence of metropolitan spaces on governance, social cohesion and the quality of life of their inhabitants. How can these new spaces for metropolitan governance also create metropolitan identities and get citizens involved in their construction? What data and studies do we have on inequalities and the lack of social cohesion in metropolitan areas? How can we go beyond quantitative data and analyse the conditions and quality of life of the metropolitan population? In order to do so, we will mobilize the experiences of governments and institutions that work on these kinds of issues with data on a metropolitan level.

Read more about this seminar and register here.

Elcano Debates: The role of the European Union in Technological and Commercial War, 27^th June 2019

This debate shall concern the role of Europe in the rapidly evolving international economic landscape. Participants shall seek to define a European role in a world economy which promises to move away from the liberal international order of the second half of the twentieth century, and towards a re-emergence of nationalism, among other phenomena. The debate, chaired by the director of the Elcano Royal Institute, shall feature Lourdes Casanova, director of the Emerging  Markets Institute, as well as Senior and Principal investigators of the Royal Institute.

Read more about this event here.

Location: LJUBJANA (Slovenia)
Topic:  Migrations maritimes et terrestres vers l'Europe
Date:  30June to 5 July 2019
Working language: French
ECTS credits: 4,5

Prices: 450 euros (courses, visits and accommodation)

Find more about the programme on this link.

All you need to know about the EU, its decision-making process and policies! Choose the three-, two- or one-week course tailored to your level of experience.

Bruges & Brussels, Belgium

1-12 July 2019

Know more about the seminar.

Energy Union: This two-week executive training course embraces the logic of the Energy Union, thus putting energy consumers – i.e. businesses and households – at the centre of European energy systems and policy-making.

Bruges & Brussels, Belgium

1-12 July 2019

More information about the seminar.

The recent gas discoveries that occurred off the coasts of Cyprus and Egypt confirm the relevant energy potential of the East Med region. Despite these positive events and the growing political and industrial interest of regional dynamics, the exploitation of these resources remains under question. In fact, commercial constraints as well as geopolitical tensions, still hinder the transformation of the East Med from a reserve-rich area to an export region. What are the main steps to be undertaken to allow this to occur? What are the local, regional, and global factors that can speed up these dynamics and boost the energy role of the East Med? How can the European Union and its member states promote greater cooperation in the region? What are the options to constructively engage Turkey, a key actor in the area, into the energy picture? Workshop organised within the framework of the project Global Turkey in Europe.

Nicosia, Cyprus

1 July 2019

Read more about this workshop here.

Construire les politiques de lutte contre la pauvreté urbaine à partir du terrain : De l’analyse de la mise en œuvre des politiques publiques à l’identification des processus d’insertion sociale et économique,  Colloquium, Paris 4-5 July 2019

Organisé dans le cadre du programme de recherche MARG-IN, qui est financé par l’Agence nationale de la recherche, ce colloque entend contribuer aux débats en cours sur la lutte contre la pauvreté en identifiant, à partir de l’examen des jeux d’acteurs liés à la mise en œuvre des politiques, les processus d’insertion sociale et économique qui pourraient servir de base à la construction de nouveaux dispositifs en phase avec la demande sociale et avec les réalités locales.

Il se déroulera à Paris les 4 et 5 juillet 2019. Pendant ces deux jours, les chercheurs seront invités à échanger leurs points de vue avec les acteurs institutionnels, les acteurs de terrain (professionnels de l’action sociale et militants associatifs) et les personnes en situation précaire. Ces échanges serviront de base à l’écriture d’un texte commun jetant les bases d’une approche de la lutte contre la pauvreté « par le bas », et à large diffusion.

Plus d'information ici: https://www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etudes-europeennes/sites/sciencespo.fr.centre-etudes-europeennes/files/Colloque%20%27Lutte%20contre%20la%20pauvrete%CC%81%27%204-5juil.%202019.%20Paris.%20Appel%20a%CC%80%20communicationLA.pdf

 Location: Tbilisi - Georgia
Topic: Georgia in the enlarged Black Sea Region
Date: 8 to 14 July 2019
Working language: English

Prices: 450 euros according to conditions (courses, accommodation and visits)

Find out more about the programme.

BRaVE Second Project Meeting, 8-9 July 2019, European University Institute

BRaVE: Building Resilience against Violent Extremism and Polarisation is an EU-funded research project researching the impact of, and means of responding to, extremism in nine different European countries. It aims to develop an integrated database of good practice response, as well as supporting the development of toolsets for building resilience to violent extremism and polarisation throughout Europe.

Read more about the event here.

Conference “WTO Case Law of 2018”, 8-9 July 2019, European University Institute

This workshop undertakes a yearly analysis of all case law by the adjudicating bodies of the WTO (un-appealed Panel reports as well as Appellate Body reports). The Reporters Studies for 2018 will cover a wide range of WTO law, ranging from classic trade in goods issues to trade in services.

Read more about the conference here.

Competition Policy & High Tech Markets: The Competition Policy & High-Tech Markets course serves to understand how competition law can be an effective tool to further the objective of a single digital market in the European Union.

Bruges, Belgium

15-17 July 2019

More about the course.

El-Hiwar Summer School on Euro-Arab Relations

The College of Europe is pleased to organise, in the framework of the EU-funded project El-Hiwar II, its first Summer School on Euro-Arab Relations.

Bruges & Brussels, Belgium

15-19 July 2019

Read more about the programme here.

Location: Shkroder (Albania)
Topic: Dynamics of city development
Date: 17 to 23 July 2019
Working language: English

Prices: 450 euros according to conditions (courses, accommodation and activities)

Find the full programme here.

Location: Bucarest / Slobozia (Romania) et Silistra (Bulgaria)
Topic: L'Europe en tant que communauté de droit : l'Europe en crise 
Date: 25 July to 1st August 2019
Working language: French
ECTS credits: 4,5

More information about the programme here.

About the ENP PhD Summer School

The European Neighbourhood Policy PhD Summer School, organised annually by the ENP Chair of the College of Europe in Natolin, is a unique initiative aimed at supporting PhD candidates in developing their research on topics related to the European Union’s foreign policy with a specific focus on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and/or related to the EU’s eastern and southern neighbourhoods, i.e. North Africa and the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus.

The 2019 PhD Summer School is directed by the ENP Chair of the College of Europe in Natolin , in collaboration with the EFA and the Chair of Middle East Politics and Society at the University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) , and with the support of the Standing Group on EU Politics of the European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR-SGEU) , and the Trans-European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA).

Objectives

The aim of the ENP PhD Summer School is to provide PhD students with a unique programme combining lectures by world leading scholars, experts and practitioners, with the opportunity to present their PhD projects and benefit from expert advice and tailor-made feedback. It is destined to familiarize and deepen PhD students’ cross-disciplinary knowledge of European Foreign Policy analysis towards the EU’s southern and eastern neighbours, make them aware of specific regional and domestic dynamics in the EU’s neighbourhood, and equip them with relevant methodological and conceptual tools. In addition, the School helps PhD students and young academics to expand their personal and professional networks and benefit from the many high-level events that take place during the EFA 2019.

Find more information here.

Meeting: Conflict and Cooperation in the Mediterranean: Mare Nostrum or Global Space?, 2-3 September 2019, Bled (Slovenia)

A New-Med event - in cooperation with the Centre for European Perspective of Slovenia - on social and geopolitical transformations in the Mediterranean and the prospects of regional cooperation. The event will take place within the framework of the 2019 Bled Strategic Forum (Bsf), September 2-3, 2019. About 50 young scholars selected by Bsf organizers and coming from a large number of countries, mostly from the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe, will take part in the meeting, interacting with the panelists. Tentatively, the meeting will be divided into two sessions:
Session I – A Region in Turmoil: Geopolitical Dynamics and Social Change in the Mediterranean
Session II - Prospect of Regional Cooperation in the Mediterranean and the Role of International Organizations

Dates: 2-3 September 2019

Location: Bled, Slovenia

Read the full program here.

Seminar: "Why Hasn’t High-Frequency Trading Swept the Board? Shares, Sovereign Bonds and the Politics of Market Structure" (Sciences Po, France)

In today’s trading of liquid financial instruments, there are two main contending agencements (in Callon’s ‘actor-network’ sense of combinations of humans and nonhuman elements that manifest distributed agency): one agencement yokes together automated high-frequency trading (HFT) and open, anonymous electronic order books; the other is organized above all around the distinction between ‘dealers’ and ‘clients’. This talk, which will draw upon interviews with 316 market participants (encompassing all the main classes of highly liquid financial instrument, and both Europe and the US), will discuss differences in the relative presence of the two agencements.

The talk will examine in particular the processes that have given rise to especially sharp differences between the trading of shares and of sovereign bonds, and between the trading of the latter in the US and Europe. Donald MacKenzie will conclude that the sociological literature on trading (especially on HFT) needs expanded to encompass what can be called ‘the politics of market structure’, and, more generally, needs to pay far greater attention to the state and its agencies; symmetrically, there is a need for a stronger focus in political economy on materiality.

Donald MacKenzie’s talk will be based on a paper written jointly with Iain Hardie, Charlotte Rommerskirchen and Arjen van der Heide.

Date: Friday, September 6

Location: Sciences Po, Room Jean Monnet, 56 rue Jacob, 75006 Paris

Speaker: Donald MacKenzie, University of Edinburgh

Read more about this event here.

Location: Ohrid (North Macedonia)
Topic: Development in the Balkans Region: conflicts, economy, tourism, environment
Date: 9 to 15 September 2019
Working language: English
ECTS credits: 4,5

Find here the full programme.

Location: Nice (France)
Topic: Energy Transition and YOU
Date: 9 to 13 September 2019
Working language: English
ECTS credits

Find out more here.

PHD Summer School Economic Foundations for Energy and Climate Policies from 9 to 13 September 2019 in Berlin. Jointly organised by the Florence School of Regulation Climate (EUI), DIW Berlin, the Technical University Berlin, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the University College London and Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Application deadline: 30 April 2019