8-12 March 2021
A highlight of most of our programmes is the study trip to the European and international institutions. This year, due to the current restrictions, CIFE organised a busy week of virtual visits with various organisations and plenty of interesting speakers, giving lots of useful insights into life in the European capitals.
The week kicked off with an event to mark International Women's Day, gathering students of four Master programmes. The students listened intently to contributions from Cesira D'Aniello (Secretary General of the European Ombudsman's Office), Rebekka Wiemann (EU Council of Ministers), Elizabeth Willocks (EU Council of Ministers), Laura Schulz (Schwarz Group) and Nadine van Loon (film-maker, Director of "Notes from Brussels”).
Our MAEIS students 'visited' the Council of Europe buildings with a realistic video of the premises, before hearing about the role of the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe's strategy in the fight against human trafficking. Furthermore, former CIFE alumnus Gilles Gantelet, Director at DG Environment of the European Commission, offered his thoughts on the EU's perspectives for the upcoming decade.
Johannes de Berlaymont, author of Working for the EU: How to Get In, shared his tips with our students about how to get a job within the EU. He compared the process to climbing Mount Everest: there are many different routes to the top, either via the well-trodden path of the EPSO exams or through other lesser-known means.
The Joint Master in EU Trade & Climate Diplomacy students had a packed week with talks on EU climate diplomacy, trade and investment diplomacy, the circular economy and the EU's Green Deal from Hors Classe Ambassadors for Climate Diplomacy, Marc Vanheukelen and Angelos Pangratis, as well as speakers from the European Commission, the EU Council, Permanent Representations and consulting companies.
Finally, students of the Master in Global Energy Transition & Governance had the opportunity to exchange with German MP Lucas Köhler, as well as experts working on solar energy, smart cities and climate protection.
Thank you to everyone involved in the successful organisation of these events! Let's hope we'll be able to learn as much in person next year.