MORNING SESSION
10.00 – 10.30 Keynote Speeches
- Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council, President of CIFE
- Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen, Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
10.30 – 11.45 Roundtable: The Future of European Policy for Higher Education
- Introduction by Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Unit Higher Education, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
- Panelists:
- Cristian Badescu, Ambassador of Romania to the Kingdom of Norway
- Luisa Bunescu, Higher Education Specialist, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission
- Tobias Bütow, Secretary General, Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ/DFJW)
- Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik, Deputy Director for Policy Coordination and Foresight, European University Association (EUA)
- Moderator: Susann Heinecke-Kuhn, Programme Director, MAEIS Master - Applied European Policy and Governance Studies, CIFE
Whereas the European Union has increasingly evolved into a single economic zone, the harmonisation of educational systems and policies takes much longer. In a European education area, citizens should be able to move without impediments from one member state to the other in order to pursue life-long learning and achieve recognised credentials in different member states. The plan to create a "European degree" should deepen university cooperation and facilitate the recognition of qualifications. The dual sustainable and digital transitions demand intense cooperation between teachers and learners from all member states.
12.00 – 13.15 Roundtable: Teaching and Transmitting European Integration Today
- Introduction by Wolfgang Wessels, Jean Monnet Chair ad personam, Centre for Turkey and European Studies (CETEUS), University of Cologne
- Panelists:
- María Casado García-Hirschfeld, Lawyer, Director of the National Distance Education University (UNED) Centre in Brussels
- Anna Dimitrova, Full Professor of International Affairs at ESSCA School of Management, Paris
- Luca Kadar, Head of Division of Global Communications, International Cultural Relations and Public Diplomacy, European External Action Service (EEAS)
- Marco Ongaro, Director of the European Institute for Public Administration (EIPA), Maastricht
- Jean-Philipp Rageade, Director of the European Law Academy (ERA), Trier
- Moderator: Paul Culley, EU Policy Advisor, Tutor and Trainer, Former Director in the Private Office of the EU Council’s Secretary General
The European Union can only thrive if it secures the support of its citizens. This challenge has become more and more acute, as Euroscepticism grows in each member state and various sources divulge misinformation about the integration process. Furthermore, the EU needs future leaders and experts which are fully aware of our common heritage, the functioning of the community and its major policies. The panel will discuss how the context of transmitting European integration has changed, how the expectations of stakeholders and employers have evolved and how teaching and learning can be adapted to today's challenges.
13.00 – 14.15 Lunch Buffet
AFTERNOON SESSION
14.15 – 15.30 Roundtable: The Evolution of CIFE from the 1950s until Today
- Introduction by Catherine Allaire Previti, Archivist, Historical Archives of the European Union, European University Institute, Florence
- Panelists:
- Hartmut Marhold, Honorary Professor, University of Cologne, Former Director General of CIFE
- Ryszard Piasecki, Full Professor in Economics, University of Lodz, Former Ambassador of Poland to the Republic of Chile
- Moderator: Frédéric Lépine, Deputy Director General and Chief Editor of “L’Europe en formation”, CIFE
From its origins in the 1950s until today, CIFE has strongly evolved, in step with changes to the context. After CIFE's teaching had, in its initial years, spread the idea of a united Europe to citizens of all professions, it increasingly turned to higher education and the organisation of Master programmes. A major shift came about in 1989 with the downfall of Communist Europe, which enabled hundreds of students from Central and Eastern Europe to participate in CIFE's programmes and become actors in the process of EU accession of their countries. Recent years have seen a major expansion of CIFE's academic offer and student body. The panel will highlight some key features of this evolution.
15.30 – 16.30 Roundtable: The Future of CIFE: New Geographical Areas, Classical Topics Revisited
- Panelists:
- Rachel Guyet, Programme Director, Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance, CIFE
- Arnaud Leconte, Programme Director of the Joint Master programmes GEGPA, EUDIPLO and EUCULTURE, CIFE
- Frédéric Lépine, Deputy Director General and Chief Editor of “L’Europe en formation”, CIFE
- Jean-Claude Vérez, Associate Professor at the University of Artois, Programme Director, MAEIS Master – Mediterranean Studies, CIFE
- Moderator: Laurent Baechler, Programme Director, MAEIS Master – European Integration and Global Studies, CIFE
The ever-changing context of EU policymaking has led CIFE to embrace new topical and geographical areas, such as energy transition, digitalisation, EU-Mediterranean and EU-Africa relations. Other issues, which have played a key role in the history of the organisation such as federalism, are now examined from different angles. This final panel will outline the challenges ahead so that CIFE's programmes remain as pertinent and relevant as ever.
16:30 – 17.00 Concluding Remarks
- Matthias Waechter, Director General of CIFE
17.00 – 18.00 Closing Reception