This year’s Brussels Study Trip, organised by the ATHENA Jean Monnet Chair, was once again a success! During the two-day programme, 23 students from Dr Dimitris Bouris’s and Dr Olga Burlyuk’s research project groups engaged with practitioners and experts at the heart of EU foreign and security policy.
During a visit to the European Parliament, we discussed key developments in EU defence and enlargement to the Western Balkans as well as the Eastern dimension of the EU’s neighbourhood policy with experts from the European Parliamentary Research Service. The day ended with informal drinks and networking with UvA alumni who are now working in Brussels.
The following morning, we visited the Mission of Palestine to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU. In an engaging and moving conversation, Ambassador Amal Jadou Shakaa shared powerful insights into the current situation in Palestine. This was followed by a visit to the European External Action Service (EEAS), where we had a thought-provoking discussion with Laura McGrath (EEAS MENA.2 Desk Officer) on EU–Palestine relations and the EU’s response to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
