Studienstiftung's European Summer School on 'European Integration' 

 

The German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) is hosting its 2024 edition of the European Summer School on ‘European Integration’ in Zagreb, Croatia for 90 highly talented and motivated students from all study backgrounds. 

For participation in the European Summer School, the Studienstiftung offered 26 fully funded spots to College of Europe students of the Madeleine Albright Promotion (Bruges, Natolin) and incoming students of the Delors promotion (Tirana).  Bringing together for the first time students from all three of our campuses, the College participants join over 60 peers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This year, the European Summer School takes place from 2 to 11 August 2024, exploring the topic of "European integration" in an inter- and pluridisciplinary manner. The Summer School provides participants with insights into cutting-edge European research and enables interactive collaboration with experts from different academic and professional backgrounds. The Summer School's curriculum entails, inter alia, a guided tour of Zagreb, an excursion to the coastal town of Rijeka as well as a variety of guest and evening lectures.

Participants enrolled in one of five working groups led by high-level experts with in-depth academic and/or practical knowledge and experience where students get to know and scrutinize aspects, challenges and limits of European integration in a broader sense. This is done with view to history and culture of the Balkan region, European internal migration, environmental policies and the EU accession process. 

More specifically, the themes of the 5 working groups of the current edition of the European Summer School are:

  • Ottoman Rule in Central Dalmatia, 15th - 18th Centuries: The Archival and Architectural Evidence;
  • Integrating the difference – differentiating integration: European »Otherness« in a multifaceted cultural-historical approach;
  • The Migration Transition in CESEE: Focus Croatia;
  • The rocky path to climate neutral organizations: More than greenwashing? Climate mitigation strategies on corporate and sub-state level in different European countries;
  • Southeast European Integration and Transformation: The Western Balkans on their path towards EU accession.

 

The latter working group on the EU integration of the Western Balkans is led by Dr Odeta Barbullushi, Resident Professor at the newly established Tirana Campus. The College thanks her for her availability and contribution.

The programme was opened on 2 August by the President of the Studienstiftung and Rector of the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr. Michael Hoch, and Rector Mogherini in the presence of the Mayor of Zagreb, Mr Tomislav Tomašević, and other high-level guests.  College of Europe and Studienstiftung alumna Kristin Schreiber, Director at DG GROW/European Commission, delivered a keynote lecture on the Green Deal at the opening.

 

In February 2024, the Studienstiftung and the College of Europe signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to allow College students to participate in the European Summer School, after a successful pilot project in Driebergen (Utrecht, NL) in August 2023. 

The College of Europe is honoured and grateful for this cooperation with the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the wonderful opportunity offered to the participating students!