Conferences & events
Join the transatlantic conversation
MATA brings students, faculty, alumni and practitioners together to examine the political, economic, technological and security issues shaping relations between Europe and North America.
Through high-level panels, practitioner discussions, webinars, student-led events and alumni gatherings, students engage directly with current policy debates. They have opportunities to question speakers, compare European and American perspectives and contribute their own analysis to the conversation.
[Explore recent events]
[View the events archive]
[Discover MATA research and publications]
Featured recent event: Resetting Transatlantic Relations One Year After the US Elections
November 2025 · College of Europe, Bruges
One year after the US elections, MATA brought together experts from Europe and the United States to consider the evolving political, economic and strategic context of transatlantic relations.
The panel featured Michele Chang, Professor Michael Koplovsky and Professor Ian Lesser, with Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri (President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs) joining remotely from the United States. The event attracted a full audience and concluded with questions from MATA students and members of the wider College of Europe community.
Recent MATA events
World Trade and US Trade Policy - April 2026
MATA welcomed Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former Belgian Ambassador to the United States, for a high-level discussion on world trade and US trade policy. The event offered students an opportunity to examine changing trade priorities and their implications for Europe and the transatlantic relationship.
The Current State of Transatlantic Affairs - March 2026 · Webinar
One year into the US presidential term, MATA convened a webinar examining the current state of transatlantic affairs and the issues shaping cooperation between Europe and the United States. This is an annual event organised with faculty from the College of Europe and The Fletcher School, featuring Professor Dimitrios Skiadas (Fletcher), Professor Ilke Toygür (College of Europe), Professor Bhaskar Chakravorti (Fletcher) and Professor Michael Koplovsky (College of Europe). MATA Director Michele Chang moderated the event.
MATA Alumni Reunion - December 2025 · Brussels
MATA students and graduates came together in Brussels to reconnect, exchange professional experiences and strengthen relationships across the programme’s growing alumni community.
Current students and graduates come together during the 2025 MATA Alumni Reunion in Brussels.
[View the reunion photographs]
The Future of the Transatlantic Digital Economy - April 2025
This panel brought together College of Europe alumnae from Microsoft, NBCUniversal, and Netflix to examine the economic and regulatory issues shaping the transatlantic digital relationship. Participants included Victoria Sarmiento Herrero (Microsoft), Beatrice Flammini (NBCUniversal), and Marianna Sharf (Netflix). MATA Director Michele Chang moderated the event and Rector Federica Mogherini provided an introduction and welcome.
The event demonstrates MATA’s engagement with questions at the intersection of technology, regulation, business and transatlantic policy.
Engage with diplomats and practitioners
MATA events give students access to people working directly on transatlantic affairs in diplomatic missions, international organisations, government, think tanks, business and civil society.
Previous guests and institutional engagements have included:
- US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith;
- Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell;
- former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony L. Gardner;
- former US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein;
- representatives of the European Defence Agency;
- experts on trade, technology, economic policy and transatlantic security.
Earlier programme events also included the launch of Chris Miller’s Chip War, MATA’s fifth-anniversary celebration and discussions with representatives of the Council Working Party on Transatlantic Relations.
[Explore previous speakers and events]
2026
- World Trade and US Trade Policy
- The Current State of Transatlantic Affairs
2025
- MATA Alumni Reunion
- Resetting Transatlantic Relations One Year After the US Elections
- European Parliament transatlantic-relations visit
- The Future of the Transatlantic Digital Economy
- Fletcher and College experts on the future of transatlantic affairs
2024
- Farewell visit of US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein
- The Transatlantic Partnership in an Election Year
- October 2023 Discussion with US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith
- September 2023 Meeting with Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell
- In June 2023, the US Mission to the EU launched its ‘Ask the Ambassador’ series with MATA students asking US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein important questions on transatlantic affairs.
- May 2023 MATA visits the Council Working Party on Transatlantic Affairs
- April 2023 Exchange with former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony L. Gardner.
- In April 2023 MATA Fulbright NATO Security Scholar Andrea Cameron invited Constantinos Hadjisavvas from the European Defence Agency to discuss security and climate resilience.
- In November 2022, MATA celebrated the launch of the book Chip War by Fletcher’s MATA Academic Director Chris Miller. Guillaume Ragonnaud from the European Parliamentary Research Service commented on the book in view of the EU Chips Act.
- In May 2022 MATA celebrated its 5-year anniversary.
Meet transatlantic stakeholders in Brussels
Each academic year, MATA students based at the College of Europe participate in a study trip to Brussels. Through visits to EU institutions, diplomatic missions and policy organisations, students connect academic learning with the institutions and professionals shaping transatlantic affairs.
[Discover the MATA Brussels Study Trip]
Be part of the conversation
MATA events connect academic study with current policy debate. Students hear from leading experts, question practitioners, organise their own discussions and become active participants in the programme’s transatlantic intellectual community.
[Explore the Academic Programme]
[Discover MATA Research and Publications]
[Meet MATA Students and Alumni]
[Become a Student]
April 2026 High-level Event: “World Trade and the United States’ Trade Policy Under the Trump Presidency”
Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United States of America (2016-2020)
November 2025 Panel Discussion: Resetting Transatlantic Relations One Year After the US Elections
Federica Mogherini, rector of the College of Europe and former HRVP
Dr. Ian Lesser, Chair of Transatlantic Trade & Economy, Vice President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and Executive Director of GMF’s Brussels office
Michele Chang, Director of the Transatlantic Affairs Programme and permanent Professor in European Political and Governance Studies Department at the College of Europe
Avril 2025 Panel Discussion: "The Future of the Transatlantic Digital Economy"
Victoria SARMIENTO HERRERO, Government Affairs Specialist at Microsoft
Beatrice FLAMMINI, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs at NBC Universal Media
Michele CHANG, Director of the Transatlantic Affairs Programme and permanent Professor in European Political and Governance Studies Department at the College of Europe
Federica MOGHERINI, rector of the College of Europe and former HRVP
Marianna SHARF, Senior Director, Head of EU Public Policy at Netflix
June 2024: Lecture - Transatlantic Relations in a Year of Decision
Dr. Ian Lesser, Distingushed Fellow and Advisor to the President of the German Marshall Funds of the US and Chair of Transatlantic Trade and Economy
Dr. Rosa Balfour, Director of Carnegie Europe
Dan Michaels, Brussels Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal
Join the transatlantic conversation
MATA brings students, faculty, alumni and practitioners together to examine the political, economic, technological and security issues shaping relations between Europe and North America.
Through high-level panels, practitioner discussions, webinars, student-led events and alumni gatherings, students engage directly with current policy debates. They have opportunities to question speakers, compare European and American perspectives and contribute their own analysis to the conversation.
[Explore recent events]
[View the events archive]
[Discover MATA research and publications]
Featured recent event: Resetting Transatlantic Relations One Year After the US Elections
November 2025 · College of Europe, Bruges
One year after the US elections, MATA brought together experts from Europe and the United States to consider the evolving political, economic and strategic context of transatlantic relations.
The panel featured Michele Chang, Professor Michael Koplovsky and Professor Ian Lesser, with Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri (President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs) joining remotely from the United States. The event attracted a full audience and concluded with questions from MATA students and members of the wider College of Europe community.
Recent MATA events
World Trade and US Trade Policy - April 2026
MATA welcomed Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former Belgian Ambassador to the United States, for a high-level discussion on world trade and US trade policy. The event offered students an opportunity to examine changing trade priorities and their implications for Europe and the transatlantic relationship.
The Current State of Transatlantic Affairs - March 2026 · Webinar
One year into the US presidential term, MATA convened a webinar examining the current state of transatlantic affairs and the issues shaping cooperation between Europe and the United States. This is an annual event organised with faculty from the College of Europe and The Fletcher School, featuring Professor Dimitrios Skiadas (Fletcher), Professor Ilke Toygür (College of Europe), Professor Bhaskar Chakravorti (Fletcher) and Professor Michael Koplovsky (College of Europe). MATA Director Michele Chang moderated the event.
MATA Alumni Reunion - December 2025 · Brussels
MATA students and graduates came together in Brussels to reconnect, exchange professional experiences and strengthen relationships across the programme’s growing alumni community.
Current students and graduates come together during the 2025 MATA Alumni Reunion in Brussels.
[View the reunion photographs]
The Future of the Transatlantic Digital Economy - April 2025
This panel brought together College of Europe alumnae from Microsoft, NBCUniversal, and Netflix to examine the economic and regulatory issues shaping the transatlantic digital relationship. Participants included Victoria Sarmiento Herrero (Microsoft), Beatrice Flammini (NBCUniversal), and Marianna Sharf (Netflix). MATA Director Michele Chang moderated the event and Rector Federica Mogherini provided an introduction and welcome.
The event demonstrates MATA’s engagement with questions at the intersection of technology, regulation, business and transatlantic policy.
Engage with diplomats and practitioners
MATA events give students access to people working directly on transatlantic affairs in diplomatic missions, international organisations, government, think tanks, business and civil society.
Previous guests and institutional engagements have included:
- US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith;
- Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell;
- former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony L. Gardner;
- former US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein;
- representatives of the European Defence Agency;
- experts on trade, technology, economic policy and transatlantic security.
Earlier programme events also included the launch of Chris Miller’s Chip War, MATA’s fifth-anniversary celebration and discussions with representatives of the Council Working Party on Transatlantic Relations.
[Explore previous speakers and events]
2026
- World Trade and US Trade Policy
- The Current State of Transatlantic Affairs
2025
- MATA Alumni Reunion
- Resetting Transatlantic Relations One Year After the US Elections
- European Parliament transatlantic-relations visit
- The Future of the Transatlantic Digital Economy
- Fletcher and College experts on the future of transatlantic affairs
2024
- Farewell visit of US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein
- The Transatlantic Partnership in an Election Year
- October 2023 Discussion with US Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith
- September 2023 Meeting with Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell
- In June 2023, the US Mission to the EU launched its ‘Ask the Ambassador’ series with MATA students asking US Ambassador to the EU Mark Gitenstein important questions on transatlantic affairs.
- May 2023 MATA visits the Council Working Party on Transatlantic Affairs
- April 2023 Exchange with former US Ambassador to the EU Anthony L. Gardner.
- In April 2023 MATA Fulbright NATO Security Scholar Andrea Cameron invited Constantinos Hadjisavvas from the European Defence Agency to discuss security and climate resilience.
- In November 2022, MATA celebrated the launch of the book Chip War by Fletcher’s MATA Academic Director Chris Miller. Guillaume Ragonnaud from the European Parliamentary Research Service commented on the book in view of the EU Chips Act.
- In May 2022 MATA celebrated its 5-year anniversary.
Meet transatlantic stakeholders in Brussels
Each academic year, MATA students based at the College of Europe participate in a study trip to Brussels. Through visits to EU institutions, diplomatic missions and policy organisations, students connect academic learning with the institutions and professionals shaping transatlantic affairs.
[Discover the MATA Brussels Study Trip]
Be part of the conversation
MATA events connect academic study with current policy debate. Students hear from leading experts, question practitioners, organise their own discussions and become active participants in the programme’s transatlantic intellectual community.
[Explore the Academic Programme]
[Discover MATA Research and Publications]
[Meet MATA Students and Alumni]
[Become a Student]