European Union

 

Far from taking downtime, summer has been a busy period for the Graduate Forum. This short update contains important information about what we have been up to as a community in the past few months and all of our upcoming events.

A Successful Conference in Barcelona

In June, we gathered in Barcelona for our annual conference at the Institut Barcelona Estudis Internacionals (IBEI). It was fantastic to meet so many emerging scholars and delve into the research being undertaken in European studies. We are really grateful to the UACES staff for their help organising the conference, to IBEI for their support in hosting it, and to all the discussants and panelists who contributed their valuable time — a big thanks to all attendees who provided feedback, which we will incorporate into our future events.

Upcoming Doctoral Training Academy in Brussels

Behind the scenes, we have been planning our next event – the Doctoral Training Academy – in Brussels on 24 November. This year’s theme is professional skills, and we have sessions on publishing, engagement, and academic applications with leading scholars in European studies. Check out the schedule and sign up here!

Our Communications Strategy

With the grateful assistance of the UACES admin team and two graduate placement students, we have been refreshing our communications strategy and updating our brand identity. We have released two podcasts and published several short pieces from attendees at the conference on our Crossroads Europe blog. We have more to come shortly.

If you would like to highlight your research through our channels, on our blog or our podcast, get in touch with me at nrobb03(at)qub.ac.uk!

We have also launched an Instagram account and will shortly be starting a Telegram channel to make networking with other European Studies scholars easier!

UACES Conference in Belfast

If you’re coming to the UACES Conference in Belfast, add our panels on Careers Beyond Academia and Academic Careers to your conference agenda.

We are also going for drinks on Monday 4th September at The Sunflower Pub in Belfast at 8pm, following the drinks reception in Belfast City Hall. We look forward to seeing you there!

The post UACES Graduate Forum Committee – Summer Update appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

On 7 September the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, will address Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and its Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE). The discussion will come shortly after the NATO Summit in Vilnius where Heads of State and Government of the North Atlantic Alliance have again reaffirmed the enduring transatlantic bond, unity, cohesion, and solidarity at a critical time for international peace and stability.
Allies also committed to continue cooperating closely with the European Union in order to make the Euro-Atlantic area and the broader neighbourhood more secure. The exchange will allow Members to discuss with the Secretary General the latest developments in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and highlight the importance of the EU's strategic partnership with NATO.
Meeting agenda
AFET Committee
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Between April and June 2023, I had the chance to conduct the RENPET bursary at the ARENA Centre for European Studies at the University of Oslo under the supervision of Dr. Helene Sjursen. As I began the first half of my second year, I was hoping that a stay at ARENA would allow me to establish the theoretical foundations of my research for the rest of my PhD while receiving some useful feedback from peers and more senior academics. My stay there was worth it since it allowed me to achieve these goals while also allowing me to get in contact with other researchers and practitioners residing in Oslo.

 

The Benefits for My Research

My PhD project tries to breach the traditionally established gap between the national and the international by considering under what conditions the actions that national actors (radical right populist parties) take affect the EU’s most international policy: its external action. While I stayed at ARENA, I was able to develop an elaborate framework for the concept of influence, which is key in my research. I built upon previous conceptualisations by ARENA scholar Guri Rosén to include elements from both the national and international levels while also considering approaches to influence from other disciplines such as lobby research. Coincidentally, I had the chance to listen to one of the leading authors in this field, Andreas Dür, in the first Tuesday Seminar I attended. These seminars proved to be highly beneficial for me since they put me in contact with realities beyond the ones a PhD candidate in the EU’s external action experiences. On the one hand, I was able to learn from peers working in other fields linked to the EU. On the other hand, I had the chance to see how bigger administrative projects, such as the establishment of a new research centre: the Research Centre on the European dimension of Norwegian Law (EurNorLaw). These experiences helped me understand the wider aspects of an academic career.

 

Oslo and its perks

My research went beyond the walls of the University of Oslo, and I conducted some interviews with other researchers and practitioners living in Oslo. These included researchers from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) which was particularly useful for the “China aspect” of my research as well as a former Norwegian minister. Similarly, I also had the chance to enjoy the city of Oslo itself and visit its fjord, its recently built National Museum, and witness the celebrations of the Norwegian Constitution Day on the 17th of May.

 

About RENPET

All in all, the RENPET bursary was an excellent opportunity to advance my research, learn from a network of more experienced academics, while discovering other realities and other ways of research. For that, I am grateful to the whole RENPET network that finances the bursary and, particularly, to Helene Sjursen and all the ARENA staff for providing academic guidance during my stay.

 

 

More about the author

Unai Gómez-Hernández is a second-year joint PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh and KU Leuven. His research revolves around under what conditions European radical right populist parties influence the EU’s external action vis-à-vis China. His fields of interest involve populism, EU foreign policy, as well as EU-China relations both widely and with a specific focus on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Unai holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science (University of the Basque Country); a bachelor’s degree in International Relations (London School of Economic and Political Science), and a master’s in international relations and diplomacy of the European Union (College of Europe). Before beginning his PhD, he worked in the private and public sector, in the Basque Environmental Cluster as well as in the Delegation of the Basque Country to the EU.

 

 

 

The post RENPET Network Residency at ARENA Centre for European Studies (University of Oslo) appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

The European Parliament launched a process of monitoring possible future risks for the EU during the COVID-19 crisis, and has developed this further during Russia's war on Ukraine. The annual 'Future Shocks' series provides up-to-date, objective, and authoritative information on global risks through a 360° survey based on risk literature from a broad range of sources. Future Shocks 2023: Anticipating and weathering the next storms discusses 15 risks related to geopolitics, climate change, health, economics and democracy that could occur in the coming decade, and 10 policy responses to address both existing governance capacity and possible ways to enhance risk-response capabilities within the EU.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

Length of video : 81'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

In 2022, the EU Strategic Compass included space as a strategic domain, and called for a dedicated European strategy. In the meantime, Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed the key role of space for defence and resilience, but also highlighted vulnerabilities related to space systems. Another 'wake-up call' came from a different direction; SpaceX's advances in reusable rocket technology leading to Starship's first orbital flight test turned the spotlight onto launch providers and access to space. Space is a critical infrastructure issue with growing economic significance. It is also an increasingly contested arena between competing geopolitical interests. To address these rising challenges, in March 2023 the European Commission and the High Representative/Vice-President presented their first joint communication on a European space strategy for security and defence.
Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

L'UE a publié une déclaration sur la crise au Niger.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1500 of 20 July 2023 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1504 of 20 July 2023 amending Decision (CFSP) 2020/1999 concerning restrictive measures against serious human rights violations and abuses.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1502 of 20 July 2023 amending Decision 2013/184/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Myanmar/Burma.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1532 of 20 July 2023 concerning restrictive measures in view of Iran’s military support to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

The EU issued a statement on the occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples where it reiterates its firm and continued commitment to the respect, protection and fulfilment of indigenous peoples’ rights.

The EU issued a statement on the occasion of the third anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections in Belarus.

The EU issued a statement on Russia and the most recent politically motivated ruling against Alexei Navalny.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1501 of 20 July 2023 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2023/1503 of 20 July 2023 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1514 of 20 July 2023 updating the list of persons, groups and entities subject to Articles 2, 3 and 4 of Common Position 2001/931/CFSP on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2023/422.

The Council imposed sanctions on 38 individuals and 3 entities in Belarus. It also extended export bans to firearms, aviation and space industry.

The EU issued a statement on the situation of the Yazidi community in Iraq.

Weekly schedule of President Charles Michel, 31 July - 6 August 2023