Discovering the Brussels Bubble: EUGOV Visits January-February 2026

The first-ever Brussels term for our students in the Master in Advanced European and International Studies - Applied European Policy and Governance Studies (EUGOV) programme started this January. The term offers many practical insights with workshops, expert briefings and visits to EU institutions. It also is a great opportunity to meet and exchange with CIFE alumni. Many of them are working in Brussels with or for the European Union.

The trimester began with a workshop on European strategic autonomy from multiple perspectives together with the Trans European Policy Studies Association. Read more

Shortly after, the students went to the UNDP Office in Brussels and learnt about the coordinating role of this United Nations institution regarding EU-UN cooperation, as well as career opportunities within the organisation.

They also visited the European External Action Service (EEAS), where the students received a presentation on its activities and talked about transatlantic relations. They were welcomed by CIFE Alumna Luca Kadar, Head of Division of Global Communications, who shared her experiences working at the EEAS.

More visits were on the agenda in February: A highlight was the group visit to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) for a session on the work of these advisory EU institutions. It was led by CIFE Alumnae Susannah Hallgren, now Policy Officer at the EESC specialising in youth policy, and Camille Lauriol, Policy Officer at the CoR (Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs), who both shared insights into their daily work and explained why working for these smaller EU institutions can be particularly interesting. They also provided practical advice on how to stand out among the many applicants and succeed in the competitive traineeship and internship selection process.

Other visits included the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. In a visit to the latter, the students were briefed in general and institutional policies, strategic planning and president briefings.

As well as the visits, our students engaged in many enriching workshops and expert briefings. Lowri Evans, former Director General of Commission DG GROW presented a lecture on theoretical concepts for policy making on "Where Should European Policy Go in 2026?" and gave the students career advice and tools. Afterwards the students discussed hierarchy and the EU decision making process in an expert briefing "From COREPER to Presidency: Misconceptions Versus Realities in EU Decision-Making" with Samanta Fominova, Deputy Antici LT RP. Finally, the students finished their class on European Law with UNED Director and CIFE Alumna Maria Casado-García Hirschfeld in a public hearing simulation.

Thank you to all those involved for contributing to such a rich programme of visits and briefings throughout the Brussels term!