BRUGES, Belgium (Sep. 20, 2022) — Federica Mogherini, former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and current rector of the College of Europe welcomed a group from the Marshall Center to Bruges. This launched a three-day visit of 28 alumni and seven Marshall Center staffers to Belgium starting in the College of Europe.

Mogherini underlined that cohesion and thorough education on European security matter even more, especially now in times when Europe is challenged in a way it has not been since the end of World War II.

“This trip is called Area Studies Community of Interest. It is related to our European Security Seminar series we usually hold in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,” explains Dr. Sebastian von Münchow, the Director of the European Security Seminar on EU-NATO Cooperation.

The trip is focused on capturing insights on how NATO and the EU strengthen the resilience, capacity and capability of its member states, its friends, neighbors and potential EU and NATO partners. “Today at the College of Europe, we had a high-level introduction to the institutional set-up and decision-making processes of the European Union and NATO. Tomorrow, we move on to Brussels and hope for in-depth discussions at these institutions. I am confident we will be able to discuss the current challenges by revisionist powers to the community of liberal democracies, and the tools available to respond,” says Professor Ralf Roloff, Deputy Dean of the Marshall Center’s College.

“The fact that the former High Representative took the time to meet with our group was certainly a very early highlight of our trip. I am thankful to the excellent presenters, Dr. Olivier Costa, the Director of the Department of Political and Governance Studies of the College of Europe and Thierry Tardy, the  Director of the Research Division at the NATO Defense College in Rome for their outstanding presentations. Also, all involved staffers of the College of Europe made this a great kick off day,” says Dr. von Münchow.

The trip included 28 former Marshall Center course participants who have attended the European Security Seminar East, the European Security Seminar South, the Regional Security Seminar and the European Security Seminar on EU-NATO Cooperation. They are mostly mid- to senior officials from governments in Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Baltic Sea, Northern Africa and the Caucasus.