Biography

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen is the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the European Commission. She took up this position on 16 September 2023, after holding the same position for four and a half years in the Commission’ Directorate General for Communication.

From March 2018, she served as Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, she was also Director in the Directorate-General for Communication, in charge of the Commission’s Representations in the Member States. Between 2009 and 2014 she was Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission; and Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission from 2004 until 2009 under former Commission President Barroso, also in charge of Planning and Coordination of the Spokespersons’ Service (SPP).

She began her career in political communication as Environment Spokeswoman in 1999 (Commissioner Margot Wallström), having previously held positions in the Commission’s departments for Industry (1995-97) and Information, Communication and Culture (1997-99). Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen was a Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament (1989-90). She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at the Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at the Institut d’études Politiques de Paris, specialising in intercultural communication and European identity.

Biography

Jim is presently Secretary general of TEPSA (Trans European Policy Studies Association). He retired from his job as DG for General and Institutional Policy at the General Secretariat of the Council at the end of January 2021.

From 2006 to 2010 he was the Director in charge of General Policy Questions (GSC). Between 2001 and 2006, he was in charge of the Directorate "Americas, U.N. and Human Rights, Counter-Terrorism".

From 1995 to 1999, he was Head of Cabinet to the President of the European Commission; between 1993 and 1995, he headed the Cabinet of the Commissioner in charge of agriculture. Jim Cloos worked at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg from 1987 to 1992.

In 1983, he published, with Renate Fritsch-Bournazel et André Brigot, 'Les Allemands au coeur de l'Europe' (Fondation pour les Études de Défense Nationale, Paris). He is one of the authors of 'Le traité de Maastricht: genèse, analyse, commentaires' (Cloos, Reinesch, Vignes, Weyland; Bruylant 1993).

He is a co-author of 'National Leaders and the Making of Europe - key episodes in the life of the European Council' published by John Harper Publishing in 2015. He has published numerous articles on European issues.

Biography

Kris Grimonprez is Visiting Professor at KU Leuven (Belgium) teaching ‘European citizenship’ and ‘EU citizenship education’ (Educational masters; Bachelor European Studies). She gives workshops and lectures at the Faculty of Law and in Teacher Education in a European Perspective (among others).

She holds a degree of Doctor of Laws and an LL.M. in European Law (University of Luxembourg), a Master in Laws and a Bachelor in Philosophy (KU Leuven). She argues that in the current state of EU law and EU integration, quality education is no longer conceivable without a substantive EU dimension incorporated into various key competences.

Her work focuses on EU democratic literacy, EU rights and values, and case teaching through real-life stories of EU citizens based on case law of the Court of Justice of the EU. She launched the Jean-Monnet project CASE4EU (Empowering EU citizens), the clip ‘European citizen, does it matter?’, and published ‘EU Citizenship Education’ (Oxford University Press 2022), and the books (OA) 'The European Union and Education for Democratic Citizenship: Legal foundations for EU learning at school' (as author, Nomos Verlag 2020) and 'Europees burgerschap in de klas: Casussen voor mondige EU-burgers' (as co-editor, Leuven University Press 2022).

Biography

Since 2021, I am a PhD researcher at the European University Institute (Florence). Before, I studied political science and international relations at the University of Antwerp. My research interests include the political economy of trade and industrial policy, European integration, and institutionalist theory.

Biography

Biography

Aldo Iannotti mainly deals with public law profiles relating to European and national form of government, Internet regulation, antitrust, sources of law, protection of fundamental rights, as well as the constitutional and European law aspects relating to public procurement. He is the author of a book about Internet regulation and several publications in Italian and English in scientific journals as well as chapters in books and commentaries.

He was a legal expert in the Italian Prime Minister's Cabinet Office (June 2021 - October 2022).

Biography

Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen is the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport at the European Commission. She took up this position on 16 September 2023, after holding the same position for four and a half years in the Commission’ Directorate General for Communication.

From March 2018, she served as Deputy Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to that, she was also Director in the Directorate-General for Communication, in charge of the Commission’s Representations in the Member States. Between 2009 and 2014 she was Chief Spokeswoman of the European Commission; and Deputy Spokeswoman of the European Commission from 2004 until 2009 under former Commission President Barroso, also in charge of Planning and Coordination of the Spokespersons’ Service (SPP).

She began her career in political communication as Environment Spokeswoman in 1999 (Commissioner Margot Wallström), having previously held positions in the Commission’s departments for Industry (1995-97) and Information, Communication and Culture (1997-99). Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen was a Schuman Scholar at the European Parliament (1989-90). She studied Business Administration and Modern Languages at the Copenhagen Business School and Political Science at the Institut d’études Politiques de Paris, specialising in intercultural communication and European identity.

Biography

Jean-Marc Lieberherr is co-founder and chairman of the Institut Jean Monnet, and grandson of Jean Monnet. The Institut Jean Monnet works to ensure that Monnet's memory and historical legacy are kept alive and leveraged wherever relevant and necessary.

Biography

Vos is a Belgian political scientist affiliated to Ghent University, where he teaches on the history of European integration and on current issues in European politics.

He is a columnist for the Belgian quality paper, De Standaard.

Through books, podcasts, and media appearances he illuminates the intricacies of European politics to a large audience. 

Biography

Grapperhaus is an internationally acclaimed Dutch cellist who has been living in Belgium for many years. He previously created a solo performance on Bach’s cello suites. Except for the European hymn, the music for this performance is entirely his own.

Biography

Directs performances and creates exhibitions. Standaert conceives and produces very diverse artistic and social projects, in co-creation with specialists. 

He is the cofounder of Handalsreizigers in ideeën (Merchants in ideas – Ghent, Belgium) that delivers ideas and devises customised concepts. 

Biography

Lucia Mokrá is professor of international and European Law at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. She is also a visiting professor at other universities in Europe and chairperson of the TEPSA board. She is member of the Administrative Council of College of Europe and High Council of the European University Institute.

Her research interests include: human rights; external relations; EU institutional settings and enforcement in international and European law. She regularly publish on the topics internationally.

Biography

Vladimír Bilčík is a former Member of the European Parliament (2019-2024). In the EP he served on the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) and was EPP Group Coordinator and Co-Rapporteur on the Special Committee on Foreign Interference and Disinformation (INGE & ING2). In addition to his work on the rule of law, media freedom and fight against disinformation, he supported EU enlargement as EP Standing Rapporteur for Serbia and Chair of EP Delegation for Relations with Montenegro.

Prior to his election to the European Parliament Vladimír Bilčík taught in Political Science Department at Comenius University and was the Head of European Research Programme at the Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA).

Biography

Erik Jones is Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute and author of The Politics of Economic and Monetary Union (2002), Economic Adjustment and Political Transformation in Small States (2008), Weary Policeman: American Power in an Age of Austerity (2012, with Dana H. Allin), and The Year the European Crisis Ended (2014).

He is editor or co-editor of more than thirty books and special issues of journals on topics related to European politics and political economy including The Oxford Handbook of the European Union (2012) and The Oxford Handbook of Italian Politics (2015).

Professor Jones is co-editor of Government & Opposition. His commentary has appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and other major newspapers and magazines across Europe and North America.

Biography

Biography

Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan is a Jean Monnet Chair in Active European Citizenship and holds a Jean Monnet Teacher Training grant which has supported the development of a web-based continuum of education on active European citizenship for students aged 5 to 18 years in Ireland. More information can be found at My Big Friendly Guide to the European Union and Discuss, Argue, Build the EU.

She is a lecturer in European political science in University College Cork, Ireland. Born in France, she graduated in European law and political science from La Sorbonne (BL), Sciences Po Paris (MA), Edinburgh University (LLM) and University College Dublin (PhD). Emmanuelle teaches European politics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

She often contributes to Irish media and thinktanks on French and European affairs. Her research focuses on deliberative pedagogies and active citizenship in teaching about the EU.

Biography

Biography

Biography

Biography

Biography

Federica Mogherini is the Rector of the College of Europe (since September 2020) and Director of the Pilot Programme of the European Diplomatic Academy, implemented by the College of Europe (since August 2022).

Previously she has served as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, from 2014 to 2019.

Prior to joining the EU, she was Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (2014), and a Member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies (2008-14). In her parliamentary capacity, she was Head of the Italian Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and Vice-President of its Political Committee (2013-14); i.a. 

She has co-chaired the United Nations High Level Panel on Internal Displacement from January 2020 until September 2021.
Federica Mogherini is a member of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ADBM), of the Board of Trustees of the International Crisis Group and of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Fellow of the German Marshall Fund, member of the Board of Directors of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and of the Italian Institute for Foreign Affairs (IAI) and member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Biography

Professor Natalia Chaban of the Media and Communication Department at the University of Canterbury (UC), New Zealand, focuses her interdisciplinary research on cognitive and semiotic aspects of political and media discourses, image and perceptions studies within the EU and IR contexts, and public diplomacy and political communication.

Professor Chaban is a twice awarded Jean Monnet Chair, President of Ukrainian Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand, co-editor of the peer-reviewed Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies, winner of multiple research awards and leader of a number of transnational research projects supported by European Commission (including the Jean Monnet Action), EU member states and NATO.

She is a founder and director of an interdisciplinary UC research centre “Public Diplomacy and Political Communication Forum” collaborating with international scholars and diplomatic community. Natalia widely publishes including articles in high impact journals such as the Journal of Common Market Studies, Cooperation and Conflict, Journal of European Integration, Comparative European Politics.

Biography

Markus Thiel is Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations and Director of the EU-Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, Florida International University, USA.

Biography

Christopher Changwe Nshimbi is SARChI (South African Research Chairs Initiative) Research Chair in the Political Economy of Migration in the SADC Region. He is also Director of the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation (GovInn) and Associate Professor in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

His research focuses on African migration, borders, regional integration, the informal economy and water governance.

He sits in on regional and international technical working groups on trade, labour, migration and water governance. He is also a member of the Platform for African European Studies (PAES).

Biography

Prof. Dr. Ummu Salma Bava is Chairperson and Jean Monnet Chair Professor, Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Guest Faculty, SS Foreign Services Institute, MEA, Government of India, New Delhi. She has over 35 years of teaching, research and administrative experience and is one of the leading Indian experts on the European Union, EU Member States, and India’s foreign and security policy.

Her other research areas are Indo-Pacific region, emerging powers, global governance, norms, peace and conflict studies and higher education. Her latest publication are “The European Union’s Relations with South Asia”, The Routledge Handbook of South Asia: Regions, Security and Connectivity (August 2023), “The European Union and Emerging Powers: Engagement, Cooperation and Contestation”, in Beyond the Crises: Potentials of the European Union in the 21st Century, Springer (September 2023), “EU-India Relations - The Strategic Partnership in Light of the European Union’s Global Strategy” (Springer 2021).

She was on the Academic Advisory Board of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg and Research Advisory Council, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), Berlin. She was conferred the Bundesverdienstkreuz by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2012.

Biography

Aline Beltrame de Moura is a professor at the Law School of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil) and holds a Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies. She is also the Director of the European Union Studies Chair at the European Institute of International Studies (Sweden). She earned her Ph.D. in International Law from the Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy), where she received the "Riccardo Monaco Prize" for the best doctoral thesis in international law defended in Italy in 2014.

Currently, she co-coordinates the Jean Monnet Network Policy Debate – BRIDGE Watch (2023) and has led a Jean Monnet Chair (2023). She previously coordinated the Jean Monnet Network – BRIDGE Project (2020-2023) and the Jean Monnet Module (2018-2021). All these projects were co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.

Aline is the Director of the Latin American Center of European Studies (LACES), which includes over 70 Latin American and European academics and stakeholders. Aline also serves as Chief-Editor of the Latin American Journal of European Studies.

Biography

Stefaan Hermans is Director of Policy Strategy and Evaluation in the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture at the European Commission. He was Head of Cabinet of the Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen in the Juncker Commission. Previous posts include Head of the ‘Universities and Researchers’, ‘Skills’, and ‘Reflective Societies’ Units in DG Research and Innovation, and Secretary of the Employment Committee of the European Union. He also lectures on EU Affairs at the KU Leuven.