On 27 March 2024, the annual Alumni Roundtable organised by the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies (IRD) took place. This “Life after IRD”-themed roundtable offered another opportunity for students to receive first-hand career insights from Alumni of the same study programme. Speakers included graduates working in the EU institutions, Permanent Representations to the EU, international organizations, public affairs, and academia, both from EU and non-EU countries.
The event was opened by Student Representative Ghizlan REBBAH, after which the alumni shared their post-College experiences on the Brussels job market and provided practical career advice to the current students, followed by a rich and lively Q&A. The Department would like to thank Sjorre COUVREUR (PhD Researcher at Ghent University, Mario Soares promotion 2020-21), Madina FAIZ (Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the EU, Eliane Vogel-Polsky promotion 2021-22), Paula OLIVER LLORENTE (European Commission, DG INTPA, David Sassoli promotion 2022-23), Maria SIMONYAN (World Customs Organisation, John Maynard Keynes promotion 2016-17), Valentin STEINHAUER (EU Representation of Deutsche Telekom, Simone Veil promotion 2014-15), and Elif ÜNLÜ (NATO, Eliane Vogel-Polsky promotion 2021-22). After the roundtable, participants continued discussions more informally at a reception.
