On 29 November 2018, the first ever joint College of Europe and The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy alumni networking event took place in Brussels. The event was organized in cooperation with the Alumni Association of the College of Europe and the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU (AmCham EU), and well attended by alumni of both institutions as well as first- and second-year students of the joint College of Europe-Fletcher School Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs (MATA).
The alumni were greeted by the Dean of The Fletcher School, Prof. Ian JOHNSTONE, and the Rector of the College of Europe, Prof. Jörg MONAR. Rector Monar presented the MATA programme, recalling the rationale behind its creation and its objective to form future transatlantic leaders able to contribute innovative solutions to the challenges of transatlantic and global affairs. Dean Johnstone highlighted the complementarity of the College of Europe and The Fletcher School. He expressed the hope that the partnership between the two institutions will involve numerous further joint activities, including events of the two alumni communities all around the globe.
Maxime BUREAU, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, Director for Government and Public Affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at 3M and an Alumnus of the College of Europe (Denis DE ROUGEMONT Promotion, 1989-1990), subsequently offered remarks on transatlantic relations and how AmChamEU contributes to it. He reminded the audience of the important economic ties linking the US and the EU, and called for a de-escalation of the current tensions in transatlantic trade and engagement in coordinated action to address shared challenges. “As global economic leaders, who are bound by a common history, shared values, and a commitment to high standards, we need the EU and the US to work together. Let’s develop a new positive agenda for transatlantic cooperation”, stressed Mr. Bureau.
The remainder of the event provided an excellent opportunity for the alumni of the two institutions to meet and exchange – taking a first step towards creating closer ties between the two alumni communities.
Candidates who are interested in MATA can still apply for starting the programme at the beginning of the academic year 2019/2020. The application deadline is 16 January 2019.