The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on the way we organize our life together at our College of Europe Bruges Campus, as we have continuously adapted to fulfil two key priorities: on the one hand, protecting the health and safety of all students and staff, and on the other hand preserving the academic excellence of our offer and the unique experience of living together in a multicultural environment.
The College of Europe remains committed to its traditional formula of in-person teaching and extracurricular activities. In the next academic year 2021-2022 all classes and activities will be held in person and on-site to the maximum extent allowed by the public authorities of the host country Belgium.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, the College of Europe in Bruges has successfully switched to an adapted way of working and living, on and off campus. Altogether, academic staff, college administration, catering and housekeeping staff and, last but not least, the students have made huge efforts to face a new, challenging reality. You can find an overview of 11 things the College has done in the face of COVID-19 HERE.
To keep you up to date, we have also compiled here a comprehensive overview of the current situation on our Bruges campus, showing our recent activities, events and initiatives. Needless to say, we will carry on taking all the necessary precautions to reduce all potential risks to the health, safety and well-being of the College community. And of course, we will continue our creative approach in order to keep the dynamic College of Europe engine running.
The College of Europe Talks
On Monday 9 November, Ms Federica MOGHERINI, Rector of the College of Europe, launched a new series of online conversations The College of Europe Talks between prominent guests and students of the College of Europe (Bruges and Natolin). The recordings of these live-streams are available on our website.
Sir Julian KING, Former Commissioner for Security & Former UK Ambassador to Paris and Dublin (15/01)
Tailor-made and executive training courses delivered online and in Bruges
We remain entirely committed to offering our services while ensuring at the same time the health, safety, and well-being of our community. For this reason, six out of our seven executive training courses in summer will be delivered online. The Intensive Seminar on the EU will take place in a face-to-face format in Bruges, fully complying with the government’s COVID-19 recommendations and measure. Should you like to explore tailor-made online solutions or should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. We remain available by email at info.development@coleurope.eu.
Student Events
- LAW student Karst VRIESENDORP of the Mário Soares Promotion talks about his year at our Bruges campus. Read the full story with some quotes from our Dutch alumnus HERE.
- JEF Society organises a letter-writing action for political prisoners in Belarus (02/06)
- Student Societies invite high-level speakers to virtually liven up their national weeks (18/05)
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Hellenic Society celebrates two milestones in Greek history with special activities (27/04)
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Polish Society commemorates the 78th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (20/04)
Conferences & Lectures
On Tuesday 15 June 2021 (14h00-17h45 CET), the IBERDROLA Manuel Marín Chair for European Energy Policy successfully hosted its annual conference, entitled "The Great Transition: How to get to carbon zero 2050?".
The conference was chaired by Professor Dirk BUSCHLE and welcomed a range of speakers who are top authorities in their fields.
Joint event IEE/CoE: Debates on the Future of Europe
On Wednesday 16 June 2021, the European Political and Governance Studies Department (POL) and the Institute for European Studies (IEE) organized a joint event on the future of Europe at the Université libre de Bruxelles. 25 students from each institution had the opportunity to discuss and propose potential reforms of the Union.
Students of the ‘Civil Servant Exchange Program (CSEP)’ participate in ECI Day 2021
The 9 College of Europe Bruges campus students who registered the "Civil Servant Exchange Program (CSEP)" in the framework of the European Citizens' Initiative participated in the upcoming ECI Day 2021, organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) of the European Union. The 10th edition of the ECI Day exceptionally took place online over two consecutive days: Thursday 3 and Friday 4 June 2021.
Students watch Conference on the Future of Europe launch ceremony with Rector MOGHERINI
On Sunday 9 May, annually marked as Europe Day, the cross-campus Young European Federalists (JEF) student team hosted an online screening of the opening ceremony of the Conference on the Future of Europe for the students in Bruges and Natolin. Discover the full event report HERE.
Rector's Activities
Rector MOGHERINI joined the HUME Inaugural European Conference on ‘Leadership for Peaceful Change’ (1-2/07)
On Friday, 2 July 2021 (15:45-16:40), Rector MOGHERINI addressed "EU support to conflict resolution and peace building in the Middle East & North Africa", in a conversation with Zahra’ LANGHI, Co-founder and CEO of the Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace, moderated by Michael KEATING, Executive Director of the European Institute of Peace.
Rector MOGHERINI participates in the Prespa Forum Dialogue (1/07)
Following the keynote speech of Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran ZAEV, during the Official Opening of the Conference —"Road to Prespa", Rector MOGHERINI participated (by video call) in a panel of the primary architects of the 2018 Prespa Agreement, together with former Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis TSIRPAS, and former Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Johannes HAHN, inter alios.
Rector MOGHERINI’s participation in Conference of Delegation Chairs of the European Parliament
On 14 June 2021, Rector MOGHERINI participates in an exchange of views on "Women in EU Diplomacy" with representation of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and possible representation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) during the meeting of the Conference of Delegation Chairs of the European Parliament.
Rector MOGHERINI meets the Ambassadors of Montenegro and Kazakhstan
On 10 June 2021, Rector MOGHERINI had meetings with H.E. Ambassador Ivan LEKOVIC, Ambassador of Montenegro to Belgium, and with H.E. Ambassador Margulan BAIMUKHAN, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Belgium.
Rector MOGHERINI's participation in online event “L’Europa sul sofà”
On 27 May 2021, Rector MOGHERINI participates in an online event “EU in the World – l’Unione Europea e il mondo” organised in the framework of a series of meetings "L’Europa sul sofà – verso la Conferenza sul futuro dell’Europa" by the University of Bologna.
More news from the Rector's Office
Closing Ceremony of the Mário Soares Promotion 2020/2021, Bruges Campus
The Closing Ceremony of the Mário Soares Promotion took place in two sessions on Friday 18 June 2021 in the Bruges Concert Hall.
You can relive the entire event via the video clips available on our College of Europe YouTube channel.
Students of the College Charity Club again donate to local foster care organisation
11 things the College community has done in the face of COVID-19
College of Europe alumni well represented in the EU Brussels bubble
VBO/FEB extends Herman VAN ROMPUY scholarship
