On 2 and 3 March 2013, five students of the College of Europe participated at the first European Conference at Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts. Organised by the European Clubs of Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School, the conference aimed at bringing the USA and Europe closer together by spreading knowledge about Europe in the USA. The panels covered a wide variety of topics ranging from the eurozone crisis to trade and business and discussions about an emerging European identity. Through keynote speeches and interactive panels, a number of well-known politicians, practitioners and academics debated these issues. Among the speakers were former Belgian and Greek Prime Ministers Guy VERHOFSTADT and Lucas PAPADEMOS, current Commissioners Karel DE GUCHT and Connie HEDEGAARD, and the Oxford and Harvard Professors Kalypso NICOLAIDIS and Robert LAWRENCE.
Participants from the College at this year’s event were Ward DENDIEVEL, Clemens DOMNICK, Carmen FEITO PÉREZ, Domhnall O’SULLIVAN and David SCHÄFER. The students participated actively in the conference discussions and used the event to build up ties between Harvard University and the College of Europe. Further plans include the intention to build up a permanent cooperation between both universities, and are directed towards organising recurring video conferences between students from the College of Europe and Harvard University and a common conference, this time held in Europe. These first steps towards further cooperation between the College of Europe and Harvard University once again underline the high standing of the College of Europe in European affairs.