WEASA 2017 Edition - Call for Applications

The College of Europe Natolin campus, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF) announce a call for applications for the fifth edition of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy (WEASA) which is scheduled to take place between 2 and 15 July 2017.

The WEASA 2017 edition will be devoted to the issue of "Digital Community: Security, Information and Economy". As such, the WEASA 2017 program aims to introduce participants to the growing role that the digital component plays in security, information and economy in the modern age. In this sense, the WEASA 2017 edition shall offer an overarching understanding of the digital communities through focusing on the following dimensions: the digital media and the related new forms of information sharing in the light of democratic processes; the global digitalization of the economic sectors and the benefits of their development; the impact of digital tools and methods on the information environment including counter-information operations; and finally the cybersecurity challenges for states and non-state actors.

Program

As part of the general theme of “Digital Community: Security, Information and Economy”, the WEASA 2017 edition shall contribute to the emerging digital sphere in the Eastern Partnership countries taking into account the transatlantic cooperation and experience sharing in the following fields:

• Digital Society and Social Media;
• Digital Economy;
• Cybersecurity;
• Strategic Communications, Counter-Information and Fact-based Journalism.

Accordingly, the WEASA 2017 edition will allow its participants to gain an advanced knowledge, enhance their professional skills and competences, and learn more about contemporary digital communities. Such an approach will specifically allow the WEASA participants:

• to deepen and systematize up-to-date knowledge;
• to develop an ability to employ different concepts and approaches to the policy relevant research, analysis and advocacy activities in the relevant fields;
• to reinforce relevant practical skills that allow for an informed analysis leading to influence policy debates, prepare advocacy campaigns, and impact institutional and policy developments at national, European and global levels.

Participant's profile

The WEASA 2017 is addressed to participants coming from a cross-section of society and specifically from public administration, academia, think-tanks, media and civil society organizations.

Eligibility

We encourage in particular up-and-coming policy analysts, experts, advisers, civil servants, journalists, private sector specialists and NGOs from the Eastern Partnership region (i.e. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and the Western Balkans region (i.e. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo) focusing upon the European integration process, state transformation processes, transatlantic cooperation, cybersecurity, digital media and/or digital economy. Priority will be given to mid-career professionals with at least five years of professional experience ideally in a field related to the topic of WEASA 2017.

Speakers

The WEASA 2017 program will be delivered by prominent academics and analysts from leading European and American think tanks, as well as high-level officials and practitioners.

Fees

Travel, boarding and accommodation will be covered by WEASA.

Rules of Procedure

WEASA 2017 Rules of Procedure are available here.

Application deadline

• Applicants from the Eastern Partnership region: to apply please proceed to the online application form.
• Applicants from the Western Balkans region: to apply please fill in the attached WEASA application form and send it both to contact [at] weasa.org and to balkantrust [at] gmfus.org.

Please consult the WEASA application requirements. The closing date for applications is 19 February 2017, 23:59pm (GMT+1).