Studying individually and with peers

Whereas individual study is indispensable to acquire theoretical knowledge, we think that working together with peers and experts and exchanging opinions and views is very important to grasp a subject and to understand it fully.

During their two years of studies, we offer our students the opportunity to experience group work in various learning formats, such as simulations, case studies, project planning etc..

Group work

Making the most of the on-site study phases during the weekend workshops, our students work on the communication of the EU and present their results to their peers, study and exercise the different strategies of the different actors in international relations, learn how to read and understand the logic of the Court of Justice of the European Union judgements, develop their projects together after understanding the different aspects of Sustainable Development policies and analyse various strategies of lobby groups and discover how difficult it sometimes is to identify lobby groups.
Students also train their skills in presenting their work to peers and experts, which enables them to improve their presentation abilities when defending their final paper or master thesis in the end of their two-year studies.

Simulations

After having chosen their role and started negotiating during an online preparation, the students take an active role in the simulation of a European Council Summit, being in the role of a Member state head of state, leading negotiations, weighing priorities and analysing strategies to be able to come to unanimous conclusions at the end of the day.

After having prepared at home their legal memos and legal writs for the simulation of a case before the Court of Justice of the European Union, students put on their black robes and take on the role of either a Member state, the Advocate general, the European Commission or the Judge.  They also train their debating skills in a ‘debating society’ exercise during which they use the British debating tradition technique to get their argument trough on one specific controversial motion.

Working on projects

Students can opt for either Project Cycle Management and Logical Framework Approach or Strategic Planning Implementation Development of Development Projects in the EU and learn in these two courses to organize and manage their work in an autonomous way, with the support of the experts, and learn the different steps of project planning.