A group of students from the University of Westminster’s Diplomacy and Global Politics MA and International Relations MA programmes travelled to Brussels between 4-6 July to visit the European Parliament, the Council, the European Commission and the NATO Headquarters. During their visit to the NATO Headquarters, they even had the opportunity to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
On the first day, the students visited the European Parliament where they took part in a Q&A with MEP Karen Melchior on the work of the institution, including the way it supports gender equality, followed by a visit to the famous hemicycle. Later in the afternoon, the students listened to a talk by Mr Thomas Brandtner, Head of Unit, in the General Secretariat at the Council of the EU, on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in the European Council’s building.
The second day of the programme was also the date of a historic event when Sweden’s and Finland’s accession agreement was signed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the NATO ambassadors in the presence of their Foreign Ministers. The decision to invite Finland and Sweden to join NATO was made the week before at the Madrid Summit. “This is truly a historic moment. For Finland, for Sweden, for NATO, and for our shared security,” said the Secretary General. The Westminster students were delighted to meet and to have a group photo taken with him.
Besides the historic encounter, the students spent the whole day at the NATO Headquarters. After receiving the welcome and introductory speeches from the UKDEL (UK Delegation) spokesperson and Nick Pickard, the UK Deputy Military Representative to NATO, they took part in working sessions with UK diplomats to discuss NATO’s new Strategic Concept. They spent the afternoon learning about the role of NATO in international diplomacy and about the UK’s diplomatic tools for effective policy making, while receiving useful negotiation tips from Mr Pickard. The day ended with an informal networking session with the UKDEL military, civilian and diplomatic staff.
On the last day, Dr Guilio Venneri and other experts from the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) delivered presentations at the EU Commission. The students could discuss the future risks and challenges in the Western Balkans, and then witnessed an illuminating exchange between Westminster’s Security and International Relations Course Director Dr Aiden Hehir and Dr Guilio Venneri on EU democracy promotion in the Western Balkans. The day ended with exploring the Grand Place and other famous sights.
The participating Westminster students gained a lot of knowledge and experience during the trip. One of the students said: “After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this trip organised by Politics and International Relations in the School of Social Sciences was highly anticipated and did not disappoint. Each day was well organised with structured visits to international organisations and institutions. Our fantastic chaperons, Dominika Opyrchal, Dr Aiden Hehir and Dr Frands Pedersen made sure everything flowed smoothly which meant that each day was met with increased excitement. This trip allowed us the opportunity to network with individuals within our career path or area of study. We visited the European Parliament, European Council, European Commission DG NEAR and NATO. We were able to learn about each institution and question different representatives.”
Another student added: “Meeting new people, exploring Brussels and learning new things about NATO was beyond anything we could have expected. Absolutely loved it!”
The trip was organised by Politics and International Relations, in the School of Social Sciences.
Learn more about the Diplomacy and Global Politics MA and International Relations MA courses.
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