Student Assistant, Author at VALEUS

Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Looking Ahead – The Role of Universities in Fostering Pluralistic and Humanitarian Values

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:40:59 +0000

What role can universities play in fostering pluralistic and humanitarian values in a changing international environment?

The final roundtable of the Third Annual ValEUs Conference features university representatives from Turkey, the US, Kazakhstan, and France. They will explore the role of universities in fostering pluralistic and humanitarian values amid increasingly complex and volatile societal and political landscapes across the globe.

Co-hosted by the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA)

Participants:
Ayhan Kaya (İstanbul Bilgi University)
Allyson Delnore (University of Pittsburgh)
Alexei Trochev (Nazarbayev University)
Arnaud Regnauld (University Paris 8)

Moderator: Timm Beichelt (European University Viadrina)

Date & time: 02/10/2026 | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (CEST)

Venue: Logensaal at Logenhaus (LH), Logenstraße 11, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Civil Society, Political Actors, and Their Struggle with ‘European’ Values

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:38:50 +0000

How do civil society initiatives and political actors understand “European” values, and in what ways do they engage with them in practice?

This roundtable explores perspectives on and engagement with ‘European’ values across civil society and the political sphere in different regions of the world. Participants will consider how closely the EU’s internal and external actions reflect its stated values, how ‘European’ values and EU policies are understood in different regional contexts, and where political actors and civil society organisations converge or differ in their interpretations of those values and practical approaches to safeguard them effectively.

The discussion will examine how greater involvement by civil society actors and initiatives can help safeguard and advance fundamental rights and universal principles across diverse political and regional contexts. The tension between the pragmatic pursuit of political goals and value-oriented political action will be a central theme throughout the discussion.

Participants:
Claske Vos (University of Amsterdam)
Christian Johann (Europäische Akademie Berlin)
Mariangela Rueda-Fiorentino (Universidad del Norte)
Daniel Scarborough (Nazarbayev University)
Fanny Bouquerel (University Paris 8)

Moderator: Timm Beichelt (European University Viadrina)

Date & time: 01/10/2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (CEST)

Venue: Logensaal at Logenhaus (LH), Logenstraße 11, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The post Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Civil Society, Political Actors, and Their Struggle with ‘European’ Values appeared first on VALEUS.

Third Annual ValEUs Conference: ValEUs Young Generation Policy Forum – EU Visa Restrictions for International Students

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:37:44 +0000

What challenges do international students face as a result of EU visa restrictions, and what policy alternatives could be considered?

The ValEUs Young Generation Policy Forum will bring together students for a roundtable on EU visa restrictions affecting international students. The discussion will examine the impact of the EU visa regime on students from around the world, beginning with the findings of the ValEUs Young Generation Policy Brief: Bridging the Gap – A New EU Visa Path for Turkish University Students.

Co-hosted by the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA)

Input by:
Enes İçen & Dilara Korkmaz (İstanbul Bilgi University):
A New EU Visa Path for Turkish University Students

Discussants:
Claire Vitou (University Paris 8)
Melika Khangholi (University of Macerata)
Gabriela Pawlowicz (European University Viadrina)

Moderator: Valerie Müller-Huschke (European University Viadrina)

Date & time: 01/10/2026 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (CEST)

Venue: Logensaal at Logenhaus (LH), Logenstraße 11, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The post Third Annual ValEUs Conference: ValEUs Young Generation Policy Forum – EU Visa Restrictions for International Students appeared first on VALEUS.

Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Strengthening Support for Ukrainian Academia

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:36:39 +0000

How can international partners most effectively support Ukrainian academia?

This roundtable at the Third Annual ValEUs Conference will bring together representatives of ValEUs’ partner universities in Kharkiv and Kyiv, as well as the Head of Viadrina International Affairs, to discuss the current needs of Ukrainian academia and future pathways for international support.

Co-hosted by Viadrina International Affairs

Participants:
Dmytro Iarovyi (Kyiv School of Economics)
Ruslan Zaporozhchenko (V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University)
Stefan Henkel (Head of Viadrina International Affairs)

Moderator: Dmytro Boiko (V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University)

Date & time: 01/10/2026 | 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM (CEST)

Venue: Logensaal at Logenhaus (LH), Logenstraße 11, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The post Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Strengthening Support for Ukrainian Academia appeared first on VALEUS.

Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Evening Session at Collegium Polonicum & Keynote Address by Marek Prawda

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:35:56 +0000

Join us for the Evening Session at Collegium Polonicum as part of the Third Annual ValEUs Conference, co-hosted by Adam Mickiewicz University.

Keynote Address by Marek Prawda (Head of the Polish Representation in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Chargé d’affaires a.i.)
Challenges of a Value-Oriented EU Foreign Policy

The session will begin with opening remarks by Ewa Bielewicz (Acting Director, Collegium Polonicum), Agnieszka Stępińska (Vice-Dean for International Projects and Cooperation, Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Adam Mickiewicz University), and Eduard Mühle (President, European University Viadrina).

Date & time: 30/09/2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (CEST)

Venue: Small Auditorium (Kleine Aula) at Collegium Polonicum, ul. Kościuszki 1, Słubice, Poland

On-site participation: If you would like to attend this session in person, we kindly ask you to register in advance.

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Opening Session & Keynote Address by Hans Kundnani

Student Assistant — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:34:23 +0000

Join us for the opening session of the Third Annual ValEUs Conference, “Values, Democracy, and EU Foreign Policy. Paths to a New Policy Agenda,” featuring a keynote address by Hans Kundnani (European Institute, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)).

Keynote Address: What Values Are European?
Commentator: Angela Bourne (Roskilde University)

The session will open with an institutional welcome by Geny Piotti, Head of EU Research Affairs at the European University Viadrina, followed by an opening address by Timm Beichelt, ValEUs Principal Investigator at the European University Viadrina.

Date & time: 29/09/2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (CEST)

Venue: Logensaal at Logenhaus (LH), Logenstraße 11, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

On-site participation: If you would like to attend this session in person, we kindly ask you to register in advance.

Livestream: No registration is required to join us online. The livestream link will be included in this event post before the conference.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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Third Annual ValEUs Conference: Values, Democracy, and EU Foreign Policy

Student Assistant — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:18:35 +0000

Registration

To support our planning, we kindly ask you to register in advance for selected on-site events. Register here.

How can values guide EU foreign policy in a changing world? What happens when democratic principles are contested or eroded? And how can research, education, and civil society contribute to a new policy agenda?

From 29 September to 2 October 2026, the Third Annual ValEUs Conference: “Values, Democracy, and EU Foreign Policy. Paths to a New Policy Agenda” will bring together academics, students, civil society representatives, policymakers and interested members of the public to explore these questions in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice.

ValEUs – Research & Education Network on Contestations to EU Foreign Policy is a Jean Monnet Network bringing together 20 universities across five continents. Led by European University Viadrina, the network combines interdisciplinary research, teaching and public dialogue to examine how the EU’s foundational values are contested and what this means for its foreign policy.

As the network’s closing conference, the event will bring together insights developed across the ValEUs network since 2024 and look ahead to future cooperation. Through academic panels and practice-oriented roundtable discussions, participants will explore democratic and normative erosion, shifts in the international order, EU foreign and accession policy, support for Ukrainian academia, the relationship between civil society, political actors and ‘European’ values, and the role of universities in fostering pluralistic and humanitarian values.

Keynote addresses will offer further perspectives on the conference themes, with Hans Kundnani reflecting on the fundamental question “What Values Are European?” and Marek Prawda examining the “Challenges of a Value-Oriented EU Foreign Policy”.

The conference will take place across the German-Polish twin city of Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice, with events hosted at European University Viadrina and Adam Mickiewicz University’s Collegium Polonicum.

Join us in Frankfurt (Oder), Słubice or online as ValEUs draws together three years of international cooperation and looks ahead to the conversations and collaborations that come next.

The full conference programme and information about available livestreams are included below.

Conference Programme & Livestreams

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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ValEUs Civil Society Debate – Seguridad territorial: desafíos y realidades para el nuevo gobierno

Student Assistant — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:12:19 +0000

Únete a nuestro próximo ValEUs Civil Society Debate, “Seguridad territorial: desafíos y realidades para el nuevo gobierno. Una conversación desde la sociedad civil”, organizado por la Universidad del Norte.

Ponentes:
Saruy Tolosa (Coordinador de proyectos de FESCOL)
Inge Valencia (Directora de la Escuela de Derecho, Gobierno y Globalización, Universidad ICESI de Cali)
Laura Bonilla (Subdirectora de la Fundación Paz y Reconciliación)
Luis Fernando Trejos Rosero (Profesor investigador del Departamento de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad del Norte)

Fecha y hora: 02/09/2026 | 10:00 AM (UTC-5)

Lugar: Universidad del Norte, Salón Gabriel García Márquez, Barranquilla, Colombia

Transmisión en vivo: vía Zoom

Deliberación académica sobre seguridad y paz en y desde el Caribe

Únete a nuestro próximo ValEUs Civil Society Debate, “Deliberación académica sobre seguridad y paz en y desde el Caribe”, organizado por la Universidad del Norte.

Ponentes:
Heyder Alfonso Camelo (Investigador y colaborador científico del Instituto Colombo-Alemán para la Paz – CAPAZ)
David J. Luquetta Cediel (Antropólogo, docente e investigador de la Universidad Autónoma del Caribe)
Amparo Bravo (Doctora en Ciencias Sociales)
Edwin Corena (Profesor investigador de la Universidad del Magdalena)
Muriel Jiménez Ortega (Profesora del Programa de Historia de la Universidad del Atlántico)
Luis Fernando Trejos Rosero (Profesor investigador del Departamento de Ciencia Política y Relaciones Internacionales, Universidad del Norte)

Fecha y hora: 04/09/2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (UTC-5)

Lugar: Universidad del Norte, Salón Gabriel García Márquez, Barranquilla, Colombia

Transmisión en vivo: vía Zoom

ValEUs Foreign Policy Debates with Civil Society

The ValEUs Project has organised a series of panel discussions with civil society organisations discussing European values and EU foreign policy, engaging a global audience (live stream) and local participants in the US, Poland, Mexico, Morocco and Ukraine. NGO’s, social movements, citizen organisations and activists are invited to share their thoughts about climate change, democracy, trade agreements, colonialism, and conflict. In these debates, contestations and ambivalences of European foreign policy are exposed, allowing for the exploration of new avenues to counteract these contestations and ambivalences.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The post ValEUs Civil Society Debate – Seguridad territorial: desafíos y realidades para el nuevo gobierno appeared first on VALEUS.

Civil Society Debate, Summer Content, and Global Disinformation Conference: ValEUs Newsletter – June 2026

Student Assistant — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 14:53:22 +0000

The June 2026 edition of the ValEUs Newsletter brings together recent events, resources from across the network, upcoming activities, and the latest accomplishments and publications from ValEUs partners.

The newsletter looks back at the Civil Society Debate “EU Foreign Policy, Democratic Resilience, Citizen Participation in Wartime Ukraine,” hosted by the Kyiv School of Economics on 13 May 2026. Bringing together scholars and civil society representatives, the discussion explored how the challenges of defending European values and democracy during wartime affect EU support for Ukraine and translate into concrete foreign policy actions.

Another recent highlight is the twenty-third installment of the ValEUs Lecture Series, “Europe and the Mediterranean Challenge.” The workshop brought together scholars from Europe, the United States, and Turkey to examine the conceptual, artistic, political, transcultural, and interdisciplinary challenges that the Mediterranean poses to Europe. The full recording is available to watch on the ValEUs website.

Looking ahead, the newsletter highlights the Global Disinformation Conference Kharkiv, taking place on 21 October 2026. The conference will bring together international scholars, policy experts, media professionals, and technologists to examine disinformation as a systemic global phenomenon, with particular attention to hybrid threats, platform power, governance responses, and the resilience of democratic systems.

The June issue also invites readers to revisit a selection of ValEUs resources over the summer. These include highlights and teaching materials from the ValEUs Summer Schools 2025 in Denmark, Turkey, and Mexico; newly published student presentations and position papers from EU Talks; selected lectures from the ValEUs Massive Open Online Course (MOOC); and recordings from the ValEUs Lecture Series and Civil Society Debates.

Readers will also find updates on recent activities across the network, including the ValEUs Co-Teaching Program at the Kyiv School of Economics, Prof. Mariangela Rueda Fiorentino’s visit to Adam Mickiewicz University, and the Path of Return Forum hosted by V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.

In addition, the newsletter features a new open-access publication by Andrea Apollonio, Politiche della memoria e narrazioni sulla storia nel Parlamento europeo, published by Firenze University Press in 2026.

Read the full June 2026 edition of the ValEUs Newsletter for more events, resources, publications, and activities from across the network.

Don’t Miss the Next ValEUs Newsletter!

The ValEUs Newsletter is published every two months and brings together highlights from our network — recent events, publications, and upcoming opportunities.
Stay connected with the latest debates, lectures, and activities across the ValEUs community.

Subscribe now and never miss an update: new stories, fresh insights, and inspiring events from across Europe and beyond.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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Young Generation Policy Brief no.11: Bridging the Gap – A New EU Visa Path for Turkish University Students

Student Assistant — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 14:50:13 +0000

Welcome to our Young Generation Policy Briefs series! In this eleventh issue of the series, Enes İçen and Dilara Korkmaz discuss the New EU Visa Path for Turkish University Students.

Executive Summary:

Despite the EU’s commitment to youth mobility and people-to-people engagement, Turkish university students continue to face substantial barriers when seeking short-term access to the Schengen area. Turkish students are processed within a broader short-stay system shaped by concerns over irregular migration, overstaying, asylum claims, and informal entry into labour markets. Documentary burdens, financial costs, uncertainty over appointments, and limited predictability in outcomes make mobility difficult to plan and weaken the EU’s mobility agenda at the point where many young people experience it most directly.

This policy brief argues that the status quo is increasingly difficult to defend, while broader exemption-based reforms remain politically and legally unrealistic under current conditions. It evaluates three policy options and recommends an Ultra-Facilitated Student Visa Pilot led by willing member states. The proposed pilot would create a limited, monitorable, and reversible visa track for students enrolled in accredited Turkish universities. By reducing documentary burdens, improving appointment access, and making visa procedures more predictable within the existing Schengen framework, this option offers the most credible route to more credibility of the EU in one of its core normative agendas.

Explore all Young Generation Policy Briefs here!

Young Generation Policy Brief no. 11:

About the authors:

ENES İÇEN

undergraduate student in Political Science and Public Administration, Istanbul Bilgi University

Enes İçen is an undergraduate student in Political Science and Public Administration at Istanbul Bilgi University in Türkiye. He has worked as a research intern at the European Institute of Istanbul Bilgi University, contributing to academic research, project-related activities, and institutional event coordination. He also supported the organisation of the ValEUs Global Summer School on Multiple Crises and Contestation of EU Values. His academic interests include EU–Türkiye relations, youth mobility, public policy analysis, securitization, critical geopolitics, and qualitative approaches to international politics. His submitted bachelor thesis focuses on geopolitical framing, securitization, and the political conditions under which military force becomes thinkable in foreign policy.

DİLARA KORKMAZ

final-semester International Relations student, Istanbul Bilgi University

Dilara Korkmaz is a final-semester International Relations student at Istanbul Bilgi University in Türkiye. She previously studied at Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin as an Erasmus exchange student, focusing on diversity studies, migration, and social policy. She has interned at the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO and the Istanbul Bilgi University European Institute, where she gained experience in international cooperation and European affairs. Her academic interests include migration and diaspora studies, European integration, misinformation and disinformation studies, and right-wing populism in contemporary Europe. She is fluent in Turkish and English and is currently developing her German language skills.

ValEUs Young Generation Policy Briefs

Policy briefs are regularly published as part of the Jean Monnet Policy Network “ValEUs”. The project, which is intended to provide a realistic account of EU foreign policy, thus aims to expand the societal dialogue on project results. The policy briefs are written from a student perspective, identifying problems with the self-proclaimed European values and suggesting possible solutions. This first issue presents a guide for students with practical tips on how to write a policy brief. Furthermore, it is an introduction to the following series summarising the central stakes in the proclamation and contestation of European values.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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