The September 2026 edition of the ValEUs Newsletter brings together major events from across the network, new initiatives and resources, recently released publications, and highlights from ValEUs partners.
One of the central features of this issue is the Third Annual ValEUs Conference, “Values, Democracy, and EU Foreign Policy. Paths to a New Policy Agenda,” held from 29 September to 2 October 2026 in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice. As the network’s closing conference, the event brought together academics, students, civil society representatives, policymakers, and members of the public to reflect on three years of ValEUs cooperation and discuss democratic and normative erosion, changes in the international order, EU foreign and accession policy, support for Ukrainian academia, and the role of universities and civil society in defending European values.
The newsletter also introduces the ValEUs Civil Society EU Engagement Visualisations — an interactive database showcasing civil society initiatives in Europe and beyond that respond to contestations of EU values, including democracy, equality, the rule of law, human rights, and freedom. The database is designed as an evolving resource and invites further submissions from across the network.
The September issue also highlights two international events held in October: the Civil Society Conference “Reconceptualizing Geopolitics in Europe and Latin America: Global Crises – Glocal Resistances,” co-sponsored by the University of Guadalajara and Rutgers University, and “Europe and the Mediterranean Challenge II: Thinking Through the Sea,” which brought together scholars working across the blue humanities, migration, environmental studies, cultural memory, and European politics.
Readers will also find recently released ValEUs content, including Episode 18 of the Beyond Borders podcast with Dr. Assel Uvaliyeva, Vice-President of Nazarbayev University, as well as Issue 2 of the Interdisciplinary Review of ValEUs. The new journal issue examines both the EU’s external role in the world and the persistence of populism and illiberalism within its member states.
In addition, the newsletter features Young Generation Policy Brief No. 11, “Bridging the Gap – A New EU Visa Path for Turkish University Students,” which examines barriers to short-term mobility for Turkish students and proposes an Ultra-Facilitated Student Visa Pilot within the existing Schengen framework.
The issue concludes with recent publications from across the network, including the new Handbook on Migration and Diaspora, edited by Ayhan Kaya and Nilay Kılınç, alongside further research on crisis, contestation, and the future of European cooperation.
👉 Read the full September 2026 edition of the ValEUs Newsletter for more events, publications, research, and activities from across the network.
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