Conference : EU Careers Challenges & Debates

During the ULB’s Information Session on Master’s and PhDs (SIMA), Professor Nicolas Verschueren presented the conference EU Careers Challenges & Debates as well as the Institute for European Studies and its various programmes.

Studying at the IEE

Celebrating soon its 60th anniversary, the Institute is renowned for its international dimension, with students and academics coming from all over the world. Prof. Verschueren defines the Institute as a quiet place of socialization and conviviality.

“Studying at the IEE-ULB means much more than a graduate training, it is above all a rewarding life course.” Prof. Nicolas Verschueren, IEE Director.

The specificity of the Institute, he says, is its interdisciplinary nature. The interdisciplinary dimension is also reflected in the presentation of the authorities of the IEE, different personalities coming from various disciplines that allow the Institute to function and thrive. Ramona Coman, President of the IEE and Professor of Political Science, described by Prof. Verschueren as “the soul, the engine, the heart and the brain of the Institute”. Complete the trio Vice-President of the IEE, Emmanuelle Bribosia, Professor of Law and, finally, himself, Nicolas Verschueren, Historian, in charge of pedagogical issues. 

Three missions

The Institute’s three missions are research, teaching and dialogue with civil society. Prof. Verschueren presented the Institute as “a place of critical thinking development pushing students to become active European citizens in society, but also professionals.” Indeed, most of the programmes proposed by the IEE have a professionalizing dimension leading to many paths.

European Studies Programmes

The Institute coordinates its own programmes or collaborates on others with its partner faculties: Philosophy and Social Sciences, Law and Criminology and Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management:

• the Master’s degree in European Studies, with two tracks: a “European policy” purpose and a mobility in Japan at Waseda University. It is a bilingual French-English Master’s degree (120 credits).
• the Master’s degree in business economics, with two European tracks, completely in English (120 credits). 
• the Master’s degree in Economics – European Policy. It is a bilingual French-English Master’s degree (120 credits).
• the Specialized Master in EU Interdisciplinary Studies, in English, with a strong interdisciplinary approach. It focuses on professional development. An innovative seminar is organized to help students strengthen their career plans. This Specialized Master aims to reflect on the political, economic, social and legal issues of European construction (60 credits). For more details, download the brochure of this Specialized Master.
• the Specialized Master in European Law. This is a bilingual Specialized Master’s degree in French-English (60 credits). 

For more information about our programmes:

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Professional life after the IEE: EU careers

Regarding professional opportunities, a survey conducted by Prof. Ramona Coman, President of the IEE, revealed that the career trajectories of the Institute’s Alumni who graduated between 2003 and 2015 varied widely. The six main sectors in EU careers are: Associations; Businesses ; European institutions; Law firms ; international, regional, communal institutions and research.

For more details:

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A real asset

The main advantage of the training offered by the IEE, according to Prof. Verschueren, in addition to the opportunities, is quality. The Institute’s trainings encourage students to develop their critical thinking and be able to analyze the world; it trains active European citizens through a series of mobilizations and associations (including Eyes on Europe and SAIES).

Finally, Prof. Verschueren stressed the socialization dimension in these trainings, where there is a very present Alumni network that “creates strong links between students”.