IEE Council reelects its leadership trio for the 2021-2023 period

The Council of the Institute for European Studies, convened on 11 May 2021, has re-elected for a two-year term (2021-2023) the leadership trio at the head of the IEE since 2019. 

Ramona Coman, Emmanuelle Bribosia and Nicolas Verschueren received the unanimous vote of  the Council, held online and chaired by the ULB Vice-Rector and IEE President Emeritus, Professor Anne Weyembergh. 

The Council congratulated the IEE authorities for their handling of the health crisis and commended their dynamism in very restrictive circumstances.     

Looking back, and forward

Recalling the objectives announced when they were elected in 2019, Professor Ramona Coman, President of the IEE, presented the ra brief account of their first mandate and the objectives achieved, despite the challenges imposed by the health crisis, as well as their ambitions for the upcoming years.  

“First and foremost, the leadership team would like to thank all IEE members very warmly for their extremely important support throughout this mandate, which officially ends on 15 September,” said Professor Coman, emphasizing the essential contribution of the various bodies – academic, scientific, administrative, student – to the achievement of the IEE missions. 

The re-elected team is committed to continuing to promote the interests of the IEE in its relations with the University’s central authorities and partner faculties. 

Research projects 

Professor Emmanuelle Bribosia, Vice-President of the IEE, stressed the desire to inject a “collective, bottom-up and interdisciplinary research dynamic into European studies.”

Four European/international research projects have been developed during their first mandate and are about to be introduced “thanks specially to all the great teamwork and significant investment of Jozefien Van Caeneghem (research logistician) and Frederik Ponjaert.”

The re-elected authorities hope to be able bring these research projects, which involve many affiliated members of the IEE and which should start in September 2021, to fruition. 

Education, Alumni and International Relations

Professor Nicolas Verschueren, Director of the IEE, highlighted the willingness of the managing team to maintain the stability of the teaching programmes despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.  He stressed the attractiveness of European Studies programmes and the increase in the number of students enrolled in the Specialized Master managed by the Institute, as well as the award of a Fund to encourage teaching in European Studies project and two ULB International IN Chairs (awarded in 2020-2021 to Professor Antoine Vauchez of Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne University and in 2021-2022 to Professor Paul Bacon of Waseda University).  

With regard to Executive Education, the IEE has been working closely with the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences. A summer school, coordinated by Ramona Coman, was organised in 2020, bringing together more than 50 participants from 10 European and non-European countries. A new edition is planned for this summer.

In conclusion, Ramona Coman announced the priorities of the IEE in terms of international relations and collaborations with the Institute’s privileged academic partners. She also recalled the importance of the link with the IEE Alumni. For the next two years, a collective and rotating presidency of the network is being set up, whose objective is to foster dialogue and interaction between Alumni and students.