A successful event briging together scholars from a broad range of disciplines
In May 2024, the second edition of IDEAS, a conference in Interdisciplinary European Advanced Studies, took place at the Institut d’études européennes of the Université libre de Bruxelles (IEE-ULB). The title of the conference was ‘Inequality and the European Union. New frontiers in European Studies’ and it aimed to explore the new frontiers of our respective disciplines to push further interdisciplinarity. Furthermore, our objective was to stimulate the cross-fertilization of cutting-edge research in Europe, and beyond, allowing exchange with the Brussels-based policy-making community.
During this a three-day scientific event, organized in collaboration with the Institute for European Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (IES-VUB) and the Politics and International Studies Department at the University of Warwick (PaIS-UoW), we welcomed over 70 persons. It was an honour to bring together scholars at all stages of their careers from a broad range of disciplines (including history, sociology, political science, political economy or law) who presented their research across 16 panels.
Taking the debate further
The conference arouse a high interest among PhD and master students of IEE-ULB. Thanks to them, the discussions that took place during the conference are prolonged through two policy briefs and a special issue of the magazine Eyes on Europe.
Policy briefs
The policy brief by Stephen Gaffney offers elements for reflection on European social citizenship.
The policy brief by Laura Schmeer addresses the topic of housing justice in Europe, summaring and developing further the fruitful discussion of the policy panel.
Eyes on Europe Special Issue
The student association Eyes on Europe has published a special issue in which student writers analyse inequality in the European Union from various perpectives – from migration to gender equality, and from mobility to just transition – thus providing new perspectives on edge-cutting issues.
Discover the Eyes on Europe special issue
(Re)discover the conference highlights thought video recordings
IDEAS24 Keynote: European Social Citizenship in Perspective
This keynote was given by Professor Martin Seeleib-Kaiser from the University of Tübingen and Professor Zoe Lefkofridi from the University of Salzburg. Both universities are partners of the ULB in the framework of the CIVIS alliance. The keynote addressed issues respectively about the obstacles to and prospects for a genuine European social citizenship, and EU policies to promote equality in terms of gender and LGBTQ+ rights.
IDEAS24 Policy Panel: Affordable Housing and (In)equality in the European Union
The policy panel was co-organised with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and gathered experts from European and local level as well as from the civil society to exchange on the pressing topic of affordable housing in Europe. The focus of the discussion was on housing inequalities and the role of EU policymaking to help member states deliver more affordable housing, support social housing and energy efficiency of buildings.
