This European Conference will be an opportunity to rekindle our school’s historical ties with the Old Continent, at a time of changing shift in Europe’s stance within global geopolitics. Building on Fletcher’s international identity, and the long-lasting academic partnership existing between our school and the College of Europe, this new-born initiative aims at bringing Europe, and more specifically European diplomacy, at the front of discussions and debates happening in our community.
The Fletcher European Conference will dive into global issues that are currently reshaping European diplomacy. It will center around the question, “Can Europe reinvent itself on the global stage?” This title echoes both the challenges and new opportunities that European nations could levy in promoting a common voice for the continent in the international community. We believe Europe is at a diplomatic crossroad, with opportunities to foster cooperative efforts as well as global leadership. With this context in mind, the discussion will be structured around the following themes:
Europe and Reconstruction in Ukraine
Europe and Balancing Sustainability and Tech Innovation
Europe and Building a New Cooperation with the Global South
Europe and the Future of the Transatlantic Relationship
Why organize a European Conference at Fletcher?
A lot of academic and student-led initiatives centered on European affairs are happening in the Boston area. We strongly believe that European diplomacy should be treated as an independent topic given the growing relevance it has for tackling today’s current global challenges. Furthermore, the European agenda is often underrepresented or misunderstood in our community, bringing the necessity of an event centered specifically on the European Union. We do believe that this event could benefit not only the Fletcher School students who have a proven interest in diplomatic affairs, but the wider and vibrant academic community that continues to thrive in Boston.
In its history, the Fletcher School has trained diplomats and leaders from both shores of the Atlantic. This would be impossible were it not for the European academic institutions that remain key partners when it comes to cooperation and exchanges with The Fletcher School. These institutional friendships have fostered unique opportunities for students at The Fletcher School.
One such partnership is enshrined in the Master of Arts in Transatlantic Affairs, a focused Master’s degree between the Fletcher School and the College of Europe. Founded in 2017, this highly competitive program prepares 15-20 students to be dynamic leaders in transatlantic affairs through three semesters of instruction on two transatlantic campuses. The Fletcher School is honored to welcome the rector of the College of Europe, former High Representative of the European Union Federica Mogherini at its European Conference, and looks forward to engaging in further opportunities between the universities.