News & Events
Thijs Reuten
The Geopolitical Necessity of the
EU Accession
The Member of the European Parliament, Thijs Reuten, gave a lecture for our Master students of the course ‘EU Enlargement and Europeanisation Policy’. He engaged in an insightful discussion with our students on the geopolitical situation in Ukraine, Moldova, and the wider region. Mr. Reuten also provided his perspectives on the complex political questions around the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans. After the engaging lecture, students had the opportunity to directly connect with him in an informal networking environment.
Dorian Jano
EU Enlargement Rounds and Dilemmas
Dr. Dorian Jano (University of Genoa) gave an engaging online presentation on ‘EU Enlargement Rounds and Dilemmas’ for our UvA students of the ‘EU External Relations’ course. He presented the decades-long history of EU enlargement, focusing on the procedures and criteria for EU membership. He also introduced the conceptual and theoretical debates and showcased how the process has proceeded over time through its successful and unsuccessful cases.
Jana van der Linden & Aleksandar Momirov
Dutch Position on EU Enlargement.
Janna van der Linden and Aleksandar Momirov gave an introduction to the EU enlargement methodology and illustrated how the enlargement process works in practice. They provided us with insights into how the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Representation and the Dutch Embassies in the Western Balkans region all closely work together on articulating the Dutch position in the negotiations and decision-making on Enlargement in the Council of the European Union.
Zamira Xhaferri
3rd Jean Monnet Chair workshop on research-based teaching
Dr. Zamira Xhaferri was invited by Dr Kamil Zwolski (Jean Monnet Chair in European Security Governance) and the University of Southampton to the 3rd Jean Monnet Chair workshop on research-based teaching in undergraduate education. In this workshop, Zamira and other participants discussed how to integrate research-based teaching as part of the broader teaching strategy in the European studies. They explored effective ways to combine research-based teaching with more traditional teaching format, and how to do it effectively in the context of European Studies.
Dren Doli
Kosovo’s path to the European Union
The Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dr Dren Doli, delivered a guest lecture about Kosovo’s path to the European Union to students of the MA and BA course of the EnlargEU Jean Monnet Module.
Dr. Droli highlighted the role of the EU in Kosovo in State building, the EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue and the EU’s neutrality, and the challenges and dilemmas of Kosovo’s EU membership. The lecture was received well, followed by a Q&A session with the students.
Liesbeth A Campo
Is it time for more majority decision-making in EU foreign policy?
Drs. Liesbeth A Campo delivered a guest lecture to students of the BA course of the EnlargEU Jean Monnet Module. Drs. A Campo discussed the participation of the EU in international organisations, such as the UN, and then the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) as a substantive field of EU external relations. She delved into CFSP (EU missions and operations, participation and budgetary constraints), the Jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU, Decision-making within the CFSP (Voting rules; use of CFSP as a legal basis; Use of QMV for CFSP acts? Resorting to TFEU legal bases?)—lastly, Drs. A Campo engaged in a thought-provoking conversation about Treaty changes in EU foreign policy. She closed her talk with an open question: Is it time for more majority decision-making in EU foreign policy? The guest lecture was well received and followed by a Q&A session with the students and Dr. Zamira Xhaferri.
Zamira Xhaferri & Dren Doli
EU Enlargement and External Governance: Geopolitical Challenges, Policy Responses, and Legal Approaches
Dr. Zamira Xhaferri, in collaboration with the Embassy of Kosovo in The Hague, had the pleasure of hosting the conference “EU Enlargement and External Governance: Geopolitical Challenges, Policy Responses, and Legal Approaches.”
The discussions centred on the future of EU enlargement, with particular attention to the Western Balkans. The conference explored how EU enlargement can support regional stability and geopolitical influence, assessing its link to internal reforms, governance, and financial tools, such as the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. It also highlighted the role of communication and public engagement in shaping perceptions of the process, as well as both the opportunities and the difficulties of enlargement, while reflecting on how policy responses and legal approaches can shape Europe’s future.
H.E. Dren Doli, Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the Netherlands, welcomed the audience and introduced a distinguished group of speakers who shared their insights and expertise, to set the stage for a productive exchange of ideas.
The conference was moderated by Dr. Zamira Xhaferri and was attended by a large group of distinguished Ambassadors, Diplomats, Representatives of Dutch Ministries and international organisations, as well as many passionate students and young professionals working in the field.
UACES GRADUATE FORUM CONFERENCE 2024
European Futures: What Next Two Decades after Eastern Enlargement?
Dr. Zamira Xhaferri (UvA, Jean Monnet fellow ENLARGEU) and co-author dr. Dren Doli, Ambassador of Kosovo, the Kingdom of the NL/Affiliated Ass. Prof. University of Pristina (Kosovo), presented their research on the EU’s Approach in State-Building and Consensus Formation in the Accession of Kosovo to the EU.
Their research examines whether and to what extent the EU’s engagement process in Kosovo differs and/or is atypical compared to other WB countries. To this end, the paper explores the dichotomy between the EU’s “neutrality” in reforming, democratising, and supporting Kosovo’s institutions in the EU integration process. Their research seeks to bring a new perspective to the academic debate in revealing how EU policy towards Kosovo statehood has resulted in a policy of engagement that aligns with Kosovo’s aim to accede to the EU and the EU’s objective to democratise and reform Kosovo’s institutions.
The presentation was received well, and the speakers engaged in a Q&A session with an interdisciplinary audience comprising political scientists, legal scholars, and policymakers.
