On this page you can find details of all sessions for this year’s Summer University.
Open sessions from the Summer University are being archived and will be available by clicking here after the conclusion of the event.
Wednesday 1st September
11:00 – 12:15 (UK times)
Session 1: Opening session
This session is open to everyone
Scene setting discussion setting out the political context in which the Summer University is being held. This will reflect on politics and priorities in the UK and EU (noting upcoming elections in France and Germany) as we emerge from the COVID pandemic and begin to build back our economies.
12:15 – 15:00 (UK times)
Break
15:00 – 16:00
Session 2: Priorities emerging from global trends 2030 and beyond
This session is open to everyone
The panel will identify and describe the key global trends, drawing on work already done by IN2030. Speakers will address what are the main developments in each respective region and how these are likely to evolve over the period 2021-2030 and beyond as well as how they relate to one another, describing interlinkages and overlaps.
16:00 – 17:00 (UK times)
Session 3: Guest Speaker in Conversation: Elements in US EU and UK architecture looking to 2030
This session is open to everyone
With the election of US President Biden, new possibilities have emerged for Transatlantic cooperation to address key global challenge, such as China and climate change. This discussion will focus on how the US, UK and EU can construct a new architecture of relations that moves beyond respective election cycles to ensure future cooperation, irrespective of who occupies the White House.
17:00 – 19:00 (UK times)
Break
19:00 – 20:00
Session 4: Guest speaker in conversation: Assessing the power of the Internet
This session is open to everyone
The advance of technology is having transformative effects on democratic structures and societies, with new actors and old exploiting developments to change, and in some cases undermine trust and faith in the institutions and processes of Western democracies. How can the UK and the EU institutionalize dialogue and cooperation effectively to set principles and standards protecting our basic democratic processes and structures from those who would seek to undermine them?
Thursday 2nd September
10:00 – 11:00 (UK times)
Session 5: Technology: Who regulates cyberspace?
This session is by invitation only
COVID-19 has accelerated and intensified the digital revolution and the shift to a fully digital society. Looking to 2030, there are few developments that have a more profound impact on society than digital technology. As the reach and influence of the largest digital technology companies increases, so have concerns about security, safety, privacy, ‘dark practices’ and fairness. The US, the EU and the UK are driving regulatory frameworks which are trying to meet these concerns. But does legislation limit freedom and innovation at the cost of protection and fairness? Can Governments harmonize regulation across global borders? And ultimately, who polices cyberspace?
11:00 – 12:00 (UK times)
Session 6: Economy and Trade: Resilience or openness?
This session is by invitation only
As the global economy regains momentum following the pandemic, many countries are now looking at how to improve the resilience of their supply chains to ensure that they are better able to handle economic, public health and political shocks. How will the Covid-19 outbreak shape and transform notions of resilience and openness in the age of global supply chains? And what impact will this have regarding the role of the nation state and industrial policy in international trade and investment?
12:00 – 13:00 (UK times)
Break
13:00 – 14:00 (UK times)
Session 7: Geopolitical: Is the rise of China inevitable?
This session is by invitation only
China’s rise has occurred far faster than most thought possible in the 1990s and early 2000s. Economically, militarily and perhaps most importantly, technologically, China has achieved stunning and unprecedent progress. Will China be able to sustain its meteoric rise, or will it begin to plateau and stagnate? What consequences might these scenarios have for the West?
14:00 – 15:00 (UK times)
Break
15:00 – 16:00 (UK times)
Session 8: Guest Speaker in Conversation: The challenges ahead for Europe
This session is by invitation only
As the European Union exits from the final stages of the pandemic, a chance emerges to refocus on pre-existing political priorities set out for the 2019-2024 work programme and beyond. For example, will the EU still be on track to become the first climate neutral continent, has the pandemic helped or hindered its digital strategy, and what role for an EU seeking to strengthen its global voice in a world of increased competitive interdependence?
16:00 – 17:00 (UK times)
Session 9: Sustainability: How to make a success of Cop 26?
This session is by invitation only
2021 will be a landmark year in humanity’s fight against climate change. With many countries now adopting net zero targets and beginning to set out how they might achieve their objectives, what should be the main outcomes of the UK and Italy’s chairing of the COP this year and what role should the UK adopt to bridge the gap between the developed and developing worlds?
Friday 3rd September
11:00 – 12:00 (UK times)
Break
12:00 – 13:00 (UK times)
Guest Speaker in Conversation:
Session 10: Global Britain: Cooperation in a competitive age?
This session is open to everyone
Open session
Following the UK’s departure from the EU, two speakers from a younger generation of analysts will give their insights and thoughts on the Government’s Global Britain policy and the Integrated Review. Touching on perceptions and realities on both sides, what picture emerges to establish joint priorities for cooperation in tackling shared security, strategic and foreign policy problems?
13:00 – 14:00 (UK times)
Break
14:00 – 15:00 (UK times)
Plenary feedback
This session is by invitation only
This session provides the opportunity to review summaries from the invitation only sessions, presented by rapporteurs, giving recommendations for future programming.
The Summer University is organised in cooperation with the
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.
This event receives financial support from the European Parliament.
Sole Liability rests with the organizers, the European Parliament is not responsible for the activity.