EUROPEAN STUDIES

For two years we have been living under exceptional and difficult conditions due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We've changed not only our individual routines but also the way we work and study.

Because of these unprecedented circumstances we are facing, we have been looking for strategies to better navigate this new reality where Corona is a part of our lives.

We fully understand that it has been a great challenge for students to study during a pandemic, therefore we would like to know more about your current situation.

In addition, we hope to be able to offer you the opportunity to experience the perspectives of other students and to learn from each other.

We have prepared this questionnaire. You are welcome to give us your name or remain anonymous.

Regardless of whether you are studying European Studies or another course in Magdeburg, your answers are welcome.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Bachelor's and Master's degree program in European Studies at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg has enjoyed great popularity for many years and prepares future graduates for work in national, European or international administrations, companies, foundations, associations or non-governmental organizations. In addition to teaching theoretical content on policy-making in the European Union, the program also focuses on practice-related elements. On January 24, such an opportunity presented itself to the students in the context of an exchange with the Brussels Representation, which took place in virtual space due to corona. This event was part of an ongoing project by the Master students, in which formal interviews on EU policy-making are conducted with experts working in different EU fields.

The presenter was Daniel Wentzlaff, Deputy Head of the State Representation, who explained the tasks and working methods of the Representation of Saxony-Anhalt to the EU and also touched on the eventful history of the property at 80 Boulevard Saint-Michel, which once served as the GDR embassy. Afterwards, there was a lot of interest from the students in the content of the internship and in general about life in the city of Brussels. Some of the audience might later do an internship at the Representation and we may see some soon working in Brussels.

"Is the EU a guarantor of the rule of law?" - Contribution to the Online Citizens' Dialogue

"The EU is based on the fundamental belief that [...] in the end we all win through cooperation. In order to guarantee this cooperation, even if individual outcomes do not correspond to one's own wishes, shared law is central. Without compliance with the shared rules, it does not work [...]. Thus, if not only EU law but the rule of law as such is questioned in the member states, the EU is deprived of its foundation. Without the rule of law, there is no European cooperation." - Prof. Dr. Heidbreder

"Goodbye Rule of Law? The EU between aspiration and reality" of the nonpartisan Europa-Union Deutschland e.V., November 12, 2021.

As announced last week, you can now find the ideas and demands articulated during the online citizens' dialogue on the digital platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

A detailed event report is available on the website of our media partner "Treffpunkt Europa".