The shifting sands of EUrope: COVID-19, energy, and the drumbeat of war

Just as EUrope was recovering from the pandemic, dealing with a cost of living crisis and challenges in the east to the rule of law, war has returned to the continent. The concoction of crises leaves EUrope reeling, its sands shifting. It is an era of paradigm changes, of making the previously impossible, possible. And yet it is an era of considerable strain - on relationships within EUrope, and those with its nearest partners. An era in which hopes and aspirations are re-assessed for many across the continent, and where the tomorrow is uncertain and possibly frightening. This conference will address how EUrope responds to the shifting sands of this era of madness. It will involve a mix of voices - of different generations and disciplines in addressing this most critical of subjects. Can this and future generations of EUropean leaders show the unity and agility required, or will internal divisions mean it falls short? The stakes simply cannot be higher.

Annual conference

The annual conference is the flagship event of the 89 Initiative. It intends to create a forum for debate among some of the brightest minds in the EUropean politics and policy to discuss the generational challenges facing Europe. It aims also to provide a platform for its 18 research programmes to discuss their research, and apply their insights to the major challenges of the day. The format is a mixture of panel discussions and keynote addresses. This year, we will be organising the conference in partnership with Studio Europa Maastricht, of Maastricht University. The event will take place at the Brussels campus of the University but, in the spirit of a pan-European think tank, will involve a network of conference venues connected online. As such, the conference will not only be a ‘hybrid’, but also a ‘multi-location’ one.

This is a hybrid multi-location conference

The conference could be planned as a hybrid event with participants attending one of three venues, connected to the main venue in Brussels. The main venue will host and chair the majority of panels live, while the satellite venues will function as networking events and will each organise one keynote event with an in-person audience at different stages in the conference.

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Host or Publisher 89 Initiative