EPAAI: Summer 2007

CCPS ran the second installment of its European Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute in Brussels, Belgium on June 24th-30th. Fourteen students participated in the institute - all graduate-level students in political science, public policy, or public administration. The course was taught by Dr. Thurber and Dr. Jerry Sheridan, who is the head of AU Abroad's program in Brussels and an economic scholar focused on the EU. I was fortunate enough to go along as the teaching assistant for the course. I think all would consider the week a resounding success.

In the next few days, I will be posting a few entries relating our time and work in Brussels. First, a general summary of our schedule, speakers, and activities follows.

Most of us arrived over the weekend (three sans luggage, but that's another story), and our first outing was an optional day trip to Bruges. It is a wonderfully-preserved 13th Century town, home to beautiful architecture, canals, and some impressive art collections. Dr. Sheridan gave the group a tour of the town in the morning, and left us with the afternoon to explore. Back in Brussels, we had our opening EPAAI dinner at Le Grande Cafe right off the Grande Place, sampling a traditional Belgian dish called chicken waterzooi. We had a good time getting to know one another in a relaxed atmosphere - which was a good thing, because we hit the ground running the next day, hearing five speakers in a row.

Monday
John Vassallo, Senior Counsel and European Affairs Director, GE Europe
Kristian Schmidt, Deputy Chef du Cabinet, EU Commissioner Kallas
Dr. Jamie Shea, Political Director of the Cabinet of the Secretary
Marcel Claes, CEO, Amcham Belgium
Jose Lalloum, Chairman, European Public Affairs Consultancies Association

Tuesday
Eva Grut, Senior Director, Pfizer Public Affairs Europe
George Parker, Brussels Bureau Chief, the Financial Times
Stefan Krawczyk, Deputy Regional Director for Europe, International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
Michelle O'Neill, Public Affairs Officer, Honeywell

Wednesday
Wilfred Aspinall, founder, European Link
Christine Gould, Plant Biotechnology, CropLife International
Daniel Mulaney, Office of the US Trade Representative, US Mission to the EU
Ambassador C. Boyden Grey, U.S. Ambassador to the EU
Edward Thomas & Anita Kelly, Amcham EU

Thursday
David Bushong, APCO Worldwide
Bill Newton Dunn, Member of the European Parliament
Jorn Fleck, Transatlantic Policy Network
Stephane Ducable, Microsoft Europe

Friday
Jeremy Rand, Bureaucrat, General Secretariat of the (EU) Council
Catherine Van Reeth, Corporate Public Affairs Manager, InBev Corporation
Tour of Cantillon Brewery (a small, organic brewery in Brussels)

After our brewery tour, we went our separate ways; some to return to the U.S. and back to work/school, and some to travel further in Europe. More to come later...