The new edition of the Winter (Online) Lecture Series on Europe will take place in December 2023 in connection with the courses “History of European integration (1919-1993)” (MAHEC-S1-M6i) and “Economic and social history of Europe after 1945: concepts, processes, actors” (MAHEC-S3-M5iii) from the Master in European Contemporary History, and the course “Democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe” (BCE-EU-301-04) from the Bachelor in European Cultures. The aim is to give students on these programmes, as well as the wider academic community at the University of Luxembourg, the opportunity to find out about the history and workings of the European institutions in Luxembourg from new and unconventional angles and to discuss some of the milestones in contemporary European history with people who were involved in or witnessed these events. Each session (in French or English, with a Q&A session in French and English) will be streamed via Webex and will include a presentation by a speaker followed by a discussion with the audience and the opportunity to ask questions. The lectures are run in conjunction with Europe Direct at the University of Luxembourg – a competitive European public history project co-funded by the European Union (2021-2025) – and are also open to the wider public.
The Winter Online Lecture Series on Europe will feature the following sessions:
The conference will be held in English
Guest lecturer: Prof. Fabio Masini, Roma Tre University (Italy)
Short biography: Fabio Masini, MS in Economics and PhD in History of Economic Thought, holds a Jean Monnet Chair in Theories and History of European Economic Governance and is Professor of Theories and History of International Political Economy at Roma Tre University. He is Managing Editor of the journal History of Economic Thought and Policy.
Abstract: The book entitled “European Economic Governance: Theories, Historical Evolution, and Reform Proposals” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) examines the economic theories and policies that underpin the governance of the European Union. By exploring the history of European economic governance and how this framework has evolved over time, it contextualises theoretical influences, policy debates and instruments of governance, including the European Semester, Six Pack, Two Pack and Fiscal Compact. Forthcoming reforms to fiscal rules and the economic policy architecture of the European Union are also discussed, with a particular focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conference will be held in French.
Guest lecturer: Dr Jean-Jacques Rommes, Secretary-General of the Moral and Political Science Section at the Institut Grand-Ducal de Luxembourg
Short biography: Jean-Jacques Rommes trained as a lawyer and was admitted to the Luxembourg Bar before joining the Banque Internationale à Luxembourg (BIL) in 1983, where he held various positions, becoming Deputy Director in 1991. In 1993 he joined the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL), serving as CEO and Head of the Management Board from 2005 to 2014. He was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Luxembourg Employers’ Association (UEL) from 2014 to 2018 and President of the Luxembourg Economic and Social Council (CES) from 2019 to 2021. He previously taught a seminar on professional ethics for the Master in European Banking and Finance Law at the University of Luxembourg. He is currently Chairman of the Scientific Board at the Fondation IDEA , Secretary-General of the Moral and Political Science Section at the Institut Grand-Ducal de Luxembourg and Member of the Luxembourg National Council of Justice.
Abstract: This presentation, which focuses on one of the key areas of reflection and research at the Institut Grand-Ducal de Luxembourg, will examine the characteristics of the historical development of the Luxembourg economy in a regional, European and international context and consider the main challenges and issues facing it in terms of openness to foreign markets, diversification, transformation and competitiveness, while also looking ahead to the future.
The conference will be held in French.
Guest lecturer: Dr Étienne Deschamps, Historian, Archives of the European Parliament (Luxembourg)
Short biography: Étienne Deschamps holds a PhD in Contemporary History from the European University Institute in Florence and is an Affiliated Researcher at the Université catholique de Louvain. He works in the Archives Unit (Directorate for Innovation and Central Services) in the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament. He was previously a Curator at the House of European History (DG COMM) and a Policy Analyst in the European Parliamentary Research Service. His research deals with the history of European integration and of the European Parliament. He is a member of the Academic committee of the Robert Schuman House.
Abstract: The presentation will offer a broad overview of the often little-known history of the European Parliament since it was founded, while also exploring historiographical issues and the availability of multilingual, multimedia sources and archives for both researchers and the general public.
The conference will be held in French.
Guest lecturer: Dr Suzana Anghel, Policy Analyst in the the Policy Foresight Unit (PFOR) in the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), Brussels (Belgium)
Short Biography: Suzana ANGHEL is a policy analyst in the Policy Foresight Unit (PFOR) in the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), where her research focuses on foreign and security policy with a foresight component. She was previously a policy analyst in the EPRS European Council Oversight Unit (ECOS) focusing on the European Council’s action in external relations and energy policy. Prior to joining EPRS, she was a project coordinator at the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) and a Marie Curie fellow at the University of East Anglia, where her research focused on parliamentary oversight of common security and defence policy. She has a PhD in political science from the University of Geneva.
Abstract: This presentation will explore the historical origins and the complexity of building a security policy at European Union level, as well as the major challenges in this area raised by the enlargement of the European Union to Central and Eastern Europe and the prospect of future enlargements to an even wider region (Moldova, Ukraine, the Western Balkans, etc.).