European Summer Course 2026: Exploring Resilience, Sustainability and Global Challenges
From 13 to 22 July 2026, the Europa-Institut at Saarland University, in cooperation with the European Academy Otzenhausen (EAO), successfully hosted the European Summer Course 2026 under the theme "Resilience, Sustainability and Challenging Global Crisis – Exploring Law, Policy and Governance." Bringing together an international group of students, the ten-day programme offered an interdisciplinary learning experience combining academic excellence with practical engagement. Through expert lectures, workshops, simulations and interactive discussions, participants explored current challenges facing the European Union and the international community.
The academic programme addressed topics such as European integration and the functioning of the EU institutions, global crises and governance, international law and human rights, security and migration, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the European Union as a global actor, and EU raw materials policy. Participants benefited from the expertise of distinguished speakers from academia, European institutions and policy practice.
A particular highlight of the Summer Course were the excursions to Strasbourg, including visits to the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, as well as study trips to Trier and Schengen. These visits complemented the academic programme by providing first-hand insights into European institutions, history and cross-border cooperation.
Beyond the lectures, the programme fostered intercultural exchange through workshops, group activities, a European-themed pub quiz, a guided hike through the Celtic Ring Wall, and numerous opportunities for networking among participants from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds.
The European Summer Course 2026 once again demonstrated the importance of international dialogue and interdisciplinary learning in addressing today's complex global challenges. The Europa-Institut extends its sincere thanks to all speakers, partners and participants for making this year's programme an outstanding success.
