EUROPEAN STUDIES
Student
Lena Brommer is a student from Germany, and is about to finish the Bachelor phase of the European Studies programme. "2010 was an exciting year for me. I did a six-month internship in Brussels, the capital of Europe. It was a very insightful experience for me. With the support of the organisation that I worked for, I was able to do an individual minor with the long title: "The Clash of European Union International Trade and Development Policies from a Fair Trade Perspective' ". After two years" theoretical study of European Union and its institutions, Lena had the opportunity to attend meetings and conferences in Brussels, prepare policy documents and get to know the daily practice of policy-makers and lobbyists. The focus of her work in Brussels was international rather than European, which led Lena to write her Bachelor"s thesis on the International Monetary Fund. "The current financial and economic crisis has a huge impact on us in the rich and developed countries of the Eurozone. Of course we have to overcome this crisis; the worst since the Great Depression in 1929. But we cannot forget that poor countries, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa, are even worse effected by the crisis. This, and the role of the European Union within this context, is my current and very complex research topic. Luckily, I have very supportive and competent professors guiding me through this research field."
Vera van Venrooij Communication staff member European Studies (till 1-05-11)
Rob van Eijkeren Co-ordinator at House of the Dutch Provinces
Alumnus
Funda Celikel is from Turkey, originally, but after seven years of study and work experience in five different countries within the European Union she prefers to call herself "European". "A while ago, when I was first studying for my Bachelor"s degree, I discovered a deep and genuine interest in learning more about the countries of the European Union, the decision-making processes, and the ways of life in the EU. That curiosity, together with my ultimate career goal of holding a position at a supranational institution, motivated my application to the European Studies graduate programme. In 2005 I graduated. 2010, has been a challenging year for me. I was working as a research fellow and lecturer at the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence in Berlin (JMC Berlin) and in the Department of Political and Social Sciences (the Otto-Suhr Institute) at the Freie Universität Berlin. At the same time, I was also consulting on European Educational Programmes. My main tasks at JMC Berlin last year included organising and teaching a seminar course on "European Trade Policies" as well as preparing project proposals in order to get research grants from the EU and other international donors. In addition to this work, I have been freelance consulting for a well-known higher education institution in Germany regarding European educational programmes and funding possibilities. My academic background in European Studies has helped me a great deal in pursuing these tasks, as the programme aims to give one a broad understanding of all the EU policies and programmes."
Advisory Board of Practitioners
Stijn Ruyters is a member of the European Studies (ES) Advisory Board of Practitioners. "I work as a project manager on recruitment issues for the Ministry of the Interior and Royal Kingdom Relations in The Hague. One of my main tasks is to promote job opportunities at EU institutions. My specific fields of interest include the "concours" (job assessment), particularly the way candidates can prepare themselves and how we can prepare candidates, in order to achieve the necessary passing grade in order to become a "laureate" (an applicant eligible to apply for permanent posts at EU-institutions). My role at the University of Twente is to reflect, together with the Advisory Board, on issues in the field of European public administration. These issues are related to mid- and long term issues facing the Board of European Studies. Regular points of discussion at our twice-yearly meetings include the programme of the study and the way ES could interact more with job networks in the field of (European) public administration. I really think that this network setting contributes to career perspectives of UT graduates because it truly creates a possibility for academic staff and professionals in the EU-field to interact on future issues that require attention today."