Guest lecture by Prof. Dr. José Díaz Lafuente: “The Samoa Agreement: New Paradigms and Instruments in EU-OACPS Relations”

On Thursday, 23 January 2025, our Bruges campus hosted a guest lecture by Prof. Dr. José DÍAZ LAFUENTE, a visiting scholar at the Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies and an alumnus of the College of Europe himself.

In his lecture, Prof. Diaz Lafuente analyzed the content of the Samoa Agreement, focusing on the chapters on democracy & human rights, sustainability, and migration & mobility. He furthermore examined the geopolitical context in which the agreement was negotiated, highlighting the different perspectives and objectives of the EU and the ACP countries, with a particular emphasis on Africa and the African Union.

By highlighting critical scholarship on the colonial legacies of EU-ACP relations and their relevance for geopolitical shifts today, he invited his audience to further engage with questions of regional integration beyond the EU, EU-AU relations as well as the EU’s conceptualization of partnership, for example in the framework of Global Gateway. The lecture was followed by questions and comments from students as well as faculty. 

Coming from the Universidad Complutense Madrid (UCM), Prof. Dr. Díaz Lafuente joined the College of Europe’s Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies as a visiting scholar for three months (November 2024 - January 2025). During his stay, he has conducted research in the framework of a project of UCM’s EUINT (European Union and International Relations) research group on the Samoa Agreement and the progress in EU-ACP relations. His expertise and active engagement have been a valuable addition to the College of Europe academic community!

Photos of the event