Studienstiftung's European Summer School 2025
The Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation) hosted its 2025 edition of the European Summer School at Kloster Banz in Bad Staffelstein (Bavaria, Germany) between 31 July and 8 August 2025. The Studienstiftung's European Summer School brings together bright young minds from Germany with incoming students of the College of Europe to follow an intriguing educational programme, centred around European topics and taught entirely in English. In total, almost 100 highly talented and motivated students from all study backgrounds participated in this year's edition.
For the 29 incoming College of Europe students who were selected to participated in the European Summer School (18 from the Bruges campus and 11 from the Tirana campus), the Studienstiftung generously offered boarding and lodging in Kloster Banz as well as a travel grant.
This year, the European Summer School programme was opened on 31 July 2025 with a keynote lecture by Dr Tobias STRAHL on European culture in face of past and present wars on the continent. Mr Carsten GERARDS, Principal Coordinator in the Rector’s Office (Bruges), participated in the opening of the summer school as the College representative and thanked the Studienstiftung's organising team, Ms Tanja DÖLLER, Dr Andreas GEISLER and Ms Beate SALMAN, for the wonderful opportunity provided to incoming students of the Victoria Amelina Promotion 2025-26.
Participants enrolled in one of five working groups led by experts with in-depth academic and/or practical knowledge and experience across a broad scope of European topics.
The themes of the 5 working groups of the 2025 edition of the European Summer School were:
- WG 1: Climate transition in political headwind?
- WG 2: The culture of European debates – My opinion, your opinion: How we live together
- WG 3: Bridging AI and society
- WG 4: The two democratic deficits of the European Union
- WG 5: EU regulations protecting businesses and consumers in digital markets
Dr Jeanne MOUTON (former Academic Assistant at the College's European Economic Studies Department) and Leonhard WEITZ (College alumnus, European Legal Studies, 2022-23) - both now working at the European Commission - led one of the working groups ("EU Regulations protecting business and consumers in digital markets"). The College thanks them for their availability and contribution.
The European Summer School programme included a one-day study trip to the early medieval town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as evening activities organised by the participants like a European pub quiz and an intercultural movie night.
The Studienstiftung and the College of Europe signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding in February 2024 to allow College students to participate in the European Summer School, after a successful pilot project in Driebergen (Utrecht, NL) in August 2023 and followed by the 2024 edition in Zagreb (Croatia).
The College of Europe is honoured and grateful for this cooperation with the Studienstiftung and the wonderful opportunity offered to the participating students!
