Europe Hub launched in European Parliament: ‘A bridge between research and policy is vital’
Leiden Europe Hub image: Tom Janssen, European Parliament
How can groundbreaking research help Europe tackle the huge challenges it faces? At the launch of the Leiden Europe Hub, academics and policymakers discussed this in the heart of European democracy: the European Parliament.
The world has changed in just months – something that had not escaped the notice of any of the speakers at the launch of the Europe Hub. This made collaboration between researchers and policymakers feel more urgent than ever. ‘The world and rules we knew no longer exist. So we as policymakers need your brains, talents and research’, said MEP Lina Gálvez, who hosted the event on behalf of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology.
Historic moment
Annetje Ottow, President of Leiden’s Executive Board, said she felt honoured to be speaking in the heart of European democracy at this historic moment. ‘We are at a crossroads and can take different paths. Do we want to offer hope and to steer towards a future that is healthy, sustainable, democratic and fair? Or do we take the path of isolation that means shattering the multilateral order and forgetting equality, the environment and respect for the rule of law? I think you will agree we should choose the first path.’
In her speech stressed how the university wants to take responsibility and contribute to the European project with its research and teaching. ‘That is why we have launched the Europe Hub, a place where students and researchers from different disciplines and backgrounds can come together to make Europe a better place.’
Reach the Brussels community
Within the Europe Hub, researchers from four faculties work together on policy research. Assistant Professor Seda Gürkan is the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs coordinator. ‘We’ve got excellent research but it does not always reach the Brussels community’, says Gürkan. ‘Initiatives like this are crucial to making our knowledge accessible to policymakers. Society faces huge challenges and these require complex solutions based on excellent research. Our researchers offer a long-term vision and evidence-based recommendations for a better European Union.’
Challenging and dangerous times
In her keynote speech, Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe, described how the world has undergone seismic change. ‘It’s vital we build a bridge between research and policy. We’ve always said so but this time we really mean it. We have never lived in such challenging and dangerous times, times when the paradigm of the world as we know it has changed completely.’
Mogherini was High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy during Donald Trump’s first presidential term. ‘He was testing the boundaries the first time. He began to understand how he could beat the government machine. This time he has done more in just a month than in the first two years of his first term. I think we are still processing how different today’s world is. And the more the geopolitical landscape changes, the more we need out-of-the-box ideas based on a long-term vision.’
Mogherini ended on a positive note. The EU is at its best when responding to a crisis. ‘We have seen that if there is a sense of urgency and absolute necessity, the EU is able to make decisions that previously seemed impossible. We have to understand what the alternatives are if we do not take the next step in European integration. At a dramatic moment for the world, the EU can succeed in doing what is needed. But policymakers cannot do that alone. The political landscape needs leadership, courage and wisdom, and academic research is essential to that.’
Panel discussion
A panel discussion led by Professor of Security Joachim Koops was an important part of the launch. Academics and policymakers exchanged insights on current European issues, with the panel discussing topics such as the new migration pact, the influence of populism on decisionmaking and the legal and financial aspects of climate and energy policy. The discussion illustrated how interdisciplinary research can contribute to effective policy solutions for the complex challenges Europe faces.