College of Europe Alumni Association

College of Europe Alumni Association The Alumni Association of the College of Europe includes more than 10.000 alumni.

The College of Europe Alumni Association - Association des anciens élèves du Collège d'Europe is proud to announce the s...
29/05/2026

The College of Europe Alumni Association - Association des anciens élèves du Collège d'Europe is proud to announce the signature of a 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 with the UK Mission to the European Union.

The partnership agreement was signed by TeTeona Lavrelashvili𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘈𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘪 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 & 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐎’𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧, , Senior Representative of the UK Mission to the European Union.

This partnership has a special meaning. The College of Europe and 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦 share a deep and unique history, from Winston Churchill’s role in the founding vision of the College to the many British figures who have contributed to Europe’s institutional and intellectual development.

Built around three pillars - 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞- the partnership will strengthen people-to-people connections, support policy dialogue, and bring together communities across different career stages and institutions.

We have already enjoyed working together on several initiatives in recent years, and this agreement feels like a natural next step.

At a time when EU–UK relations are entering a renewed phase of dialogue and cooperation, we look forward to contributing - to 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳.

Thank you to the UK Mission to the European Union for this excellent celebratory moment.

We look forward to building this partnership and convening communities that 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

The Alumni Association is not only about conferences, policy discussions, and professional exchanges, it’s also about ke...
11/05/2026

The Alumni Association is not only about conferences, policy discussions, and professional exchanges, it’s also about keeping the esprit du Collège alive in all its forms 🎸🥁🎤

Sometimes that means high-level debates and insightful conversations, and sometimes it means coming together more informally, to reconnect, unwind, and simply enjoy being part of the same community.

This evening was exactly that: alumni, friends, and new faces gathering for a night full of music, energy, and great company ✨ A reminder that our network thrives just as much in joyful, informal moments as it does in more formal settings.

A huge thank you to The Bowtie Collective, the College’s student band, for an amazing set featuring original songs and well-loved covers 🎶 Their performance truly lit up the room.

Thank you to everyone who joined, sang along, and made the night memorable.

We’re already looking forward to the next one! 🎉

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin Teona Lavrelashvili

The College of Europe Alumni Association warmly welcomes the appointment of João Gomes Cravinho as the next Rector of th...
30/04/2026

The College of Europe Alumni Association warmly welcomes the appointment of João Gomes Cravinho as the next Rector of the College of Europe.

Representing a global network of more than 18,000 graduates from Bruges, Natolin, and Tirana, the Alumni Association looks forward to this new chapter and to further strengthening its structured collaboration with the College.

Teona Lavrelashvili, President of the Alumni Association, stated:

“I extend my sincere congratulations to João Gomes Cravinho on his appointment as Rector of the College of Europe. At a time when Europe is called upon to reassess its role, reinforce its unity, and prepare the next generation of European leaders, the College’s mission is more vital than ever.

I look forward to working closely with him to further deepen and formalise the relationship between the College and its alumni community.”

Earlier this month, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the pleasure of hosting Klaus Welle and Karolina Kottov...
24/04/2026

Earlier this month, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the pleasure of hosting Klaus Welle and Karolina Kottova for an Alumni Lunch discussion on “𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?”

🇪🇺 In a context marked by hashtag , rising authoritarianism, and increasing pressure on democratic institutions both within and beyond the European Union, the discussion explored the evolving role of the European Parliament as a cornerstone of the EU’s democratic system and its external credibility.

💬 Moderated by Dr. Teona Lavrelashvili, President of the Alumni Association, the exchange focused on how the European Parliament can continue to safeguard democratic standards while adapting to a rapidly changing security environment. Key themes included:
🔷 the institutional balance within the EU,
🔷 the Parliament’s role in strengthening resilience against hybrid threats and democratic backsliding,
🔷 the evolving 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, and the Parliament’s place within it,
🔷 how democratic oversight can be maintained in an increasingly securitised policy environment.

🎯 The discussion also addressed the growing interlinkages between European security and enlargement policy, highlighting how the EU can uphold its strategic commitment to democratic values while navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.

The Alumni Lunch series continues to demonstrate its value as a platform for high-level, substantive exchanges between policymakers, practitioners, and alumni, fostering meaningful dialogue between policy and practice.

A sincere thank you to Klaus Welle and Karolina Kottova for their valuable insights, and to all participants for their active engagement. 🙏

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

On 18 March, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the pleasure of hosting Sabine Weyand, Director-General of DG ...
26/03/2026

On 18 March, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the pleasure of hosting Sabine Weyand, Director-General of DG TRADE, for a high-level discussion on the evolving role of EU trade policy in a changing geopolitical landscape.

🌍 At a time of increasing fragmentation, geopolitical rivalry, and pressure on multilateral systems, the exchange focused on how the European Union can position itself as a resilient and strategic global actor. Key issues included supply chain security, the balance between openness and strategic autonomy, and the EU’s capacity to shape global standards through its trade policy.

💬 Moderated by Dr Teona Lavrelashvili, President of the College of Europe Alumni Association, the exchange also explored how the EU can diversify its partnerships, respond to rising protectionism, and maintain leadership in global trade governance in an increasingly contested environment.

🎯The discussion underscored that EU trade policy is no longer solely an economic instrument, but a central component of the Union’s broader external action. It plays a growing role in promoting sustainability, ensuring fair competition, and reinforcing a rules-based international order.

The Alumni Lunch series continues to provide a platform for frank, substantive exchanges between senior practitioners, policymakers, and alumni, fostering dialogue at the intersection of policy and practice.

A sincere thank you to Sabine Weyand for her insights. We are proud to see a College of Europe alumna playing a key role in shaping EU trade policy. Our thanks also to all participants for their engagement 🙏.

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

Last Thursday, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the honour of visiting the Belgian Senate in Brussels 🇧🇪, wh...
10/03/2026

Last Thursday, the College of Europe Alumni Association had the honour of visiting the Belgian Senate in Brussels 🇧🇪, where around 40 alumni gathered for an engaging and insightful evening.

The Alumni Association was warmly welcomed by the President of the Senate, Vincent Blondel – a distinguished academic and former Rector of UCLouvain – who generously shared his perspectives on the functioning of the Belgian parliamentary system and engaged in a thoughtful exchange with the alumni 🤝. His openness and reflections offered participants valuable insights into the role of the Senate as well as the broader dynamics of Belgian politics.

Opening the visit, the President of the Alumni Association, Dr Teona Lavrelashvili, highlighted the importance of strengthening connections between the international College of Europe alumni community and Belgian institutions. With many alumni living and working in Brussels across European institutions, diplomacy, academia and civil society, such encounters provide a meaningful opportunity to remain connected to the institutional life of the country that hosts so much of Europe’s public affairs community.

Participants also enjoyed a guided tour of the Senate’s
magnificent historic rooms, discovering the rich political and artistic heritage of this institution, established by the Belgian Constitution of 1831 🏛️.

Our special thank you goes to the Secretary of the Senate, Gert Van der Biesen, whose fascinating explanations brought the history and art of the Senate to life throughout the visit.

The College of Europe alumni network brings together professionals working across European institutions, national administrations, diplomacy, academia and civil society. Events such as this one illustrate the strength of our community and the importance of fostering dialogue between international alumni and Belgian public institutions.

The Alumni Association warmly thanks the Belgian Senate for its generous welcome and all alumni who joined this memorable visit!

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

The College of Europe Alumni Association was delighted to host the conference “𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆: 𝑬𝒏𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒚...
02/03/2026

The College of Europe Alumni Association was delighted to host the conference “𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆: 𝑬𝒏𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚” on 19 February 2026 at the Sala della Stampa Estera in Rome. 🇪🇺✨

The event was opened by our 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, Dr Teona Lavrelashvili, who framed enlargement not simply as a policy file returning to the EU agenda, but as a deeper political and moral test. In a time marked by war, fragile democratic confidence and geopolitical uncertainty, she posed a central question: 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦?

Our keynote 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚 𝐘𝐩𝐢, moved the debate beyond technocracy and into political philosophy. As she powerfully reminded us: “We think of enlargement and reform of the EU as though they were two different things, except they are not.”

The institutional perspective was enriched by 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐣𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐧𝐳𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨, whose cross-party presence underlined that enlargement is not “Brussels business” alone, but a matter of national political responsibility.

𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘫𝘤, drawing on the example of Trieste and border regions, stressed that the Western Balkans are not Europe’s periphery but part of its historical and geopolitical fabric. Stability in the region is directly linked to European - and Italian - security.

𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰 emphasised enlargement as a reciprocal interest, dependent on credible reforms, the rule of law, and the Union’s ability to maintain momentum and public trust. 🌍

We are very proud that our alumni continue to contribute meaningfully to the debate on the future of Europe. A special thank you to the College of Europe Alumni Association - Italian Regional Group for co-organising this event, to 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘫𝘤 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘰 for their valuable contributions, and to 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚 𝐘𝐩𝐢 for an intellectually stimulating keynote and exchange with the audience. 🤝 We are also proud that graduates of the first cohort of the 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒔 - 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘮𝘺 𝘒𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪 - moderated the discussion .

If enlargement is a shared responsibility, then shaping its meaning is ours - as alumni of the College of Europe - too. 💭✨

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

🔴 Live Stream | Rethinking Europe: Enlargement, Democracy and Political ResponsibilityThe event is happening now! 🌍Unabl...
19/02/2026

🔴 Live Stream | Rethinking Europe: Enlargement, Democracy and Political Responsibility

The event is happening now! 🌍

Unable to join us in Rome? Follow the discussion live via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/184UBLzSnv/

Don’t miss this high-level conversation on Europe’s future!

The College of Europe Alumni Association, together with the Alumni Regional Group in Italy, is pleased to invite you to ...
06/02/2026

The College of Europe Alumni Association, together with the Alumni Regional Group in Italy, is pleased to invite you to a timely discussion on the future of the European Union and the responsibility of its Member States in shaping strategic priorities and sustaining European integration.

🗓 Thursday, 19 February 2026
🕠 17:30–20:00
📍 Sala della Stampa Estera, Palazzo Grazioli (Italian Senate) – Rome

🌟 Programme highlights:
• Welcome remarks by Teona Lavrelashvili, President of the College of Europe Alumni Association
• Keynote address by Lea Ypi, Professor of Political Theory at LSE, reflecting on Europe’s role in an era of global transformation
• Remarks by Senators Tatjana Rojc and Cinzia Pellegrino (Italian Republic)
• Moderation by Carlotta M. & Amy Kokalari (College of Europe Tirana Campus Alumni Network – Rome)

The College of Europe Alumni Association is particularly happy to contribute to the ongoing debates on the future of Europe, fostering dialogue between academia, policymakers, and its alumni.

📧 If you wish to participate, please contact us at [email protected]

👉 Discover our speakers below!

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

What a great start to the year for the College of Europe Alumni Association!On 26 January, we had the privilege of welco...
02/02/2026

What a great start to the year for the College of Europe Alumni Association!

On 26 January, we had the privilege of welcoming our alumna Belén Martínez Carbonell, Secretary General of the European External Action Service, for a behind-the-scenes discussion on the EU’s role in a rapidly changing global environment.

🎯 Belén Martínez Carbonell shared a forward-looking perspective on the EU’s strategic priorities and the key challenges of implementation, highlighting how Europe can act as a coherent, values-driven and impactful global actor.

💬 Moderated by Teona Lavrelashvili, President of the College of Europe Alumni Association, the discussion explored how the EU can strengthen its strategic autonomy, ensure coherence in its external action, and make a meaningful difference in an era of profound geopolitical rupture.

✨ We were delighted to be joined by alumni and guests, including the newly appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the EU, as well as representatives from European institutions, academia and the private sector.

🙏 Our sincere thanks to Belén Martínez Carbonell for her valuable insights, and to all participants for contributing to such an inspiring and substantive exchange on Europe’s global role.

📅 Stay tuned for the next session in our Alumni Lunch Series.

College of Europe College of Europe in Natolin

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34, Rue Beydel
Brussels
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Dinsdag 09:00 - 17:00
Woensdag 09:00 - 17:00
Donderdag 09:00 - 13:00

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