The EU & Cultural Diplomacy Conference is the first of a series of four conferences dedicated to enhancing awareness and understanding of international governing institutions and their role in promoting cultural diplomacy across the world. The conference, focused on the European Union, is an international conference organized by the ICD and other leading organizations in the home base of the EU—Brussels, Belgium.

The “European project” has experienced various incarnations since the Second World War and—despite the proliferation of sovereign debt crises in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy—remains a unique and unparalleled political experiment with important lessons to impart to the rest of the world. However, the challenges this relatively inchoate union faces are significant and, with the stability of the single currency in peril, the political and economic future of Europe is hazy.

The goal of this year’s conference is to facilitate exploration of the unique challenges currently facing Europe from the debt crisis, to crippling military engagements, to the debate over increased political and economic union—funneled through a thorough understanding of the historical and theoretical foundations of the “European Project.”

Conference Participants
The conference is open to applications from governmental and diplomatic officials, civil society practitioners, young professionals, students and scholars, private sector representatives, journalists, and other interested stakeholders from across the world.

Conference Speakers
Speakers during the conference will include leading figures and experts from civil society, international politics, academia, diplomacy, and the private sector from around the world.