ShapingEU Conferences

EU Politics and EU Enlargement as Curriculum Components for the Berlin
Study Trip of UNC Center for European Studies

26 June 2026

On June 26, 2026, we welcomed participants in the UNC Center for European Studies’ Berlin study tour to a workshop on “Teaching the Latest Developments in EU Integration and Enlargement in Schools” at Humboldt University in Berlin.

During the event, two speakers gave presentations. “Current EU Policy” by Dr. Ingo Peters provided essential insights into current debates and fundamental knowledge about European Union policy. “History Education in Berlin Schools” by Prof. Detlef Pech focused specifically on the challenges and methods of teaching about the history of the Holocaust in elementary schools.

Together with students from HU Berlin’s international master’s programs, we discussed the topics of the presentations as well as current challenges facing the transatlantic partnership and democracy. In a workshop led by Dr. Claudia Matthes, participants developed ideas on how the topics covered in the presentations could be implemented in the classroom and in curriculum development. 

We would like to thank our speakers and participants for fostering international exchange and opening up new perspectives on both EU and local issues. Special thanks go to Kathleen Shanahan Lindner, the UNC Center for European Studies, Shaping EU, and the European Commission for co-funding and making this event possible.

EU Enlargement in Challenging Times- Consider it All 2025!

29 April 2025

The Jean Monnet Chair ShapingEU, in partnership with UNC Chapel Hill, proudly hosted the 2025 edition of EU Enlargement in Challenging Times/ Consider it all, a unique transatlantic conference. The event took place in person at both UNC Chapel Hill and Humboldt University of Berlin, with a Zoom option for global participation.

The conference began with welcome remarks from Sarah Hutchison (Associate Director of TAM Program at UNC), followed by keynote talks by Dr. Claudia Matthes (Director of TAM at HU), who explored EU Enlargement in Challenging Times, and Sandi Chapman Osterkatz (TAM 2005 graduate), who shared her journey in “Smoke signals: How Following Your Gut and the People Who Support You Creates Opportunities in Academia and Beyond.”

Participants engaged in thought-provoking panels on:

  • Policy Investigations: covering decarbonization policies, EU conditionality in Georgia, and migration securitization.
  • Identities in Europe: exploring European self-identification through awards, literature, and historical revisionism.
  • Conference Reflections: featuring Tracy Ridley discussing how CONSIDER IT ALL! shaped his career.

We’re deeply grateful to our students, alumni, and UNC Chapel Hill partners for their continued contributions, making this event a success. We look forward to future collaborations!

Following Up on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the EP Elections

18 June 2024

Exciting moments at the Jean Monnet Chair ShapingEU’s event! We hosted an enlightening conference on “Following up on the Conference on the Future of Europe and the EP Elections.” Our talented students from the “Analysing the Conference on the Future of Europe” course delivered outstanding presentations, with valuable insights from Dr. Andrej Demidov (Bertelsmann Foundation) & Oliver Krenz (Team Europa). They covered various themes of the Future of Europe Conference and ignited some fantastic discussions.

We also had an engaging Panel & FishBowl Discussion on the European Parliament Elections, featuring Jonas Roleder (Liaison Office of the EP, Berlin), Dr. Nicolai von Ondarza (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik), Oliver Krenz (Team Europe), & Emmeline Charenton (Junge Europäische Föderalist), moderated by Dr. Claudia Matthes.

A big thank you to Sebastian Rösner and the Deutsche Gesellschaft eV team for providing an excellent venue and facilitating great discussions! Looking forward to our future collaborations!