Brussels Programme on European Foreign Policy

Course introduction

The Brussels Programme on European Foreign Policy aims at bringing together students to learn and critically discuss issues and challenges related to European foreign and external policies. This multidisciplinary summer programme draws on the consolidated partnership between the Centre for Security, Diplomacy, and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels School of Governance (VUB) and the University of Southern California (USC), and has been successfully running for fifteen years. While the student body has been so far mainly American, over the past few years we have developed the ambition of bringing together a more diversified student body. In fact, in 2025 the course is now open to students enrolled at Flemish universities (full details below).

Bringing together students has been a strong ambition of this programme from the start. We ensure that this summer programme and our student body mingle and learn from one another. The faculty blends renowed Flemish and international experts in European foreign policy. Capitalising on its Brussels location and on its consolidated partnership, CSDS has so far offered a strong teaching team, which includes academic and policymakers alike. By offering lectures and presentations by well-established scholars, think-tankers and civil servants from the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and NATO, the programme offers a true immersion in the process of EU foreign and external policy-making.

Over the course of this intensive 5-week summer school – which runs from 19 May – 20 June 2025 for USC students – students have the chance of visiting and attending lectures at the European Parliament, the EEAS and NATO.

In addition to attending lectures in the mornings, USC students will have the possibility of attending seminars on how to foster their research and policy skills.

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