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Guests and speakers

Guests and speakers contributing to the discussions and events during the EUI’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

Opening ceremony, 7 May 2026

  • Portrait picture of Roberta Metsola

    Roberta Metsola

    President

    European Parliament

  • Portrait picture of António Costa

    António Costa

    President

    European Council

  • Portrait picture of António José Seguro

    António José Seguro

    President

    Portugal

  • Portrait picture of Patrizia Nanz

    Patrizia Nanz

    President

    Office of the President

  • Portrait picture of Armando Barucco

    Armando Barucco

    Secretary-General

    Office of the Secretary General

  • Portrait picture of Bernabò Bocca

    Bernabò Bocca

    President

    Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio Firenze

  • Portrait picture of Sara Funaro

    Sara Funaro

    Mayor

    Florence

  • Portrait picture of Eugenio Giani

    Eugenio Giani

    President

    Tuscany Region

  • Portrait picture of Cristina Scaletti

    Cristina Scaletti

    Mayor

    Fiesole

  • Portrait picture of Roxana Minzatu

    Roxana Minzatu

    Executive Vice-President

    European Commission

  • Mihai Dimian

    Minister of Education and Research

    Romania

  • Sabino Cassese

    Former Judge

    Italian Constitutional Court

  • Alessandra dal Verme

    Director

    Agenzia del Demanio

  • Portrait picture of Maria Tadeo

    Maria Tadeo

    Head of EU news

    Euronews

  • Portrait picture of Henry Foy

    Henry Foy

    Brussels Bureau Chief

    Financial Times

EUIdeas - The Power of Knowledge, 8 May 2026

09:30 – 10:30 Refectory Keynote lecture

'Academic freedom: Rights, resilience and responsibilities 50 years on'

  • Portrait picture of Siofra O'Leary

    Siofra O'Leary

    Former President

    European Court of Human Rights

  • Portrait picture of Joseph H. H. Weiler

    Joseph H. H. Weiler

    Chair

    Jean Monnet Center for International and Regional Economic Law & Justice, NYU School of Law

  • Portrait picture of Maria Tadeo

    Maria Tadeo

    Head of EU news

    Euronews

10:40 – 11:40 CEST, Thematic sessions:

The power of embodied knowledge: Reimagining peace and justice through a reenactment

  • Portrait picture of Sarah Nouwen

    Sarah Nouwen

    Full-time Professor

    Department of Law

    Co-Director of the Academy of European Law

    Academy of European Law

  • Portrait picture of Barney Afako

    Barney Afako

    Former member of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan

    United Nations

  • Portrait picture of Wouter G. Werner

    Wouter G. Werner

    Chair International Law

    Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam


Strategic knowledge: European security in a turbulent world

  • Portrait picture of Angela Liberatore

    Angela Liberatore

    Visiting Fellow

    Office of the President

  • Portrait picture of Trine Flockhart

    Trine Flockhart

    Full-time Professor

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

  • Oksana Antonenko

    Part-time Professor

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

  • Liv Nielsen

    Visiting Fellow

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

  • Christian Berger

    Director

    Crisis Response Centre, European External Action Service

  • Portrait picture of Clara Portela

    Clara Portela

    Full-time Professor

    University of Valencia

  • Pietro Ducci

    Director-General

    Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union, European Parliament


European history changes everything – A power of knowledge quiz 

12:10 – 13:10 CEST, Thematic sessions

Who decides on our climate? The power of knowledge in environmental governance

  • Portrait picture of Josephine van Zeben

    Josephine van Zeben

    Full-time Professor

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

    Provost for Education and Academic Staff Development

    Office of the Provosts

  • Portrait picture of Joanne Scott

    Joanne Scott

    Full-time Professor

    Department of Law

    Co-Director of the Academy of European Law

    Academy of European Law

  • Antara Haldar

    Professor

    University of Cambridge

  • Portrait picture of Glenda Sluga

    Glenda Sluga

    Full-time Professor - Joint Chair

    Department of History

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Frans Timmermans

    Frans Timmermans

    Former Vice-President

    European Commission

  • Portrait picture of Joanna Pandera

    Joanna Pandera

    Part-time Professor

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

 

The European social model: Knowledge for a new era

  • Portrait picture of Anton Hemerijck

    Anton Hemerijck

    Full-time Professor

    Department of Political and Social Sciences

  • Portrait picture of Giancarlo Corsetti

    Giancarlo Corsetti

    Full-time Professor - Joint Chair

    Department of Economics

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Valentina Di Stasio

    Valentina Di Stasio

    Full-time Professor

    Project Director

    Department of Political and Social Sciences

  • Portrait picture of Herwig Immervoll

    Herwig Immervoll

    Senior Economist and Head of Social Benefits and Green Transition

    Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

  • Portrait picture of Andrés Rodriguez-Pose

    Andrés Rodriguez-Pose

    Professor

    London School of Economics

 

The power of culture in reimagining Europe

  • Portrait picture of Mafalda Dâmaso

    Mafalda Dâmaso

    Part-time Professor

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Aurora Hamm

    Aurora Hamm

    Researcher

    Department of History

  • Portrait picture of Isabelle Schwarz

    Isabelle Schwarz

    Head of Public Policy

    European Cultural Foundation

  • Portrait picture of Pawel Zerka

    Pawel Zerka

    Senior Policy Fellow

    European Council of Foreign Relations

14:20 – 15:20 CEST, Refectory Plenary: Future of Universities in the Making

 

15:30 – 16:30 CEST, Thematic sessions:

The power of evidence for policy 

  • Portrait picture of Gaby Umbach

    Gaby Umbach

    Part-time Professor

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Godelieve Laureys

    Godelieve Laureys

    Chair

    ALLEA’s Science Policy Standing Committee

  • David Mair

    Head of Unit

    Joint Research Centre, European Commission

  • Portrait picture of Laura Rahm

    Laura Rahm

    Policy Leader Fellow

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

  • Etienne Bassot

    Director

    Directorate for Transformation, Innovation and Health (ITRE – ENVI – SANT)

 

Knowledge at the border: Rethinking migration governance in a changing Europe

 

Citizens Power Europe

17:00 - 18:00 CEST, Thematic sessions:

Empowering diplomats: The power of ideas in negotiations

 

The future of the transatlantic relationship: Knowledge, power and strategic autonomy

  • Portrait picture of Stephanie Hofmann

    Stephanie Hofmann

    Full-time Professor - Joint Chair

    Department of Political and Social Sciences

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Monika Sus

    Monika Sus

    Part-time Professor

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Silvia D'Amato

    Silvia D'Amato

    Visiting Fellow

    Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

  • Portrait picture of Ediz Topcuoglu

    Ediz Topcuoglu

    Researcher

    Department of Political and Social Sciences

  • Portrait picture of Angela Sajewicz

    Angela Sajewicz

    Researcher

    James Madison University

  • Thomas Pontius

    Researcher

    James Madison University

  • Jack Connor

    Researcher

    James Madison University

  • Portrait picture of Andrea Garbo

    Andrea Garbo

    Master Student

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

 

AI and the future of knowledge

 

Alumni engagement event

  • Portrait picture of Johanna Mair

    Johanna Mair

    Director

    Full-time Professor

    Florence School of Transnational Governance

  • Despina Chatzivassiliou

    Secretary General

    Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

  • Dario Nardella

    Member

    European Parliament

Page last updated on 06/05/2026