Opening Lecture & Graduation Ceremony 2022
Launch of the EUNMUTE Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence
On Wednesday 16 November 2022, the Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles hosted its opening lecture for the 2022–2023 academic year, along with the official graduation ceremony for the joint European Studies programmes of UCLouvain and Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles, class of 2021–2022.
This special occasion also marked the official launch of EUNMUTE, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence awarded to the Institute for European Studies for the period 2022–2025.
Guest Speaker: Nicole Dewandre
We were honoured to welcome Nicole Dewandre, Policy Coordinator for Foresight in the Cabinet of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, as keynote speaker for the event.
Talk: “The European Union: Politics between Voice and Chorus”
In her address, Nicole Dewandre reflected on the theme of the newly launched EUNMUTE Centre – “Standing up for the voiceless”. Drawing on this concept, she explored how the European Union acts both as a political actor with a distinct voice and as a shared space where a collective chorus can emerge.
Her intervention raised important questions about the interplay between the political space and the market space within a Union that has evolved from a common market into a unique political entity. Could the EU serve as a laboratory for democratic renewal? Dewandre invited the audience to consider how the EU might inspire new democratic models in a changing world.
Speakers and Hosts
The event was held in the presence of:
- Prof. Pierre Jadoul, Rector of Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
- Prof. Vincent Blondel, Rector of UCLouvain
- Prof. Antoine Bailleux, President of the Institute for European Studies (Université Saint-Louis – Bruxelles)
- Prof. Tom Delreux, President of the Interfaculty School of European Studies (UCLouvain)
