Jean Monnet Scholars Came Together for the Traditional Brussels Study Visit

As part of the traditional Brussels Study Visit, the 2024–2025 Jean Monnet scholars gathered in Brussels on 8–9 April 2025. Throughout the two-day programme, they had the opportunity to engage with representatives from various EU institutions and gain deeper insights into the workings of the European Union, as well as the current state of EU–Türkiye relations.

The visit began on the morning of 8 April with opening remarks by Mr Haluk Nuray, Permanent Representative of TOBB to Brussels. He was followed by Mr Bülent Özcan, Director-General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs, who shared an overview of Türkiye–EU financial cooperation and current project implementation. The programme continued with an interactive presentation by H.E. Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Türkiye’s Permanent Delegate to the European Union, focusing on key aspects of EU–Türkiye relations.

In the afternoon, the scholars took part in a panel discussion featuring H.E. Ambassador Pieter Jan Kleiweg de Zwaan, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the EU; Mr Justin Ryan, Representative of Ireland to the EU and a member of COELA (Working Party on Enlargement), COWEB (Working Party on the Western Balkans), and the Political and Security Committee (PSC); Ms Magdalena Pawlicka, Antici at the Permanent Representation of Poland to the EU; and H.E. Ambassador Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU. The speakers provided valuable perspectives on the EU’s enlargement and integration processes.

On the second day, the programme continued with a visit to the European Committee of the Regions (CoR). Scholars received a briefing on the EU’s regional policy and the role of local authorities in the integration process. This was followed by a session at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), where officials offered detailed insights into the EU’s economic and social policies.

In the afternoon, the group visited the European Parliament. There, they attended a presentation on the EU’s legislative process and the role of the Parliament, followed by a guided visit to the Hemicycle, offering a close-up look at the parliamentary working environment.