For a consecutive year in a row, the Summer Seminar continued the tradition to provide a platform for professional exchange of ideas and experience and expert discussions on the most pressing and up-to-date issues concerning the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Thanks to the carefully designed and diverse agenda combining a mixture of insightful lectures from reputable local and foreign speakers, a study visit to Varna, practical sessions, moderated by SS alumni participants as well as a specially designed series of Strategic Foresights Sessions that seek to come up with strategic visions for the connectivity in the CEE region, the international forum provided an opportunity for an effective team work, transfer of good practices, knowledge sharing and professional networking.
The 24th Summer Seminar agenda mainly focused on topics of common concern for the countries in Central and Eastern Europe, good governance topics and up-to-date issues on the EU and global agenda, grouped in the following thematic panels:
- CEE and EU’s Internal Dynamics;
- EU Enlargement Prospects;
- Central and Eastern Europe in the New Geopolitical and Security Context;
- Europe’s Economy in Light of Local, Regional and Global Challenges;
- Twin Green and Digital Transition – the Way Ahead for the EU and CEE;
- Good Governance & Public Policy Innovation;
- Foresight Sessions: Central and Eastern Europe – Navigating Uncertainty.
The team of the Economic Policy Institute extends its words of gratitude to all the speakers for their valuable contribution to the success of the 24th Summer Seminar edition:
- Ingrid Shikova, Full Professor of EU Policies at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” for her insightful deep dive into EU’s dilemmas during the new institutional cycle 2024-2029;
- Monika Panayotova, PhD, Assistant Professor at University of National and World Economy – Sofia for her comprehensive presentation on the EU Enlargement Policy and elaboration of some of its future scenarios;
- Velina Tchakarova, Geopolitical Strategist and Certified Strategic Foresight Expert, Vienna for the insightful scenarios for CEE countries in light of the global tensions;
- Siyana Lutzkanova, PhD, Head of the National Security Department in Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy for outlining the most recent security landscape in the Black Sea region;
- Andrei Radulescu, Ph.D., Member of Bretton Woods Committee and Senior Researcher at the Institute for World Economy at the Romanian Academy for sharing his comprehensive analyses for the economic convergence and lessons learnt for the EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as an economic overview of the EU candidate countries;
- Daniela Munteanu, Head of Research Service at the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre (E-ARC) in Bucharest for sharing valuable insights and expertise on the societal resilience towards disinformation;
- Doris Schroecker, Head of Unit “Industrial Research, Innovation and Investment Agendas”, Prosperity Directorate, DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission for comprehensively presenting the industrial decarbonization policy of the EU in the context of the green transition;
- Pavel Ivanov, Executive Director of the Institute of Public Administration, for presenting good governance practices and valuable advices for the usage of AI;
- Maja Handjiska Trendafilova, Director of the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) for addressed virtually the audience with case studies and best practices for good governance from all over the Western Balkans.
