Center for West European Studies & EU Jean Monnet Center

Epizode

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  June 2026 EU Democracy & Security Symposium | Miguel Roncero Martin 27.08.2026 25min

  On June 9, 2026 The Center for European, Russian, & Eurasian Studies hosted a roundtable featuring Miguel Roncero Martin, in discussion with Julio Bonillo. Jose Miguel Roncero Martin (Miguel Roncero) is an EU civil servant hosted by the Jackson School of International Studies in 2026, under the European Union Fellowship program. Miguel’s research focuses on the development of the blue economy in the Arctic, also as a way to foster cooperation between Europe and North America. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  June 2026 EU Democracy & Security Symposium | Julio Bonillo 20.08.2026 14min

  On June 9, 2026 The Center for European, Russian, & Eurasian Studies hosted a roundtable featuring Julio Bonillo focused on EU Democracy Institutions. Professor Julio Guinea Bonillo is Deputy Director of the Center for European Studies at Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. Among his many publications are books on the European Union's foreign relations, security, and defense policies. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2026 EU Democracy & Security Educator Training | Travis J Nelson on “EU Democracy and Institutions” 19.08.2026 28min

  On August 11, 2026 The Center for European, Russian, & Eurasian Studies hosted a workshop for educators featuring experts focusing on EU Democracy & Security. This recording features a presentation by Travis J Nelson called “European Union Democracy and Institutions.” Travis Nelson holds a PhD in political science from the University of Washington, and was a graduate fellow in international security at the University of Washington International Security Colloquium (UWISC). Travis’s research interests include international relations, political psychology, and political economy, and focuses specifically on racial stereotypes/biases and their effects on preference formation and public opinion in the areas of welfare, trade, and immigration. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2026 EU Democracy & Security Educator Workshop | Sabine Lang on "Making EU Citizens" 19.08.2026 48min

  On August 11, 2026 The Center for European, Russian, & Eurasian Studies hosted a workshop for educators featuring experts focusing on EU Democracy & Security. This recording features a presentation by Sabine Lang called “Making European Citizens — Civic Engagement Practices in the European Union.” Sabine Lang is Professor of International and European Studies at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. From 2016 to 2024, she directed the Center for West European Studies and the European Union Center, a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. From 2021 – 2024, she held the Jean Monnet Chair in Civil Society, Inclusion, and Diversity from the European Union. She is also Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Political Science, Germanics, and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies. Her work is in comparative politics with a focus on civil society, the public sphere, the nongovernmental sector, and gender politics. Her current research focuses on gendered political representation in the European Union and on EU-level public engagement processes. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2026 EU Democracy & Security Educator Workshop | Ileana Marin on "The EU Test" 19.08.2026 36min

  On August 11, 2026 The Center for European, Russian, & Eurasian Studies hosted a workshop for educators featuring experts focusing on EU Democracy & Security. This recording features a presentation by Ileana Marin, called “The EU Test: Security, Democracy, and Institutional Resilience." Ileana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington, Seattle, and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies of the University of Bucharest. She has published books on tragic myths, Pre-Raphaelite artists, and most recently on Victorian aesthetics of erasure. Ileana Marin has participated in international conferences with papers on the de-humanizing power of art and the artistic legacy of communism as well as on the materiality of literary, pictorial, and graphic texts. Winner of several research grants she has explored interdisciplinary dialogues between text and image and the transformation of artworks into cultural icons. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  Dr. Robin S. Brooks | 'Euro-Atlantic Values' and the Future of Transatlantic Security | EU Democracy & Security Keynote 11.05.2026 40min

  On April 9, 2026, Dr. Robin S. Brooks delivered the Keynote EU Democracy and Security Lecture at the 24th Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union, hosted by the European Union Center of California at Scripps College. This podcast is a recording of this talk, titled, 'Euro-Atlantic Values' and the Future of Transatlantic Security. Dr. Robin S. Brooks, Robin Brooks is a Visiting Fellow in Global Policy and Governance at Pomona College.
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  European Union Democracy & Security Symposium: Monarchies to Constitutional Democracies 08.05.2026 50min

  On May 7th, 2026, the Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies hosted its spring EU Democracy and Security Symposium on 'Monarchies to Constitutional Democracies.' This podcast features recordings of presentations by three members of the University of Washington faculty: Raymond Jonas (History), speaking on “France’s Five Republics and what they tell us about how republics are born and how they die”; Terje Leiren (Scandinavian Studies) speaking on "From Royal Absolutism to Parliamentary Government: Political Transition in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)”; James Felak (History) speaking on "The Perils of a Problematic Constitution: The Cases of Interwar Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.” Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union of the EACEA. Neither the European Union now the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  Miguel Roncero Martin : Bounded by Water and Ice: Cooperation, Trust, and the European Democratic Experiment 05.05.2026 18min

  On March 6, 2026 Miguel Roncero Martin delivered the keynote address at the West Coast Model European Union event at the University of Washington. Miguel gave a talk titled, "Bounded by Water and Ice: Cooperation, Trust, and the European Democratic Experiment.” Jose Miguel Roncero Martin (Miguel Roncero) is an EU civil servant hosted by the Jackson School of International Studies in 2026, under the European Union Fellowship program. Miguel’s research focuses on the development of the blue economy in the Arctic, also as a way to foster cooperation between Europe and North America. Funded by the European Union. View and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the EACEA. Neither the EU nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  Plenary Session | REECAS Northwest | Lennon, Kassenova, Zając 18.04.2026 1h 21min

  On April 17th, 2026 three experts delivered an excellent plenary session at the 32nd Annual REECAS Northwest Conference at the University of Washington, on current strategy around Ukraine, REECAS and the European Union today. This podcast is a recording of that address, including a Q&A session featuring keynote speaker Phillips O'Brien. Featured experts: Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director, Program on Central Asia, Davis Center, Harvard University Justyna Zając, Director, Polish Studies Center; Professor of Practice in European Security Studies, Indiana University Olena Lennon, Practitioner In Residence, National Security Department/Homeland Security, University of New Haven
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  Phillips O'Brien | European Strategy and the Ukraine War | REECAS Northwest Keynote 17.04.2026 47min

  On April 16, 2026, Phillips O'Brien delivered his keynote speech of the 32nd Annual REECAS Northwest, an official regional conference of the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES). Phillips OBrien gave a lecture on European Strategy and the Ukraine War, a look at how Europe has reacted strategically to the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Professor Phillips O’Brien is the Chair of Strategic Studies and Head of the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews. He has published widely on issues of conflict, politics, war and strategy in the 20th and 21st centuries. Amongst his books are: How the War was Won: Air-Sea Power and Allied Victory in World War II (Cambridge University Press, 2015) and The Second Most Powerful Man in the World: The Life of Admiral William D. Leahy, FDR’s Chief of Staff, (Penguin/Random House 2015). He has also published multiple articles in major journals including Foreign Affairs, Diplomatic History, the Journal of Strategic Studies, and, Past and Present. In 2024 he published a new multi-archival study of grand-strategy making in World War II with Penguin/Random House, entitled: The Strategists: How Churchill, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini and Roosevelt were Made by and Made War. In 2025 he published his latest book, War and Power: Who Wins Wars and Why.
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  2026 Symposium | EU Democracy & Security | Europe: Cradle of Democracy 11.02.2026 56min

  On February 10th, 2026 the Jean Monnet Center for Excellence at the University of Washington hosted its second symposium on EU Democracy and Security. Speakers Ray Lahiri, Timothy Bourns, and Alexander Hollmann presented on the theme 'Europe: Cradle of Democracy.' Podcast introduction is by Guntis Smidchens, Director of the UW Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the speaker(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 Symposium | EU Democracy & Security | Past, Present, Future 10.12.2025 45min

  On December 4th, 2025 the Jean Monnet Center for Excellence at the University of Washington hosted a symposium on EU Democracy and Security. Markku Jokisipilä presented on the Past, Present, and Future of European Democracy and Security. Introduction by Guntis Smidchens, the director of the UW Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies. Markku Jokisipilä was a UW Visiting Professor for Fall of 2025. Professor of Contemporary History Markku Jokisipilä is Director of the Center for Parliamentary Studies at the University of Turku. He is author or editor of ten books and many articles on Finnish history, including on Finland's relationship to Nazi Germany, diplomatic history, the history of sport, and political use and misuse of history. He has served on a variety of commissions for the Finnish state. He is also columnist and frequent contributor to public debate. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the speaker(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the EU nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 Educator Workshop | John Johnson | US-NATO Relations, Past and Present 02.10.2025 24min

  John Johnson is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Prior to this he was the Director of the Brussels International Media Hub, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Afghanistan Affairs Unit which operated out of Doha after the fall of Kabul, and the Counselor for Public Affairs in Afghanistan during the evacuation of the Embassy in 2021. Prior to the establishment of the Doha platform, Mr. Johnson was in Brussels, Belgium where he was the Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Mission to NATO. This session occurred at the 2025 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop: Europe and the EU: Alone in a Multipolar World? at the UW on August 12, 2025. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of NATO, the US Foreign Service, the European Union, or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 Educator Workshop | Amy Stern | US-EU Relations, Past and Present 02.10.2025 42min

  Amy Stern (JD, University of Virginia) served as Legal Advisor in the U.S. Mission to the European Union in 2021-2024. She led multi-stakeholder advocacy efforts to secure the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, collaborating with global partners on regulatory challenges impacting privacy, civil liberties, online safety, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and sustainability. This session occurred at the 2025 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop: Europe and the EU: Alone in a Multipolar World? at the UW on August 12, 2025. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 Educator Workshop | Justin Petelka | Data Privacy vs. Protection: US & EU Regulation Strategies 21.08.2025 28min

  Co-Funded by the European Union. Justin Petelka is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington's Information School who studies U.S. and EU Data Privacy Laws. This session occurred at the 2025 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop: Europe and the EU: Alone in a Multipolar World? at the UW on August 12, 2025. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 Educator Workshop | M Jokisipilä & M Sus | European Union: Past, Present and Future 21.08.2025 45min

  Co-Funded by the European Union. Dr. Markku Jokisipilä is a Distinguished Professor of Contemporary History, University of Turku in Finland, and Dr. Monika Sus is Professor of Political Science at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, part-time Professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute and member of Team Europe Direct Poland. Moderated by Ryan Hauck, Global Classroom, World Affairs Council in Seattle. This session occurred at the 2025 EU Policy Forum Educator Workshop: Europe and the EU: Alone in a Multipolar World? at the University of Washington on August 12, 2025. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2025 EUCOS Symposium | J Albert & N Buckley | How should gov’ts think about & regulate social media? 23.07.2025 48min

  Co-Funded by the European Union. John A. Albert is an Associate Researcher at the Institute for Information Law (IViR) where he contributes to the Digital Services Act (DSA) Observatory. Nicole H. Buckley is an Associate at K&L Gates’ Seattle office and a member of the Technology Transactions and Sourcing group. Moderated by Jessica Beyer, Assistant Teaching Professor and the Lead of the Jackson School’s Cybersecurity Initiative. This panel discussion occurred at the 2025 EUCOS Policy Symposium at the University of Washington. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  Amb. Michael Carpenter | Will Europe Meet this Moment? Keynote at 2025 Undergrad Research Conf on EU 22.07.2025 1h 7min

  Co-Funded by the European Union. Ambassador Michael Carpenter, formerly the Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council of the Biden Administration, discusses challenges faced by the EU. This lecture was the EU Common Security Lecture at the 2025 Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  2024 Educator Workshop | Dustin Ellis | Political Psychology and Europe’s Populist Right 21.07.2025 59min

  Co-Funded by the European Union. Dustin Ellis, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Eastern Oregon University, discusses the the 2024 European Parliament Election and Other 2024 Summer Elections. | Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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  Amb. Mark Gitenstein and Amb. Audra Plepytė | The Future of Democracy and Free Markets in Central and Eastern Europe 21.07.2025 1h 31min

  Co-Funded by the European Union Ambassador Mark Gitenstein US Ambassador to the European Union, 2021-2025 US Ambassador to Romania, 2009-2012 How is the EU accession process proceeding with Moldova, Ukraine and other aspiring entrants in the region? Ambassador Gitenstein will offer an assessment of the European Commission’s application of its various enforcement tools to ensure compliance by member states of their treaty obligations. He will additionally discuss the role of the United States in supporting those processes and the role played by hostile powers like Russia in undermining them. Furthermore, Ambassador Gitenstein will consider the disturbing deterioration of independent media in the region as the essential bulwark for democracy, free markets and against corruption and backsliding. Ambassador Audra Plepytė Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States and Mexico, 2021-Present Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations, 2017-2021 Ambassador Audra Plepytė was appointed as Lithuania’s Ambassador to the United States of America and to the United Mexican States in 2021. Before this she was a Lithuanian Permanent Representative to the United Nations where she facilitated several negotiations, led the Group of Friends, and was elected to executive bodies of UN instruments and institutions, including being elected as the President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2021. As a career diplomat for over 30 years, she has held numerous positions within the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dealing with bilateral and multilateral issues, heading the European Union Department (2014–2017), the Personnel Department, and International Missions and Conflict Prevention Division. She was also Lithuania’s ambassador to Spain, World Tourism Organization from 2010 till 2014. Ambassador Plepytė has BA and MA in Philosophy at Vilnius University. She also has a diploma from the Institute of International Relations at Vilnius University, as well as a certificate of Diplomatic studies at Oxford University in UK. _______________________________ Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.