Villa Vigoni Autumn School in European Studies 2026
This year's Autumn School focused on the topic of '“Europe in the Age of Global Power Politics: The Future of Normative Power, Civil Power, Soft Power?”
- Keywords
- Autumn School, European Studies
- Duration
- 10/27/26 - 10/30/26
- University institutions
- Interdisciplinary Centre for European Studies (ICES), Department of Comparative Institutional Analysis
Key facts
Description
From 27 to 30 October, the fourth edition of the interdisciplinary Villa Vigoni Autumn School took place at Lake Como in Italy. The conference was attended by master's and doctoral students from Bucerius Law School, Hamburg University, and the universities of Flensburg, Bologna, Bocconi (Milan), Salento, Fudan in Shanghai and Johns Hopkins in Nanjing. Once again, the event was co-organised by Prof. Glassmann acting on part of Europa-Universität Flensburg. His lecture was entitled: “Europe's Role in an Era of Weaponized Interdependence in the Global Economy”. This year's Autumn School focused on the topic of 'Europe in the Age of Global Power Politics: The Future of Normative Power, Civil Power, Soft Power'. The 47 participants were welcomed by the General Secretary of the Villa Vigoni, Christiane Liermann Traniello, among others. Over the course of several days, lecturers from the participating universities delivered presentations on European power politics from political and economic perspectives, as well as legal and historical angles. Students from all participating universities in Germany, Italy and China worked together in groups to reflect on what they had learnt, delivering their own presentations on the last day of the event. The photo shows the four students from the Autumn School together with Ulrich Glassmann: Gwenael Leclerc, Rebecca Heuer, Thea Kruse and Paul Bringmann.
The participants of the Autumn School 2026 were:
1) Prof. Dr. Ulrich Glassmann (Politische Ökonomie)
2) Gwenael Leclerc (Master student International Management)
3) Rebecca Heuer (Master student International Management)
4) Thea Kruse (PhD Student in History)
5) Paul Bringmann (Master student International Management)
Responsible
Prof. Dr.Ulrich Glassmann
- Phone
- +49 461 805 2566
-
ulrich.glassmann-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-
@uni-flensburg.de - Building
- Gebäude Madrid
- Room
- MAD 129
- Street
- Munketoft 3b
- Post code / City
- 24937 Flensburg
Financing
Zentraler Ausschuss für Europa und Internationales der Europa-Universität Flensburg
Report on participation in the 2026 Villa Vigoni Autumn School by Paul Bringmann
From October 27 to 30, I had the honour of participating in the Villa Vigoni Autumn School 2026, “Europe in the Age of Global Power Politics: The Future of Normative Power, Civil Power, Soft Power?”. It was an exceptionally enriching experience, both academically and personally.
Hosted by Villa Vigoni on the shores of Lake Como, the event was particularly well organised, from the logistical arrangements and programme to the flexibility and support of the organisers. The academic programme was structured around three main thematic blocks, approaching the challenges facing Europe from political and economic, legal, and historical perspectives. Each participating university brought together Master's and PhD students as well as professors, who presented a variety of topics related to their respective fields of research. These presentations were followed by discussions that encouraged questions and the exchange of different viewpoints. On the final day, students worked in groups composed of participants from different universities and academic backgrounds, allowing us to approach our chosen topics from a variety of perspectives. The groups managed to develop and present substantial results.
What I found particularly valuable throughout the programme was the diversity of perspectives. Professors and students from different academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds brought a wide range of insights to the discussions, creating an environment in which complex questions could be explored in depth. Over the course of the four days, this exchange significantly broadened my perspective and helped me develop a clearer understanding of Europe's current position, the challenges it faces, and the strategies it should consider for the future.
What I will remember most, however, is how effortlessly participants from different countries and cultures engaged in discussions about complex and high-stakes issues while simultaneously building close personal relationships that extended well beyond working hours. The Autumn School created a rare environment in which academic exchange and personal interaction complemented one another naturally. It was precisely this combination that made the experience so memorable and that I hope to carry forward.
I am sincerely grateful to Villa Vigoni and Europa-Universität Flensburg for making this opportunity possible.