Welcome to the 2025-2027 Cohort!
Our opening workshop in Berlin on 24 to 26 October 2025 brought together 28 of our 34 new students for the first time. We’re excited to accompany this diverse group — representing 19 nationalities and a wide range of professional paths — on their academic journey over the next two years.
On Friday, our legal expert Edgar Lenski welcomed us at the Federal Chancellery to discuss his role in the coordination of Germany’s position within the European Union. We then headed to the Federal Foreign Office via the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building for a talk with Johannes Leuschke, policy officer for European Affairs, who shared his expertise on the work of COREPER II.
Over the weekend, our experts launched the academic year by presenting the first-term courses — a great opportunity for students and lecturers to meet in person before diving into the semester. Across the two days, Wolfgang Wessels and Darius Ribbe introduced The Institutional Architecture of the EU, Darius Ribbe presented The Fundamentals of Scientific Work, Edgar Lenski and Kai Kraus led An Introduction to European Law, and CIFE Director General Matthias Waechter began his course on The History of European Integration.
We’d like to extend a big thank you to our students and experts for their enthusiasm and commitment — we’re looking forward to what’s ahead!