In the second year of the Leadership Development Programme, twenty-nine participants from ten Southeast European countries, as well as from Austria, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the United States took part. The first activity of the Programme – the LDP Summer Academy – was hosted in Berlin and at the Neuhardenberg castle from 16 to 30 September 2007. The participants had the opportunity to learn about and discuss a series of topics concerning the EU and its role in the world and in Southeast Europe, as well as to enhance their professional skills by simulating political negotiations and participating in different skills development and research workshops. The speakers were prominent experts in their respective fields and came from the EU, the US and from South-eastern Europe.

The Academy included a cultural programme with, amongst others, a rally and a sightseeing tour in Berlin, a visit to Frankfurt (Oder), as well as an intercultural evening and a cinema event featuring a documentary by a director from the region. Moreover, this year, the participants were associated to the 6th Annual International Conference of the TRANSFUSE Association. On that occasion, the participants had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of high-level professionals from the TRANSFUSE network and to attend a book presentation by Ivan Krastev, from the Centre for Liberal Studies in Sofia, as well as a speech and an open discussion with Thomas Carothers, Vice-President for Studies, International Politics and Governance at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, together with TRANSFUSE Association members.

Back in their home countries, the participants worked in small cross-border groups to implement joint activities on EU-relevant topics in Southeast Europe by March 2008.

The final event of the Programme – a five-day seminar – was organised in Brussels and Bruges. It was designed to get a closer view of the institutions based in Brussels and of one partner organisation: the College of Europe in Bruges. In particular, the final event of the LDP offered an opportunity to meet policy-makers from the EU and NATO and to discuss with them a number of issues that concern Southeast Europe and its future. It included also a visit to the ancient burg of Bruges and to one of the Programme donors, the King Baudouin Foundation.

» PREVIOUS EXTRANET