Students taking the final year under-graduate module ‘Economics of European Integration’ visited Brussels between the 17 and 20 December 2018.
The study trip included visits to the European Commission and European Parliament. European Commission experts from Directorate-General (DG) Economic and Financial Affairs and DG Trade gave presentations on EU economic governance, macroeconomic policy surveillance and EU trade policy.
The European Commission visit was excellently facilitated by Fabienne Timmermans (DG Communication).The tour of the European Parliament was accompanied by a comprehensive talk on political representation in the European Parliament and the role of lobbying of elected representatives.
Students also enjoyed a walking tour of central Brussels, a visit to the Magritte museum and the Christmas market stalls before returning on the Eurostar.
Students were accompanied by Frank Brouwer (module convenor) and by Dr. Ödül Bozkurt (who is due to succeed Isabel Fischer as Business School Director for International Affairs). The trip was superbly organised by Helen Greaves (Student Experience Coordinator in the Business School).
Overall, the visit provided a fundamental insight into the workings of EU institutions and policy-making at a critical time for future UK-EU relations and served to enhance the overall student experience. It is expected to make this study visit a regular feature of the economics offering at Sussex.