Conference Agenda

Rewriting national and transnational histories and reassigning labels of heroes, victims, and perpetrators is a powerful tool in the narrative construction and manifestation of political orders. This is as true of the EU as it is of any state order. The way history is narrated at a certain point in time reveals much about the political, social, and economic priorities, challenges, and needs of the respective present.

Rethinking the questions we ask about European integration history can help us develop a deeper understanding of the challenges Europe faces today—and illuminate possible responses. Seventy-five years after the Schuman Declaration, it is therefore worthwhile to examine how the history of European integration has been told by the actors involved, and how and why official narratives have evolved over time. Equally important is shedding light on previously overlooked or disregarded participants in the integration process, which can enhance our understanding of European actors' roles and capabilities in a world characterised by shifting power balances and complex crises.

As the EU is, once again, facing profound challenges both within and beyond its borders, this plenary aims to foster interdisciplinary learning between European integration history and broader European studies scholarship

Dramatic social change including shifts in domestic governance, and mass atrocity in multiple crisis zones have made the social science classroom a challenging place. Students and educators alike are navigating a world where the boundaries between the political, the personal, and the pedagogical are increasingly blurred. How do we balance the imperative to address current events with care, combining factual accuracy with ethical responsibility and emotional awareness? What place do a teacher’s emotions, values, and vulnerabilities have in a reconnected classroom? This innovative, participatory panel offers space for personal reflections, best practices, and mutual learning. Rather than offering a fixed model, this panel holds space for a direly needed discussion on innovative pedagogy in difficult times.

Academic freedom has come under fire across the world. Many UACES members, too, face explicit limitations of their research objects, or more subtle pressures leading to self-censorship. This transformation goes alongside different societal and governmental expectations about academia. Space for critique is shrinking, expectations for narrowly defined, relevant scholarship are on the rise.

How do we balance the reinvention of the social utility of research with resistance to democratic decline? What role do institutions including government and funders play in shaping what defines relevant research? How should Europe-based researchers relate to researchers facing challenges in other parts of the world,  from Sudan to Palestine to the United States? This innovative, participatory panel offers space for personal reflections, best practices, and mutual learning. Rather than offering a fixed model, this panel holds space for a direly needed discussion on innovative pedagogy in difficult time.

The plenary will address the complex and often polarising debates around immigration in Europe, focusing particularly on the European Union and the United Kingdom. While there is consensus that immigration is reshaping societies, perspectives diverge sharply on key issues, ranging from the scale and legality of migration to its economic, social, and security implications. These debates are increasingly linked to the rise of populist political movements and growing concerns about the resilience of democratic institutions. With elections taking place across Europe in 2025, this plenary aims to provide a timely and thoughtful exploration of the stakes involved.

This session will discuss how the foundations of the post-Second World War transatlantic alliance are under increasing strain. With a second Trump administration back in office, long-standing assumptions about U.S. - Europe relations are being challenged. Even Atlanticists, such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have conceded that Europe can no longer rely on the United States for its security. Trade tensions, divergent strategic priorities, and shifting global power dynamics, particularly in relation to Ukraine, underscore the urgency of rethinking Europe’s position on the world stage. The plenary will examine the implications of the evolving transatlantic relationship and ask: what should Europe's strategic response be in this uncertain new era?