Masters’ minds on the up in EU affairs

By Anne Draime

Date: 14/10/04

THE number of masters' programmes in European affairs has dramatically increased over the past few years and is continuing to do so. A survey carried out this year of 401 students from 47 nationalities at the College of Europe, the first institution to offer postgraduate courses in European affairs, gives some insight into the motivation of young people enrolling in EU studies programmes.

Students' primary reason for coming to the College is to learn about Europe. They realize that the EU is not simple and that they will need the knowledge to master the policies and decision-making processes of the Union. In addition, the EU is a moving target: each new project changes the institutional equilibrium and the relationship between the EU institutions and the member states. Some training is required to understand and adapt to these often dramatic changes.

Their second motivation stems from a desire to meet and interact with academics who share their interest in Europe, but also with the community of young people who are interested in the same subject and ideals. 'Living Europe' is equally as important as learning about it. An intensive year as part of a community focused on similar ideals will give each one a taste of the world of the European career. Even for the few who may not share the 'European ideal' of an ever closer union between member states, after this year of study they will never look at Europe the same way again. They will discover that Europe is a choice of lifestyle.

While the masters students surveyed are passionate about Europe, they also have career expectations, which are just as high: improved knowledge and self-development, the development of professional skills and personal qualities, gaining access to a network, and determining and defining their professional future. The European decision-makers of tomorrow are as demanding of themselves as they are of others.

These students have high career hopes, focused on the European Union. Many expect to walk the halls of the EU institutions. But a masters in European studies does not just lead to the European Commission, Parliament or Council of Ministers; any position with a European dimension, whether in the public or private sector, is near the top of the list of preferences for future employment.

A glance at the careers of some of the 7,500 alumni of the College of Europe illustrates this. Alumni can be found in EU or international institutions, the public or private sector, non-governmental organizations, and the diplomatic and academic sector. The wide variety of functions and positions available in the single European job market can be considered an asset for those students who have spent much time preparing for these careers.

Is there a typical profile for this European 'apprentice'? Having graduated from the most prestigious universities, he or she masters on average four or five languages, has already travelled extensively and generally spent time studying abroad. He or she has a high level of adaptability and flexibility and has an insatiable curiosity.

A typical professional career will begin with a traineeship in one of the Union's institutions or in the EU affairs department of some business. It includes three to five years in Brussels, where Europe can be lived and breathed, after which he or she will return to the home country to apply the European knowledge and insight gained and to exploit the network that has been developed.

But is this career of the impassioned European ahead of its time? Thanks to an education that includes the past, studies the present, and considers the future, these students will be open to different outlooks and futures in advance of others.

The study shows that even though the EU has only recently welcomed ten new members to its fold, the students' vision is already moving beyond the EU's new borders. As one of these students mentions, "believing in the important role of the EU as a world actor, I am looking forward to contributing as much as I can to different challenges that the Union is facing".

For these students - and others like them throughout Europe and beyond - the European calling plays a role in their everyday lives.

• Anne Draime is careers officer at the Alumni Association of the College of Europe, Bruges.

The number of masters' programmes in European affairs has dramatically increased over the past few years and is continuing to do so. A survey carried out in 2004 among 401 students from 47 nationalities at the College of Europe in Bruges and Natolin (Warsaw), the first institution to offer postgraduate courses in European affairs, gives some insight into the motivation of young people enrolling in EU studies programmes.