The CEURO program offered its first Spring School in 2018. The first week was spent at the University of Leuven, and the other week was spent later at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In the natural extension of CEURO’s joint course, students in the Spring School attended face-to-face lectures, participated in seminars, visited relevant transatlantic institutions, met practitioners and civil society representatives, and participated in engaging discussions about the ties that bind Europe and America together.
Check out the syllabi for the CEURO courses from KU Leuven and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign:
Spring 2018 Syllabus used at KU Leuven
Spring 2019 Syllabus used at KU Leuven
Spring 2018 Syllabus used in Illinois
Spring 2019 Syllabus used in Illinois
University of Illinois Students Visit KU Leuven in Spring 2018
Sunday, March 18th, 2018
The University of Illinois students arrived in Leuven after landing in Amsterdam. Despite their jet lag, the group spent the night walking around Leuven and getting to know its beauty and charm.
Monday, March 19th, 2018
To begin their first full day, the University of Illinois students met with Prof. Kolja Raube, Dr. Gustavo Muller, and Prof. Patrick Pasture at Europahuis, the home of KU Leuven’s MA in European Studies (MAES) program. Here, the students were first introduced to their counterparts from KU Leuven, and were given an orientation for their time in Belgium.
Both groups of students then attended the course, “EU in Global Governance,” led by Prof. Raube. After a good deal of conversation about the EU and its role in the world, the group went to lunch at the student dining hall, ALMA.
Af
ter a short break to help with their jet lag, all of the students then attended the first CEURO Round-table on Transatlantic Relations hosted by KU Leuven at the Huis Bethlehem. The two-panel event was moderated by Prof. Raube and Dr. Neil Vander Most. In addition to the many scholars from KU Leuven, professionals from the European External Action Service, NATO, the European Commission were also in attendance. After the round-table, a reception was held where students and panelists enjoyed lively conversation. These conversations continued with the panelists and the Illinois students at Mamma Mia, a well-known Italian restaurant in town.
Tuesday, March 20th, 2018 
The next morning, the students from Illinois met with Bart Hendrickx, Head of Academic Diplomacy at KU Leuven. Together they learned about the history of KU Leuven and the many contributions the university has made to modern Europe.
The students were then escorted to a meeting at the Art Faculty where they had a meeting with Annelies Kindt and Prof. Bart Van den Bossche, the Vice Dean of Internationalization, Faculty of Arts. Together they discussed KU Leuven’s wide variety of international programs and innovative educational initiatives.
Following the morning meetings, Prof. Raube gave an impromptu city tour where he took the students to KU Leuven’s impressive university library. After seeing the reading room and the impressive pieces of art in the museum, the group climbed the library’s bell tower. At the top, they were treated by a beautiful panorama of the city and the surrounding countryside of Flemish Brabant.
In the afternoon, the students attended a course entitled the “Transatlanticity and Latin America.” Led by Dr. Gustavo Muller, the course explored the role that Europe and the EU played in shaping South American politics. After the course, the day ended with a dinner at Domus, a traditional Belgian-style restaurant in the heart of the city.
Wednesday, March 21st, 2018
On Wednesday, groups of students from both Illinois and Leuven traveled to Brussels, the capitol of Flanders, Belgium, and the European Union. While there, they visited a number of important transatlantic institutions. The day began with briefings at the European External Action Service on the state of EU-US Affairs.
Later on in the day, the students had introductory tour of the European Parliament, including seeing the massive Plenary Chamber. They then had the opportunity to sit in on an active Parliamentary committee meeting, where the European Parliament’s response to American steel and aluminum tariffs were being discussed.
The group ended the night with a walk past the Royal Palace of Belgium and into the historic downtown area of Brussels, including the Grand Place /Grote Markt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Thursday, March 22nd, 2018
After a number of busy days taking courses and visiting European institutions, the Illinois students were treated to a cultural excursion to the city nearby of Antwerp. Here, they had a guided tour of the city, learning about the local history and folklore, including the story of the city’s namesake. They visited the Saint Carolus Borromeus Catholic Church, a beautifully restored baroque cathedral containing paintings from Flemish painter Peter Paul Reubens. The students then visited the Red Star Line Museum, dedicated to the famous transatlantic cruise ship line that helped to connect Europe and the United States in the early 20th Century. The students were also able to take advantage of the city’s many shops and superior chocolate selection.
Friday, March 23rd, 2018
The final day of the first part of the summer school brought the University of Illinois students to Brussels once more for several activities. The first appointment was at the US Embassy where students got the chance to meet with officials from the American Mission to the European Union. Here they got the chance to hear from the other side of the Atlantic about the state of transatlantic relations. This ability to compare notes and perspectives was very valuable to establish an understanding of contemporary transatlantic affairs. They then visited the newly opened House of European History. This inspiring museum offers its guests a comprehensive and interactive story of European unification, and includes many artifacts from this process. At the museum the Illinois and Leuven students had the chance to debrief about the past week and share what they were looking forward to for the second part of the summer school.
The trip to Belgium concluded with lunch at a sushi restaurant, Kokuban, in Brussels and then a train back to Leuven to bid farewell to the new friends created that week. It would not be long until the students saw each other again at the spring school in Urbana-Champaign.
KU Leuven Students Visit the University of Illinois in Spring 2018
Sunday, April 1st, 2018
Two weeks later, and it was time for the Leuven students to visit their counterparts at Urbana-Champaign. They were greeted to snowy weather after landing in Chicago. Hours later, they were welcomed by the Illinois students outside of the university’s historic Student Union building. Tired after a day of travel, the group went to a late dinner and turned in for the evening.
Monday, April 2nd, 2018
Monday morning, both groups of joined together for the regular meeting of their normally online CEURO course. Joined by Illinois students who were not able to participate in part one of the summer school, they had a discussion on the topic of transatlantic 
populism and the far right in Europe, led by Dr. Vander Most.
After lunch, the students visited the National Center for Supercomputing Visual Model Demonstration. There they were treated to demonstrations of the kind of representations that the Blue Waters Supercomputer at UIUC is able to simulate. After the visualization, the group visited the machine room of the supercomputer to learn about how a supercomputer actually functions. Joined by EUC Outreach Coordinator Paul Myers, the group enjoyed a leisurely walk back to the heart of campus, learning about the University of Illinois along the way.
To end their first full day in Illinois, everyone enjoyed an evening of bowling at the Illini Union Arcade.
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018
Tuesday began with the second of the two Jean Monnet Project Transatlantic Round-table discussions. Moderated by Dr. Vander Most, and including talent from the University of Illinois and Purdue University, the round-table continued the discussions started at KU Leuven two weeks prior. The especially interdisciplinary group of scholars weighed in on transatlantic politics and its future.
After the round-table, students had free time to explore campus, and took advantage of the many shops in campus town, purchasing Illini gear to represent their school spirit. Later that day, the Leuven students sat in on Prof. Rota’s course “Europe and the Mediterranean.” There they furthered their first-hand experience with the American model of higher education.
In the evening, the students had the opportunity to meet with Champaign Deputy Mayor Tom Bruno for dinner and discussion. Deputy Mayor Bruno shared his rich experiences with the city government in Champaign and his observations about American municipal governance. After dinner, students were able to attend the regularly scheduled meeting for the Champaign City Council. After being generously recognized by the Council, they were able to see firsthand the especially public and responsive traditions of government at the local level.
Wednesday, April 4th, 2018
On Wednesday, students from both Leuven and Illinois continued their exploration of American governance by visiting the offices responsible for administering the county of Champaign. Mr Pius Weibel, the chair of the Champaign County Board, led the tour and illustrated the many ways that American counties add to the quality of life enjoyed by their residents. After this visit, the group enjoyed a brief tour of downtown Urbana, followed by lunch.
In the afternoon, the Leuven students returned to campus where they joined Prof. Konstantinos Kouritkakis’s course “The EU in a Global Context.’ There they enjoyed a focused and rigorous discussion about transatlantic relations, including broadening the discussion to include the roles of Canada and Mexico. This comprehensive approach neatly complemented the more EU-US focus in other parts of the spring school.
To end the the day, all of the Spring School students were invited to EUC Director Carla Santos’ house for a potluck. These valuable social activities continued to cement the bonds of transatlantic camaraderie fostered by the CEURO project.
Thursday, April 5th, 2018
On Thursday, the KU Leuven students broadened their horizons outside of Champaign with a visit to the Illinois state capitol of Springfield. There they visited the beautiful state capitol building and learned about the rich history of Illinois. They were also able to briefly sit in on a budgetary committee and got the chance to talk about state government with a state capitol analyst.
After visiting the capitol, the group walked to the nearby Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. There they learned the importance of this famous American president and why he is held in such a high regard within both the state of Illinois and the country overall. They also got a chance to learn more about the American Civil War and the lasting impact it had on US politics.
After finishing with the museum, the group walked to the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. In this preserved section of the city, they got to see the home that the Lincolns resided in while they lived in Springfield. They also learned about the important role that Washington D.C. plays in looking after the well-being of historically important and protected areas of the country.
Friday, April 6th, 2018
The second part of the Spring School concluded with a trip to the major metropolitan city of Chicago. After checking in to their hotels and eating lunch, the group was granted an audience with Dutch Consul General Louis Piët, Belgian Honorary Consul Paul Van Halteren, and Senior Trade Officer for the Dutch Consulate General, Mr. Marc Nellen. The generous meeting gave students and staff the opportunity to ask a variety of relevant transatlantic questions, ranging from their own observations about the United States to what it is like working for the foreign service in their respective countries. This valuable professionalization opportunity will certainly inform the career choices of the students from both universities.
After the meeting, the students got the opportunity to tour the city, visiting sights such as Millennium Park, the Miracle Mile, and the Art Institute of Chicago. The group departed to Leuven the next day, though not without a taste of Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza.
The first year of the CEURO Spring School was certainly an enjoyable one that shaped everyone fortunate enough to be a part of it. Of course, none of this would be possible without the generous support of the European Commission and the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
