Jean Monnet Summer Academy — Day 3 focus: credibility, market access, security

Tbilisi, 27 August 2025 — Midweek at the Jean Monnet Summer Academy, “EU Enlargement: Theory, Practice, and Contemporary Challenges,” the conversation moved decisively to policy application.

The Academy is organised under “European Union Enlargement: Past Lessons for Future Decisions” (EnlargEU — 101127859, 2023–2026), co-funded by the European Union and authored and led by Tatia Dolidze.

In the morning, Tinatin Akhvlediani, Ph.D. (Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS); Visiting Professor, College of Europe; Visiting Professor, International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University) connected civic mobilisations to enlargement credibility, examined single-market access before membership, and mapped EU instruments for financial and technical support available to candidate countries—showing how regulatory convergence and targeted assistance can accelerate practical integration ahead of accession.

The afternoon turned to security. Bidzina Lebanidze, Ph.D. (Head of Jena-Cauc Project, Institute of Caucasus Studies, University of Jena, Germany) led security policy case studies and analysed Russia’s disruption strategies, unpacking the interplay between hybrid threats, resilience, and the EU’s enlargement calculus.

Capping the day, Tatia Dolidze, Ph.D. (Jean Monnet module coordinator; Associate Professor and Head of the International Relations programme, European University, Georgia) traced the shift from “enlargement fatigue” to “accelerated accession,” discussing sequencing, staged integration, and the conditions under which speed and credibility can reinforce each other. A short end-of-day quiz consolidated key takeaways, and lively exchanges throughout—via chat and live Q&A—kept participation strong.

The Academy runs 25–29 August 2025 with daily expert-led sessions by Georgian and European scholars.