Co-funded by the European Union Jean Monnet Summer Academy 2025 began at European University

European University launched the Jean Monnet Summer Academy, “EU Enlargement: Theory, Practice, and Contemporary Challenges,” under the module “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.

Around 200 participants joined Day 1, which combined short interactive quizzes with lively Q&A to gauge learning and spark discussion.

Tatia Dolidze, Ph.D. (Jean Monnet Module Coordinator; Associate Professor and Head of the International Relations Programme, European University, Georgia) opened the Academy and delivered a session tracing the legal origins and evolution of EU enlargement from the founding treaties to today.

Tinatin Akhvlediani, Ph.D. (Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels; Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Belgium) examined the geopolitical implications and practical challenges of the EU’s eastern enlargement, with reference to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, and discussed how regulatory convergence supports deeper integration.

Steven Blockmans, Ph.D. (Visiting Professor, College of Europe—Bruges, Natolin, Tirana; Senior Research Fellow, CEPS, Brussels; Senior Fellow, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), Tallinn) explored the debate on fast-track accession—its opportunities, risks, and lessons—and assessed Georgia’s EU integration, outlining progress, remaining gaps, and a realistic reform roadmap.

Participants were actively engaged throughout, posing and answering questions in each session. A comparison of the pre-quiz and post-quiz results showed strong learning gains across the cohort. The online part of the Academy runs 25–29 August 2025 with daily expert-led lectures by Georgian and European scholars.