Jean Monnet Summer Academy — Day 5: guest speakers conclude the online programme

The online component of the Jean Monnet Summer Academy, “EU Enlargement: Theory, Practice, and Contemporary Challenges,” ended with a full day led by guest speakers.

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 at European University.

Tamta Tskhovrebadze, Ph.D (Adjunct Professor and Academic Coordinator, Webster University, Georgia) opened with a session on the interplay between geopolitical considerations and democracy in EU enlargement and how this balance works in practice. Mehmet Recai Uyugur, Ph.D (Senior Researcher and Associate Professor in International Security and Conflict, SMK College of Applied Sciences, Lithuania) followed with a two-part lecture on EU enlargement through the lens of international relations theories, comparing realist, liberal, and constructivist explanations. In the afternoon, Frédéric Labarre, Ph.D (Instructor, Royal Military College of Canada; Senior Advisor, Regional Stability in the South Caucasus Study Group, Austrian National Defence Academy) examined security resilience in candidate countries and the implications of post-Karabakh dynamics for South Caucasus security and EU policy.

The day concluded with a wrap-up lecture by Tatia Dolidze, synthesising what participants learned across the Academy. In addition to the final quiz, attendees shared live feedback, and a short survey will be circulated shortly to capture further reflections.

With Day 5 complete, the Academy’s online programme is concluded. The next step is the on-site concluding and award ceremony in September.