The volcanic ash cloud above Europe dissolved just in time so as to enable the almost 60 participants of this year's Allianz Alumni Academy to fly to the capital of the current holder of the Presidency of the Council of the EU. From 23 to 25 April former participants of the Allianz Summer Academy (ASA) and international experts discussed Europe-related political issues of topical interest.

The first evening at the renowned Fundación Carlos des Amberes was inaugurated by Henning Schulte-Noelle, chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Allianz Cultural Foundation. In his opening address he referred to the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the European Council. In the ensuing discussion panel Carlos Carnero González, the Spanish Ambassador Extraordinary for European Integration, Charles Powell, the British expert on Spain and Europe, and Walter Haubrich, correspondent of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, discussed the perspectives of Spain and the EU after the implementation of the Lisbon treaty.

Powell stressed the importance of the rotating Presidency of the European Council so as to enable all member states to participate in the formation process. According to Powell, practice will show to what extent this proven principle is reconcilable with the newly established post of a long-term President of the European Council. Europe's apparently decreasing relevance in the world was also an important discussion topic. The alumni, who had participated in setting up the Academy programme, used the opportunity to address questions to the experts in the panel.

For the following day the former ASA-participants had also chosen international panellists. In two panels with altogether eight experts they spoke about the consequences of the climate change for the European labour market and about the implications of migration for the EU. Renate Hornung-Draus questioned the conventional distinction on the labour market between ecofriendly "green jobs" and "non-green jobs". The head of the department "European Union and International Social Policy" of the Bundesvereinigung der Deutschen Arbeitgeberverbände (BDA, Confederation of German Employers' Associations) pointed out, for example, that solar technology depends on the "old" chemical industry for the production of solar cells.

Migration groups in Europe were the subject of the second panel, with representatives of the UNESCO and the Spanish think tank Real Instituto Elcano among others. Here the experts referred to the dilemma resulting from the recruitment of qualified migrants for the European labour market: The situation in the immigrants' countries of origin could worsen considerably due to the emigration of qualified employees.

The agenda of the third day of the Academy focussed on the development of the alumni network and the promotion of the cross-border cooperation between the alumni: In workshops and presentations they introduced their own project ideas. These projects illustrate to which extent this new generation intends to commit itself to Europe.

Several initiatives, such as a publication on the careers of European personalities, a parallel event in Warsaw and Paris on migration in Europe or an internet portal aimed specifically for the academic exchange between France and Great Britain have already emerged from this dynamic network and are being supported by the Allianz Cultural Foundation.

Project framework: April 23 – 25, 2010

Project venue: Madrid

Project partners: Real Instituto Elcano, Instituto Cervantes, Fundación Carlos de Amberes