While they share strong historical, economic, and cultural roots, the United States of America and Europe represent different societies that are in constant evolution. This evening debate brings together four prominent Belgian journalists who have been professionally and passionately reporting and commenting on American and European news for many years. Led by KU Leuven’s American Politics Professor Bart Kerremans, they will engage, in interaction with students, in a discussion why America is not Europe, and ever less so. They will focus on approaches to power, force, sovereignty, and the role of government in society.

PROGRAM
Doors open : 18.30

Welcoming Words (19.00 - 19.05)
Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former Ambassador of Belgium to the United States of America, Co-Chair America Europe Fund, KU Leuven

Panel Discussion (19.05 - 20.30)

Moderation: Prof. Dr. Bart Kerremans, Professor on American Politics and Chair of the America Europe Fund, KU Leuven
Rik Van Cauwelaert, Political Analyst, Financieel Economische TijdGreet De Keyser, Journalist for VTM, based in Washington DCBert De Vroey, Journalist for VRTSteven De Foer, Journalist for De Standaard
Questions and Answers (20.30 - 21.00)

Reception and Music (21.00 - 22.00)

Organisers: The Centre for European Studies and the America Europe Fund of KU Leuven

Welcoming Words (18.00-18.10)
Prof. dr. Kolja Raube, Director of the Centre for European Studies and Senior Member Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, KU Leuven

Opening Remarks (18.10-18.30)
H.E. Ambassador Willem van de Voorde, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union

Panel Discussion (18.30-19.30)
Dealing with Immediate and Long-term Security Crises in Times of Global Contestation

Moderation: Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former Ambassador of Belgium to the United States of America, Co-Chair America Europe Fund, KU Leuven

• Ms. Ruth Bajada, Head of Unit United States and Canada, European External Action Service

• Dr. Gerrard Quille, Head of Unit, Secretariat Sub-Committee on Security and Defence, European Parliament

• Prof. dr. Garret Martin, School of International Service, Co-Director Transatlantic Policy Center, American University

• Prof. dr. Tom Casier, Director of the Global Europe Center, University of Kent at Canterbury

• Prof. dr. Karolina Pomorska, Jean Monnet Chair, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University

Debate, Question and Answers (19.30-20.00)

Reception (20.00-20.45): Lobby Arts Faculty

Interested in 'US-EU Relations in Times of Global Change'? Attend the KU Leuven and American University Washington, DC hybrid event on December 2. 

 During the discussion interventions on both sides will address the current state of transatlantic relations, with a focus on many salient themes such as (but not excluded) to climate change, migration, rule of law, trade, and security.

The event will only be entirely on ZOOM. You can use the following link to enter at 7pm:

https://american.zoom.us/j/92114648271  

 Or register here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/au-leuven-transatlantic-forum-tickets- 214120569387. 

High-level lecture on the Transatlantic Community. Among its speakers, you will be able to get insights from the world re-known Prof. Dr. Pippa Norris from Harvard Univerisity; Prof. Dr. Peter Lievens from KU Leuven; Prof. Dr. Leen d’Haenens, ChairThe America Europe Fund; H.E. Dirk Wouters, former Ambassador of Belgium to the US and the EU, Co-Chair; Prof. Dr. Stephan Keukeleire from KU Leuven; Mr. Nicolas Berliner, Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy in Belgium and Prof. Dr. Leen d’Haenens. More so, there will be a networking reception at the end of the event. 

If you are interested in this timely and high-level lecture, be at the Promotiezaal of the Universiteitshal (Naamsestraat 22, Leuven) on the 1st of December at 17:00 (15 minutes before it starts). Covid Safe Ticket and ID is needed to enter the hall. Wearing a facemask is mandatory. The lecture will also be streamed live.

Registration for attending the lecture in the Promotiezaal as well as for watching the streaming is required via this link.

This transatlantic dialogue focuses on the EU’s and the US’ positioning and action towards human rights and democracy in multilateral fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. The conversation between the two experts starts from a reflection on the efforts of both actors in the United Nations and other global governance frameworks to promote human rights and democracy over the last years. They will also discuss challenges that both actors have faced and still face in this regard. Moreover, the discussion will cover initiatives of the EU and the US to work together towards the promotion of human rights and democracy. These include the EU’s ‘New EU-US agenda for global change’ and its ‘Global human rights sanction system’ and the US administration’s plans to rejoin the UN Human Rights Council and to host a Summit for Democracy.

Russia: Divergence and Convergence in Transatlantic Cooperation under the new Biden Administration.

The relations between Western democracies and Russia are increasingly challenging. Notwithstanding the continued need for collaboration with Russia on global issues like arms control, non-proliferation, climate change and fighting terrorism, Russia and the West have become increasingly estranged from each other. They have diverging interpretations of international law, democracy, human rights and security principles. Russia’s discontent with the European security order, its authoritarian turn, and determination to sow division and discontent among Western societies are unlikely to disappear in the near future. Hence, it is vital for the US and the EU to develop a common approach vis-à-vis Russia based on their current assessment of strategic goals, interests and values, and on the need to continue dialogue on certain issues. In the immediate aftermath of the US-EU and US-Russia Summits, how can the EU and US work more effectively together on Russia, increase convergence and limit divergence in transatlantic cooperation? These and other issues will be addressed in our closing transatlantic lecture. Distinguished speakers are Heather A. Conley of the Washington-based think tank CSIS, and Professor Lien Verpoest of KU Leuven. H.E. Jean-Arthur Régibeau, former Belgian Ambassador in Moscow and current Ambassador in the United States, has kindly accepted to moderate the discussion.

Joe Biden’s election as President of the United States presents an opportunity to renew the transatlantic relationship, after four rocky years. The US and Europe cannot of course simply go back and pick up where they left off when Mr. Biden was Vice President. But there is sufficient enthusiasm today to look for a renewed common sense of purpose between partners of first resort. In US-EU relations and within NATO, considerable effort will have to go into rebuilding trust, aligning threat perceptions, breaking down barriers to collaboration, maximizing defense value for money and tackling new and emerging challenges collectively. Today, no problem can be solved successfully by the US alone, by the EU alone or by NATO alone. Yet, today also, Europeans will have to address more forcefully the imbalances of military capabilities and engagements and beef up their responsibilities in the field of security and defense. Are recent EU initiatives up to the job? How could the incoming strategic review in the United States impact on European efforts under way, both within NATO and the EU?

𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀: Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe and former High Representative of the EU for Foreign and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Jim Townsend, for eight years Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and NATO at the Pentagon, currently Senior Fellow at the Washington based Center for a New America Security Nick Witney, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council of Foreign Relations and the first Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency François Arbault, Director of Defence Industry (DEFIS), European Commission 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: Ambassador Dirk Wouters, former Ambassador of Belgium to the United States, and to the European Union, Co-Chair of the America Europe Fund