Summer School on EU Policy Making
A two-week crash course in EU studies
The intensive two-week Jean Monnet Summer School on EU Policy Making, taught on campus, is held one week in Brussels and one week in Lisbon from Monday 29 June to Friday 10 July 2026. This Summer School allows students to experience the institutional centre of the EU, as well as explore its relations with other regions, through an interdisciplinary and critical lens.
The Brussels School of Governance joins forces with NOVA University Lisbon to bring you this ‘crash course’ in European studies and EU policy making. The thematic focus of the 2026 edition is the external dimensions of EU policy making, with policy discussions on trade, development, technology and sustainability, and covering the EU’s relations to other regions.
What you will learn
Packed with interactive seminars and study visits, this Summer School attracts students and young professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge of the European institutions, European law and the European decision-making process.
Week 1 in Brussels reviews the main EU institutions and decision-making procedures.
Week 2 in Lisbon (Campolide campus) provides in-depth insights into the EU’s role in the world, with a focus on its external relations and global leadership.
Learning by doing
The programme has many practical components, allowing participants to work together, debate and apply the knowledge acquired. A highlight is the simulation game on the development of a real-life policy file, enacting intra- and inter-institutional negotiations. Students are assigned alter-ego roles and are coached throughout the programme to effectively ‘play’ the simulation, thereby acquiring hands-on knowledge of EU decision-making processes.
Another key feature is the co-creation foresight workshop, which concludes the course and fosters reflection on the future of EU (external) governance.
Credits and recognition
The Summer School corresponds to 6 ECTS. It also forms part of the Postgraduate Certificate in EU Policy Making, a blended learning programme equivalent to 30 ECTS credits, providing an even deeper insight into a wide range of EU policy areas.
Special benefits for EUTOPIA member students
This Summer School is jointly organised by the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and NOVA University of Lisbon. Both VUB and NOVA are members of the EUTOPIA alliance of European universities. Current students of EUTOPIA member universities and their global partner universities benefit from special tuition reductions