Winter School on EU Policy Making

About

The intensive two-week online Winter School on EU Policy Making takes place from Monday 12 January to Friday 23 January 2026. Rooted in the interdisciplinary field of European studies, this Jean Monnet Winter School provides participants a ‘crash course’ in European Union Policy Making, building on the long-standing expertise of the similar (offline) Summer School that the Brussels School of Governance and its partners have organised for more than 20 years. The Winter School is taught fully online, and its 2026 edition focuses on the EU's tech policies, touching on policy discussions related to freedom of expression, data governance, artificial intelligence, disinformation resilience, platform responsibility, and digital development.

This winter programme is a challenging and truly interactive online study experience (workshops, simulation game, etc.) with special attention to the social side. It attracts students and young professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge of the European institutions, European law and the European decision-making process in general. The first week reviews the main EU institutions and decision-making procedures. During the second week students learn more about EU foreign relations.

Target group

The programme is particularly geared towards:
• students of European studies, politics, history, law, economics
• students of other social sciences
• graduates and professionals
• high-level students with at least three years of study
• PhD students
• EU practitioners who wish to broaden their knowledge of the EU

Course aim

The Winter School’s main theme in 2026 is Analysing tech policies in today’s EU.

The first week (12 to 16 January) provides an introduction to the various decision-making actors and key policy areas. The second week (19 to 23 January) offers in-depth knowledge on tech policy making, with a focus on external affairs. Lectures, discussions and exercises will be facilitated by academics and practitioners. Throughout the two weeks, we organise exclusive insight sessions with high-level practitioners from the EU institutions, providing students with firsthand opportunities to learn and interact with policy-makers.

The Winter School also includes a policy simulation exercise where participants work in small groups to negotiate a solution to a tech policy problem in the EU. They are assigned a role and asked to broker political and legislative agreements among EU member states. Upon attendance and active participation in the two-week programme, the participants receive a 6 ECTS certificate for taking part in the Winter School.

Fee info