European Horizons

European Horizons

Founder(s)	Melina Sánchez Montañés, Igor Mitschka
Established	February 2015
Focus	Future of the European and Transatlantic Affairs
Executive Director	Laurent Bélanger-Lowe
Members	1100+
Location	Global
Website	europeanhorizons.org

European Horizons is a policy incubator working to foster a stronger transatlantic bond and a more united Europe, which it sees as cornerstones of a future underpinned by democracy, equality, and freedom. The organization was founded at Yale University in 2015.

By bringing together students, young professionals, and notable members of academia, government, and the private sector, European Horizons strives to provide opportunities to engage in a constructive dialogue that will foster a new vision for the future of Europe and transatlantic relations.

The organization is supported by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ Programme.

History

European Horizons was founded on 14 February 2015 at the inaugural European Student Conference (ESC) at Yale University, with the encouragement of policy-makers, such as Pascal Lamy, Tony Blair, David O'Sullivan, and Erhard Busek, and professors, such as David R. Cameron, Jolyon Howorth, and Vivien Schmidt. The participants' policy ideas were referenced in international media, such as on Euractiv in an op-ed with Wolfgang Petritsch and an interview with David O'Sullivan.

Policy Work

European Horizons' policy work is guided by a set of priorities that reflect the most pressing challenges in transatlantic affairs. These priorities play a major role in orienting organization's work — from its publications and one-off events to its annual flagship conferences.

Through preparatory workshops, European Horizons policy experts equip students with policy-writing, analysis, and rhetorical skills — educating and mentoring members to excel in the multifaceted and international arena of policy-making. The organization's Weekly Policy Briefs keep its audiences informed on critical events relevant to European and Transatlantic affairs, empowering them to interact confidently and competently in a fast-changing policy environment.

The organization's current policy priorities are: - NATO and Transatlantic security - Energy and environment - EU and US relations with Asia - Defending European democracy - Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence

In the past, European Horizons has worked on combatting systemic racism, transatlantic relations after the U.S. elections, and defending democracy against cyber threats.

Activities

European Horizons seeks to fulfil its mission through four core pillars of work:

1. Organizing policy-focused, conferences, projects, and workshops.
2. Building a network of chapters, partners, and Alumni.
3. Publishing innovative ideas.
4. Forming a new generation of young transatlantic leaders.

Flagship Conferences

European Horizons organizes several flagship events every year, including the European Student Conference, the European Horizons Policy Competition, and the Fall Policy Workshop.

The annual European Student Conference provides an opportunity to ambitious students and young professionals to share their ideas and vision for transatlantic relations, and engage in debate with notable policy-makers, professors, and decision-makers from civil society and business.

The organization's Policy Competition allows teams of driven students to compete against each other in proposing solutions to a concrete policy problem. In 2021, teams pitched their ideas on how to make New Orleans more climate-resilient to the city's Office of Sustainability and Resilience. In 2022, European Horizons will be taking over Ghent to establish the city as a European Youth Hub by Co-creating a long-lasting policy framework, which can serve as a tool in building Ghent as an authentic & innovative city preparing for its upcoming title of European Youth Capital in 2024. The winning team(s), aided by European Horizons, cooperate with Ghent towards a possible implementation of their policy ideas.

The Fall Policy Workshop is an annual workshop that equips young changemakers with the skills to analyse, understand, and write about policy. Offering something to beginners as well as advanced policy writers, the Fall Policy Workshop empowers participants to take their next step in the policy space — whether this is contributing to the organization's academic journal, winning its Policy Competition, or embarking on a career in policymaking.

European Horizons Delegations

Beyond organizing flagship activities, European Horizons often undertakes political advocacy work, including by sending delegations to critical events in the European and transatlantic space. One of such events was a delegation to European Youth Event, were EuH organised a crisis simulation.

Publications

Publications are home to European Horizons' policy vision. The organization's short-form outlet, Transatlantic Perspectives, gives young leaders a platform to share their thoughts on transatlantic policy with a broad audience and in a digestible format.

The organization also publishes a peer-reviewed academic journal, The Review of European and Transatlantic Affairs (RETA). The journal features contributions from undergraduate and graduate students, scholars, policymakers, and politicians from around the world. The aim of RETA is to foster innovative ideas to address the challenges and possibilities confronting European and transatlantic affairs today.

Network of Chapters, Partners, and Alumni

Located at over 60 universities across 3 continents, chapters form the basis of European Horizons' network of passionate students, prospective policymakers, and aspiring leaders. Every academic year, Chapters pool their resources to organize keynote events, conduct in-depth research projects, and produce op-eds and policy memos.

European Horizons has established a long-term partnership with the Instrat Foundation – a Polish public policy think tank –, which culminated in European Horizons’ first-ever joint contribution to the European Commission’s consultations on the New Competition Tool and the Digital Services Act (DSA). Within the same theme of digital innovation, organization's network has launched its first book in partnership with ASKO Europa-Stiftung, investigating the effects of technology on economics, culture, and politics.

European Horizons has various other partners from Debating Europe, Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen (EAO), and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. The organization has also closely worked with the European Parliament Liaison Office (EPLO) in Washington DC and London.

Since the organization's inception in 2015, students have worked to nurture European Horizons by founding local chapters, organizing the first international European Horizons conferences, forming partnerships, and finding financial backers. Today, the organization's alumni are represented in more than twenty countries on three continents and are engaged in various sectors, from advising governments and major companies to conducting research at world-renowned universities and international institutions.

References

European Horizons, The Huffington Post, Yale University