Two J-School students visit European Union headquarters in Brussels

A pair of J-School students were invited to participate in a press visit to the European Union Headquarters in Brussels this spring for a week-long overview of the EU’s political institutions and EU-US relations. Throughout the week, Boyer and Manuel toured Parliament in the European capital; they attended a press briefing at the European Commission; and they met with working journalists from the US and Europe.

“The highlight of the trip was getting to sit in the daily briefing of the European Commission,” said Manuel. “It made me feel like a member of the international press. Plus, it was my first multi-language press conference, so listening to live translation while the original language is being spoken in the room was very different.”

The trip was organized by the EU Delegation in Washington with the goal of familiarizing American journalism students with EU policies and transatlantic relations. Boyer and Manuel were joined by 13 other graduate students who are studying at schools from around the country.

The students were briefed on some of the most pressing issues facing Europe, including climate change, terrorism, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and efforts to establish a transatlantic free trade and investment program. The students also visited Reuters’ Brussels bureau, and they met with journalists from the BBC, the Economist, and the Wall Street Journal.

“Going on this trip gave me access to people and places that are normally off limits,” said Manuel. “I now have a rich and detailed understanding of issues going on in Europe, how they affect us, and what stories can be told from the EU.”