Welcome to European Union Week, a unique format for exchange, inspiration, and fresh impulses on the future of Europe. The TUM School of Management, together with leading universities from across Europe, is organizing a hybrid event week featuring exciting lectures, interactive panels, and concise contributions.
Valuable voices from politics, business, and society come together to discuss the key issues of our time. The goal is to create an open format in which Europe’s central topics can be jointly experienced, discussed, and critically examined.
The format takes place both on-site at participating universities and online, and is explicitly aimed at everyone interested in Europe’s future
We are delighted to welcome EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall to the TUM Main Campus as part of this year’s EU Week. in an event co-organized with TUM Speakers Series.
Under the title “Circular by Design” Commissioner Roswall will highlight how water‑related research and innovation are becoming central drivers of Europe’s resilience, competitiveness, and security. She will illustrate how environmental policy is evolving from a purely protective instrument into a strategic economic advantage—and how this shift is shaping the innovation landscape of tomorrow.
Experience firsthand how European environmental policy is shaping the future and creating new momentum for research, technology, and industry. Don’t miss this exciting event on 4 May 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. - either in the Immatrikulationshalle or online.
The event will be opened by Prof. Dr. Joachim Henkel, followed by a welcome by TUM Executive Vice President Prof. Dr. Claudia Peus. After the Commissioner’s keynote, TUM Speakers Series will interview our guest. Q&A concludes the event.
Photocredits: European Union, 2024
Alexander Braun - SVP Digitalization & IT Systems, CIO, TUM
Cristina Caffarra - Founder and Lead, EuroStack
Niko Groeneweg - CTO Computable Contracts, AXA Group Operations
Joachim Henkel - Professor, TUM School of Management (moderation)
European Digital Sovereignty: How do we get there?
May 5, 2026 | 6:00 – 7:30 PM
TUM Main Campus, Audimax & Online
The program for EU Week 2026 is now live, with numerous highlights scheduled from May 4–8, 2026. Organized in collaboration with partner universities, the event will be held in a hybrid format, enabling participation in person and online.
→ Recorded Seminar
A Constitutional Moment for the European Union
In a landmark ruling on 21 April, the European Court of Justice delivered its opinion in Case C-769/22 Commission v Hungary (Valeurs de l’Union). The Court held that the EU’s foundational values in Article 2 TEU can be directly enforced before it. It also ruled that Member States’ national identities must be protected, but only insofar as they comply with Article 2 TEU.
In a case law seminar with students from four Master’s programs in law, EU affairs, and political science, Senior Lecturer in Business Law Dr Joakim Zander discusses the ruling and its legal and symbolic implications for the European Union.
Joakim Zander - Senior Lecturer in EU and International Trade Law
Watch the recording of the seminar here
Organised by Lund University
→ Past Event
Artificial Intelligence and Future Policies: Opportunities, Challenges and the Impact of the AI Act
Miriam D’Arrigo - Legal and Policy Officer at the Artificial Intelligence Office – Artificial Intelligence Regulation and Compliance, European Commission
Event language: Italian
Organised by POLIMI School of Management
→ 01:00 – 02:00 p.m. CEST, TUM Main Campus (Immatrikulationshalle) & Online
Circular by Design: How the EU Is Turning Environmental Policy into Competitive Advantage
How water related research and innovation is key to European Resilience, Competitiveness and Security.
Jessika Roswall - Commissioner for Environment, Resilient Water Supply and Competitive Circular Economy
Opening by Prof. Dr. Joachim Henkel, welcome by TUM Executive Vice President Prof. Dr. Claudia Peus, Interview by TUM Speaker Series.
Event language: English
Online Participation Link coming soon
Organised by TUM School of Management & TUM Speakers Series
→ 12:15 – 01:30 p.m. CEST, Kozminski University Campus & Online
In defence of Eurobonds
The lecture examines the case for Eurobonds as a means to finance strategic EU public goods, including defence. It discusses how shared fiscal resources could enhance the Union’s strategic capacity while supporting economic stability, convergence, and growth.
Paul van den Noord – Professor, University of Amsterdam
Event language: English
Organised by Kozminski University
→ 06:00 – 07:30 p.m. CEST, TUM Main Campus (Audimax) & Online
European Digital Sovereignty: How do we get there?
Alexander Braun - Senior Vice President Digitalization and IT Systems and Chief Information Officer, TUM
Cristina Caffarra - Founder and Lead, EuroStack
Niko Groeneweg - CTO Computable Contracts, AXA Group Operations
Joachim Henkel - Professor, TUM School of Management (moderation)
Event language: English
Organised by TUM School of Management
→ 09:00 a.m. CEST, Online
Europe Under Pressure: Energy, War, and the Collapse of Certainty
The keynote analyses how the war in Ukraine and rising tensions involving Iran are converging into a complex crisis for Europe. It highlights the growing pressure on European security and energy stability, arguing that resilience, strategic autonomy, and decisive action are now essential in an era of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
Rares Burlacu - President, Romanian Agency for Investments and Foreign Trade / Former Advisor, Government of Quebec
Event language: English
Online Participation Link coming soon
Organised by Bucharest University of Economic Studies
→ 12:00 – 01:30 p.m. CEST, Kozminski University Campus & Online
Innovation in the EU: From excellent science to an innovative Europe
The seminar reviews Europe’s innovation performance across research, development, startups, and commercialization. It discusses why a European innovation policy is needed, examines current measures, and explores what comes next – including challenges in startup growth and financing, such as the proposed EU Inc. and the Savings and Investment Union.
Joachim Henkel - Professor, TUM School of Management
Event language: English
Organised by TUM School of Management
→ 03:30 - 05:00 p.m. CEST, Esade Barcelona Campus & Online
Affordable Housing: What Can the EU do to Tackle the Housing Crisis in Europe?
Institutional Welcome:
Mònica Reig, Associate Director, EsadeGov, Center for the Public Governance
Keynote Speech:
Matthew Baldwin - Deputy Director General of DGENER & Head of the Housing Task Force at the European Commission (online)
Panel:
Matthew Baldwin - Deputy Director General of DGENER & Head of the Housing Task Force at the European Commission (online)
Felipe Carozzi - Associate Professor of Urban Economics and Economic Geography, LSE (online)
Eduard Cabré - Senior Housing Policy Advisor, Barcelona City Council
Jorge Galindo - Director, EsadeEcPol, Center for Economic Policy (Moderator)
Closing Remarks:
Jorge Castiñeira - Dean, Esade Law School
Event language: English
Organised by EsadeEcPol and EsadeGov
→ 06:00 - 08:00 p.m. CEST,
Heilbronn, Bildungscampus 6, Conferencing Area (2. OG) / register here & online
Local Climate and Environment Action
EU climate policy, EU urban policy including European Green Capital Award, local climate and environmental action
Prof. Dr. Ali Sunyaev - Vice President TUM Campus Heilbronn
Prof. Dr. Andrea Wechsler - Member of the European Parliament (MEP)
Andreas Ringle - Mayor of Heilbronn in charge of building, planning, housing and environment
Prof. Dr. Miranda Schreurs - Chair of Climate and Environmental Policy, TUM
Dr. Stefan Seidendorf - Franco-German-Institute (dfi)
Dominik Grillmayer - Franco-German-Institute (dfi)
Student contributions, emanting from the workshop on the same day
Event language: English
As a part of the TUM Europe Dialogue Series 2026
Organised by TUM Campus Heilbronn
→ 10:15 - 11:45 a.m. CEST, Kozminski University Campus & Online
What makes countries rich and what keeps them poor: lessons from the European growth champion
Marcin Piatkowski - Professor of Economics at Kozminski University, Program Leader at the World Bank, New Delhi
Event language: English
Organised by Kozminski University
→ 04:00 - 05:30 p.m. CEST,
Corvinus University & Online
Hungary’s Position in the European Union: Opportunities and Challenges
The panel discussion addresses Hungary’s relationship with the European Union in a time of global polycrisis. It explores the EU’s role and competitiveness on the world stage, the need for possible institutional reforms, the balance between cooperation and sovereignty, and the implications of recent elections for Hungary’s position within the Union.
Péter Balázs - Professor at CEU, former Commissioner
László Andor - FEPS Secretary General, former Commissioner
Tibor Navracsics - Minister for Regional Development and Public Administration, former Commissioner
Event language: English
Organised by Corvinus University of Budapest
→ 10:00 a.m. CEST, Online
Time for a new Pax Europaea: Challenges and Opportunities
The keynote examines how war, energy shocks, and shifting global alliances are reshaping Europe’s economic development, highlighting the move toward resilience, strategic autonomy, and new growth models under rising geopolitical pressure.
Clara Volintiru - State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania / Associate Professor, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Event language: English
Organised by Bucharest University of Economic Studies
→ 03:00 - 04:30 p.m. CEST, Estonian Business School & Online
Eurocentrism in Management Studies
A lecture exploring the influence of Hofstede’s and Schwartz’s value models on debates about the universality of business culture, including their methodological foundations and measurement approaches.
Laur Lilleoja - Rector of the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary and Former Bolt Finance Analyst; Researcher at ESS/RECSM
Event language: English
Organised by Estonian Business School
→ 12:30 - 02:00 p.m. CEST, POLIMI Campus & Online
Measuring strategic dependencies: a quantitative assessment for Europe
As geopolitical tensions rise, Europe’s dependence on external suppliers for critical resources—such as energy, semiconductors, rare earths, and pharmaceuticals—creates major economic and security risks. This seminar presents a quantitative framework to assess Europe’s strategic dependencies and its exposure to key suppliers.
Michela Nardo - Deputy Head of the Economic and Financial Resilience Unit. European Commission-Joint Research Centre
Event language: English
Organised by POLIMI School of Management
Peace, human rights, the rule of law, social security, freedom of movement, academic freedom – in many parts of the world, none of this can be taken for granted. In the European Union, however, these values are a lived reality.
The EU is not perfect. But it is a historic success story that has improved the daily lives of millions of people – often without us even noticing:
27 countries, one voice. As a Union, Europe negotiates with the world on equal terms.
But the future of Europe is not guaranteed. It depends on people staying informed, speaking up, and helping to shape it. Brexit shows: when young people don’t vote, others decide their future.
Since 2025, a Blended Intensive Program (BIP) has been an integral part of the EU Week. This one‑week course combines on‑site sessions with online learning and is funded by the Erasmus+ program. Successful participation can be credited with 3 ECTS.
Next edition: 4–8 May 2026, Kozminski University, Warsaw
This year’s Blended Intensive Program takes place during the EU Week and is hosted by Kozminski University in Warsaw. Under the theme “Strengthening European Competitiveness: Innovation and Sustainability Bootcamp,” the program brings together around 70 selected master’s students from 6 EU Week partner universities.
Participating Universities:
Bucharest University of Economic Studies // Estonian Business School // Kozminski University // POLIMI School of Management // TUM School of Management // University of Amsterdam
More Info: International Exchange Programs
The event took place in a hybrid format (in-person and online) from May 12th to May 16th, 2025. It was jointly organized with TUM Speakers Series, HEC Paris, HEC Débats, Kozminski University, POLIMI School of Management, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Estonian Business School, Vlerick Business School, ESADE, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, and Corvinus University of Budapest.
Watch a greeting from EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola:
"New Energy in the New World" was an event aiming at emphasizing the role of the European Union and its impact on the environment.
The main speaker at the meeting was Dr. Michał Kurtyka, former Minister of Climate and Environment and former President of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.
The honorable guest was Prof. Joachim Henkel, Vice-Dean for Research at TUM School of Management.
Prof. Corine Defrance, französische Historikerin, hat sich in ihrer Forschung und Lehre auf die deutsche Geschichte und die deutsch-französischen Beziehungen nach 1945 spezialisiert. In Ihrem Vortrag am 17. Juni 2024 ging es um die etwa 20.000 Städtepartnerschaften, die es heute in Europa gibt. Diese Praxis hat sich seit Ende der 1950er Jahre auf dem Kontinent stark ausgebreitet vor allem in Westeuropa, aber auch im Osten und zwischen den Städten der Blöcke während des Kalten Krieges. Ihre Geschichte ermöglicht es, die internationalen Beziehungen „von unten“ zu betrachten. Andererseits stellt sich die Frage: wie lebendig sind unsere Städtepartnerschaften heute?
This event was held in German.
The European Union Week 2023 took place from May 8 - May 12, 2023 in a hybrid format (in-person and online). As in earlier years, its goal was to celebrate the European Union and to inform our students and the wider public about it.
The European Union Week 2023 was jointly organized with TUM Speakers Series, HEC Paris, HEC Débats, Kozminski University and our new partner POLIMI Graduate School of Management.
Mr. Weber was our 2023 keynote speaker at TUM and shared valuable insights on the future of Europe.
The European Union Week 2022 took place from May 9-12, 2022 in a hybrid format (in-person and online) and was organized by the TUM School of Management, together with the TUM Speakers Series, HEC Paris, HEC Débats and our new partner Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego (Kozminski University). At the kick-off event of the EU Week Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, presented the priorities of the forthcoming European Innovation Agenda and the new European higher education strategy during a visit to TUM. The Commissioner emphasized the role of talents and deep-tech startups for the future of Europe. Please find the video of the whole speech below.
As part of the European Union Week 2021, the TUM School of Management, in cooperation with the HEC Paris and the student associations TUM Speakers Series and HEC Débats, organized a three-day conference, which took place for the very first time in an online format from May 10 – 12, 2021. Each of the conference days addressed a major topic of contemporary relevance for the European continent and aimed to inform students all over Europe about the state of the European Union, ultimately providing a perspective about the EU’s present and future.
We believe that grasping the unique historical dimensions of the EU is essential in order to secure our shared future. At the heart of the events lies our commitment to the continuation of a single, united Europe.
The European Union Week 2019: May 6-10
The European Union Week 2018: May 14-17
The European Union Week 2017: June 3-7
