The Schuman Challenge: Understanding the EU-U.S. Alliance
The inaugural Schuman Challenge was an experience full of surprises and opportunities for me. During an intense three-week period, my teammates and I had the chance to learn about and debate the state of the EU-US alliance in the broader context of the EU Global Strategy. For me personally, it was an opportunity to draw from both my Greek and American identities to understand the alliance that links the EU and the US. My team and I drew inspiration from three landmark anniversaries that celebrate the close historical ties between the EU and the US: the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entrance in World War I, the 70th anniversary of the Marshall Plan, and the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
These events demonstrated to me that ever closer EU-US cooperation is possible and necessary, especially during moments of global turbulence.
The greatest challenge and most engaging aspect of our preparation for the competition was finding a topic agreeable to all team members. My team decided to argue for a joint effort to expand cyber security norms to the countries of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). Though I was constantly reminded of how easy it is to find fault with an idea, I learned that a common vision and willingness to cooperate with your teammates is just as important as the outcome. We went back to the drawing board many times, searching for the best way to present our topic.
But in the end, we discovered that there was no such thing as an optimal solution and that sometimes the most feasible proposal is one that utilizes existing systems with a new or different approach.
Our professors were instrumental throughout the process as they punctured previously held assumptions concerning the feasibility of large-scale change in EU and US foreign policy.
After the Schuman Challenge I combined my interest in EU policy and my area focus on francophone Africa and accepted a Boren Scholarship to study French in Senegal in the upcoming academic year. My experience with EU-US policy in the ENP, however, has led me to think about the influence of that alliance beyond the borders of Europe and the U.S. I hope that my year in Senegal allows me to look at the EU-US alliance through a different lens. The Schuman Challenge gave me the opportunity to explore its strength and to work with a team in crafting a relevant yet exciting proposal. It was truly a challenge to combine feasibility and idealism while creating and presenting a viable proposal for effective EU-US cooperation.
This story is part of the #EUatSchool series, showcasing the wide array of EU educational programs, grants, and competitions open to Americans. From Erasmus+ to Euro Challenge to Kids Euro Festival, each week we’ll publish new stories written by the high schoolers, college students, researchers, and educators who have experienced and benefitted from these programs first-hand. Find new stories on Medium each week.
The Schuman Challenge is an academic competition for undergraduate students from DC-area colleges and universities to engage in rigorous dialogue on transatlantic issues. Student teams, under the guidance of a faculty mentor, analyze the opportunities and challenges for effective transatlantic implementation of one of the five priorities of the EU’s Global Strategy and present and defend their strategy in front of a panel of judges at the EU Delegation. Learn more.
