An Eventful CEPS Summer
About the author: Jaxon Gonzales ’26 is a Global Studies/FSI The Europe Center intern with the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, Belgium. Jaxon is studying Economics at Stanford University.
I don’t think that I could have imagined a more exciting summer to be in Brussels if I tried. Having arrived not long after the EU elections, the stage was already set for some of the most unexpected political moments of the century — not only in Europe but back home as well. A disastrous American presidential debate. The most decisive UK elections in over a decade. Snap elections in France. An assassination attempt on an American presidential candidate. Several ongoing wars. And it’s only been five weeks. The only thing I can say for sure is that I have no idea where things will stand by the time I leave CEPS, but I’m so excited I get to spend the rest of the summer here.
Not only have I found a place where I get to analyze these events in real time, since they are related to our work as a think tank, but I’ve made friends and found coworkers who love to talk about these issues and debate their consequences every day. Living with a few other Stanford interns, I’ve gotten to enjoy Brussels and still feel at home every day. And, despite not speaking French, I’ve had the opportunity to immerse myself in the multitude of cultures that exist in Brussels as a result of it being home to diplomats, policy analysts, and people from all around the world.
Inside of CEPS, I have been exposed to things I knew nothing about, and gotten to deeper my understanding of areas that I already had experience in. Working on a project with the Korea Foundation about green technology synergies between the EU and South Korea, I’ve built on my knowledge of the green transition and energy economics while trying to understand it from a European perspective. Beyond that, I arrived knowing almost nothing about Korea, but halfway through my internship I can tell you quite a bit about their biggest industries, the climate policies, and even their culture. Part of this thanks to my own research but a lot of it thanks to our amazing mentor Fanny, who has really shown me what working at a think tank is like and how to succeed.
And with so many amazing cities a short train or bus away, the weekends here in Brussels have never been boring. From taking the Belgian Rail system to the old town of Ghent, to hopping on a FlixBus and exploring Amsterdam for a night, both the density and diversity of new experiences is much higher than anywhere I’ve been in the US. Even though Brussels is known for its political tilt, Belgium’s smaller towns have been an amazing window into Belgian’s unique culture, where I’ve gotten to try world-renowned Belgian waffles and fries and be surrounded by Flemish. I can’t say I have any complaints about the first half of my internship and my only wish is that the next four weeks are just as fun!
