Spread over the course of two days, featuring over 30 global experts and accommodating over a dozen internationally renowned organisations, this timely event took place one year after Brexit. Reflecting on this first anniversary, this event saw great energy put into discussions from a consortium of fantastic speakers, powered by an abundance of insight and research on EU-UK relations and global challenges such as food security and climate change.
The 2022 NEXTEUK Conference on Global Order and The Future of EU-UK Relations was an opportunity for high-level decision-makers, experts, and scholars to discuss these issues and exchange ideas about the impact of Brexit, the future of EU-UK relations, and Global Order. The panels and policy roundtables – held partly in partnership with the Queen Mary Global Policy Institute - were organised around key topics such as:
This conference was organised by NEXTEUK, a Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence co-funded by the Erasmus+ scheme led by Dr Sarah Wolff, Director of the Centre for European Research, Queen Mary University of London. The event took place with support from Queen Mary Global Policy Institute and the University of London Institute in Paris.
An astute introduction came from a trilogy of speakers.
“A compelling subject which should enable us to navigate the somewhat choppy waters generated by debates around fishing quotas. For the global order demands more bilateral more multilateral cooperation."Professor Colin Grant, Vice Principal (International), Queen Mary University of London whose welcome address set the tone for proceedings.
Dr Valsamis Mitsilegas, Dean for Europe, Queen Mary University of London provided a narrative for proceeding discussions.
He identified two challenges to EU-UK cooperation in criminal justice:
1. Will the EU keep prioritising UK operational requests?
2. How far the UK will diverge from EU standards in data protection and human rights?
Dr Sarah Wolff, NEXTEUK, Queen Mary University of London highlighted that this event acted as a hub to bring together a range of stakeholders such as academics and policymakers.
Watch the opening speeches in full:
How can we look to improve relations in future years? Welcome speeches from ambassadors past and present provided notable insight.
“In a world facing more disorder than order it becomes more important we cooperate closely”
Sylvie Bermann, President of the Board of Directors of the IHEDN, former French Ambassador to the UK
Menna Rawlings, British Ambassador to France spoke eloquently about Franco-British relations, in that they are about mutual trust and shared values.
“Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction."
Read her thoughts post-event:
Watch the opening addresses in full:
Following introductions and welcome, the remaining format for this event consisted of a variety of roundtables and discussions which you can watch below:
In this opening roundtable, an emphasis on rebuilding relations was key.
"Cooperation can take place through multiple fora" - Jean-Marc Vigilant, Director, Ecole de Guerre
Watch this roundtable in full:
Speakers:
Moderator: Sarah Wolff, Director of the Center for European Research, NEXTEUK Principal Investigator, Queen Mary University of London.
Alice Pannier, Head of the Geopolitics of Technology Program, Institut français des relations internationals
Jean-Marc Vigilant, Director, Ecole de Guerre
Dr Violeta Moreno-Lax, Full Professor of Law, Queen Mary University of London
Paul Taylor, Columnist for POLITICO, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe
Dr Valsamis Mitsilegas, Dean for Europe, Queen Mary University of London
Encompassing four different areas, Chair Dr Valsamis Mitsilegas, QMUL oversaw a discussion that brought to life a number of solutions and best practise for conceptualising reengagement.
This included:
The Discussant for this event was Nicholas Wright, Univ. of Surrey.
The chair for this panel, Fernando Barrio, Academic Lead for Resilience and Sustainability, Queen Mary Global Policy Institute, introduced a wide range of topics into this discussion via an assorted panel. Speakers and topics included:
The Discussant for this event was Ragnar Weilandt, KU Leuven.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Khetsiwe Khumalo emphasized that climate change is a threat multiplier and that food security, already exposed to climate change, has been further damaged by COVID-19.
Speakers included:
Moderator: Fernando Barrio, Academic Lead for Resilience and Sustainability, Queen Mary Global Policy Institute
Lea Perekrests, Deputy Director of Operations for Europe & MENA, Institute for Economics and Peace in Brussels
Ana Coelho, Programme Coordinator, Centre for Sustainability Research of FGV Brazil
Khetsiwe Khumalo, Climate Change Programme Coordinator at Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Eswatini
Watch this panel in full:
Recap on the event in full:
For media information, contact: