Within the scope of the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme, the 2022-2023 Academic Year Scholars, who are currently pursuing  their studies in European Union (EU) member  countries and the United Kingdom, gathered at the Brussels Study Visit held between the dates 26-28 April 2023. Representatives from the Project Implementation Department of the Directorate for EU Affairs, the Central Finance and Contracts Unit and the project technical assistance team of the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme also participated in the visit.

Within the scope of the study visit, the scholars were offered the opportunity to meet each other and to create a network among themselves, the EU institutions were introduced and the current situation of Türkiye-EU relations was evaluated.

The programme started with the opening speeches of A. Hakan Atik, Head of Project Implementation Department of the Directorate for EU Affairs, and Seçil Türkmenoğlu, Coordinator of the Grant/Twinning Evaluation Department of the Central Finance and Contracts Unit.

The second day of the programme was hosted at the Permanent Delegation of Türkiye to the EU. Ambassador Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs and Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Permanent Delegate of Türkiye to the EU, presented the opening speeches.

Afterwards, a panel discussion on Türkiye-EU relations was held with the participation of Sergey Lagodinsky, Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Türkiye JPC European Parliament, and Henrike Trautmann, Acting Director in charge of Türkiye and Southern Neighbourhood, under the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the EU Commission. Subsequently, the European Parliament was visited where information was provided about the duties and powers of the Parliament. The second day of the study visit was completed after a dinner hosted by TÜSİAD EU and BusinessEurope Representative Dilek Aydın.

The third day of the programme started with a visit to the European Commission. Information was obtained on the duties and responsibilities of the European Commission, the current status of Türkiye’s EU accession process and the EU’s trade relations with Türkiye.

The Brussels Study Visit ended with a museum visit to the House of European History in the aim of consolidating the scholars’ knowledge  on European history.