The ‘how and why’ of European integration
In this lecture, Mathieu Segers delves into the history underneath the surface of EU's day-to-day policy-making and institutional development. On that deeper level, we find that European integration is not the result of a preconceived plan. Instead, it is drawn from a never-ending ‘battle of ideas’ concerning what Europe may or should become in the future. It is against this backdrop that Segers will discuss EU's current dilemmas, such as Brexit, the euro crisis, and the (geo)political challenges Europe faces in the 21st century. This lecture is about the 'how and why' of European integration in the changing world of today.
Residence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
About the speaker
Mathieu Segers is Professor of Contemporary European History and European Integration at Maastricht University and Dean of University College Maastricht. He has been a Fulbright-Schuman fellow at the Center for European Studies of Harvard University and Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Politics and IR at the University of Oxford. He has held the position of Assistant/Associate Professor of European Integration and International Relations Utrecht University at Utrecht University from 2008-2016.
His research focuses on the history and pre-history of European integration and trans-Atlantic relations, on which he publishes in international scholarly journals of different disciplines. Focusing on the historical roots of the modern EU, Segers is currently interested in the ‘Maastricht order’ (and its outlook) and the origins of the Maastricht Treaty, focussing on the EMU, the European social market economy, and the EU’s position in international politics.
Professor Segers appears regularly as an expert commentator on Dutch television and radio, including Nieuwsuur, 1Vandaag, BNR, Het Filosofisch Kwintet, and Tegenlicht. In addition, he is a columnist for the Dutch daily Het Financieele Dagblad and weekly De Groene Amsterdammer, writes pieces for daily newspapers such as Trouw, De Volkskrant, NRC, and provides expert-input in international media such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, EastWest Magazine, The Economist and The Financial Times.
This lecture is part of traditional series of lectures for alumni; the UM Star Lectures. The other 13 lectures are organized in 13 different cities and 5 countries on the same day at the same time. This event is organized to reach out to and inspire alumni, share academic insights, experiences and memories and to create an interconnected UM Alumni Community.