30th International Summer University – Official video – June 22-27, 2025, Kőszeg, Hungary

THE BIG (E)U-TURN: Geopolitical Crossroads and the Future of the European Peace Project – In 2025 the 30th International Summer University is jointly organized by the Institute of Advanced Studies Kőszeg (iASK) in cooperation with the Institute of Social and European Studies (ISES), and the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainability of Kőszeg under the patronage of the Hungarian Commission for UNESCO.

Interconnected global transformations are intensifying, driving a deepening geopolitical crisis that may cause the collapse of the rules-based international order. As a result, the European Union, the herald of the European dream and Nobel Peace Prize Laurate in 2012, faces its greatest challenge yet. In order to reach geo-strategic autonomy by reducing its military reliance on the U.S., and energy independence vis-a-vis Russia, the EU must confront internal divisions, and fragmented military potential, while striving to re-militarize under a unified command. A critical challenge lies in how Europe can strategically leverage its tools and resources to enhance its global influence while reintegrating its scattered “pieces” into a more cohesive and resilient whole.

This year's topics include:

-Geostrategic autonomy from the U.S. for the EU; economic and political challenges faced by the EU from China, Russia and the U.S. Can NATO function without the U.S.? Can Europe deter Russia alone? UN80: Challenges for the UN and the European Union in a rapidly changing world.

-EU enlargement: Promises made to the Western Balkans, their protests and challenges. Envisioning 2030! Will the EU and the Western Balkans miss or make the moment? Scenarios: Fatigue and disengagement, more unity and accelerated enlargement or strategic recalibration?

-How can civic spaces, collective action and horizontal actors contribute to a better future? Can the media contribute to transparency, and constructive debate in reshaping political and social change for the better?