Brussels School of Governance

Congratulations to Dr Berdak Bayimbetov on the successful defence of his PhD thesis on 19 June, titled “The Influence of Russian Information Operations on the Security Policies of Central Asian Countries: A Case Study of the Russia–Ukraine Conflict.”

His research was supervised by Prof. Emeritus Dr Luk Van Langenhove and Prof. Dr Katia Segers.

We warmly congratulate Dr Bayimbetov on this significant academic achievement and wish him every success in his future endeavours. 👏

🌍 What role should the European Union play in an increasingly multipolar world?

Join the opening panel discussion of the Jean Monnet Summer School on EU Policy Making as leading scholars explore the challenges and opportunities facing the EU in a rapidly changing global order.

📅 29 June 2026
🕒 15:30–16:45

We are delighted to welcome:
• Jamal Shahin (Brussels School of Governance / University of Amsterdam / Universiteit van Amsterdam / UNU-CRIS)
• Jan Orbie (Universiteit Gent / UNU-CRIS / Chengdu University of Technology)
• Maxine David (Leiden University)

Moderated by:
• Trisha Meyer (Brussels School of Governance)
• Orsolya Gulyás (Brussels School of Governance)

The discussion will address the EU’s role in a newly emerging multipolar world order and offer critical perspectives on the future of European policy-making.

📍 Register now: https://www.brussels-school.be/output/events/jean-monnet-summer-school-opening-panel-prepare-or-repair-eu-new-multipolar-world

🎓 Congratulations to Dr Gaia Romeo!

The Brussels School of Governance is proud to announce that, on 10 June 2026, Gaia Romeo successfully defended her PhD thesis, "Apeirohedron: The Implementation of the EU Safe Third Country Policy in Greece (2016–2024)".

Her doctoral research was supervised by Professors Florian Trauner and Kristin Henrard. The PhD jury included Professors Ilke Adam, Omar N. Cham, Katerina Glyniadaki, Federica Infantino and Iman Lechkar, and was chaired by Professor Sebastian Oberthür.

We warmly congratulate Dr Romeo on this remarkable achievement and wish her every success in the next chapter of her academic and professional journey. 👏

🤝 Prof. Dr. Jürgen Dieringer met with Albania’s National Agency for the Information Society (AKSHI) to discuss the country’s digital transformation and its growing role in AI-driven public administration.

The exchange covered AI applications in public services, procurement, data analysis, and process automation, highlighting Albania’s citizen-centred approach to modern governance.

BSoG is pleased to contribute to international dialogue on digital governance and AI innovation.

We are delighted to announce that the article “Flexilateralism in EU Trade Policy: The Case of Aviation Fuels in the Hardening Environmental Trade Instruments” by Professor Harri Kalimo, Simon Happersberger and Eleanor Mateo has been shortlisted for the 2025 Best Article Prize by the journal Transnational Environmental Law (TEL).

Harri Kalimo is Professor, Jean Monnet Chair and Co-Director of the 3E (Environment, Economy and Energy) Research Centre at the Brussels School of Governance. His co-authors, Simon Happersberger and Eleanor Mateo, are PhD Researchers at the same research centre.

👏 Warmest congratulations to Harri, Simon and Eleanor on this well-deserved achievement!

📖 Read the full article, available open access: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/transnational-environmental-law/article/flexilateralism-in-eu-trade-policy-the-case-of-aviation-fuels-in-the-hardening-environmental-trade-instruments/CFE4B0F96BBC49216FA073029A8A8163

Article by BSoG researchers shortlisted for 2025 TEL Best Article Prize the article “Flexilateralism in EU Trade Policy: The Case of Aviation Fuels in the Hardening Environmental Trade Instruments” has been shortlisted for the 2025 Best Article Prize.

Migration information campaigns have become a prominent component of EU and Member State efforts to control irregularised migration before migrants reach EU borders. As a form of ‘soft’ border control, these campaigns seek to influence migration-related perceptions and decisions by informing potential migrants about opportunities at home, the dangers of the migration route, and the difficulties of life in Europe.

This BIRMM policy brief, written by Dr Omar N Cham, challenges the assumptions underlying these campaigns and unpacks how migration decisions are shaped by different factors of influence, of which information is only one element.

Beyond Information: How Religious Beliefs Shape Migration Decision-Making Policy brief by Dr Omar N. Cham