Programs : Brochure

Analyze Europe’s most pressing sociopolitical and economic challenges—including the war in Ukraine—and how they intersect with issues of mass migration, refugee crises, and the rise of far-right nationalism and populism. You will examine the threat of illiberal democracies on the future of political organizing and evaluate impacts of civic engagement and social movements across different European contexts, where everyday citizens are demanding change.

The program is based in Vienna, an influential diplomatic hub at the intersection of Western, Central, and Eastern European political traditions. From this strategic vantage point, you will examine European perspectives on conflict and democracy through a comparative lens: Austria’s distinctive role in international mediation, Hungary’s experience with democratic backsliding, and Serbia’s post-conflict transformation in the Western Balkans.

In Vienna and during excursions to Budapest and Belgrade, you will engage with policymakers, academics, and civil society actors to learn about an array of political agendas, local activist movements, and regional identities within the shifting power relations of contemporary Europe. This multi-country approach provides you with a nuanced understanding of how different European regions respond to shared challenges of democracy, security and human rights.