In This Story
During a weeklong residency in Brussels, Schar School of Policy and Government master’s and undergraduate students participated in an intensive study-abroad course examining the future of NATO and U.S.–European Union relations—at a moment of unusual uncertainty for the transatlantic alliance.
The course was led in January by Professor Ellen Laipson, director of the Schar School’s Master of International Security program, and brought George Mason University students face to face with diplomats, military officers, policymakers, and analysts working at the center of European and transatlantic affairs.
“The weeklong residency offered students an unparalleled opportunity to engage directly with the institutions and actors shaping transatlantic security and diplomacy,” said Michal McElwain Malur, the Schar School’s director of external programs. “There is no substitute for seeing these institutions up close and engaging directly with the people who work within them.”
This class, she said, “offers students a powerful lens for better understanding.”
Brussels, the capital of the EU and headquarters of NATO, served as the program’s base, but the experience extended beyond the city. Students traveled to Mons for meetings with Polish and U.S. military officers at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), and to Ghent for a day of culture in one of Belgium’s historic university cities.
The itinerary reflected the course’s dual focus: understanding how institutions function and appreciating the political, historical, and cultural context in which they operate.
The timing of the residency was especially consequential. As Russia’s war against Ukraine continues and the United States signals shifting strategic priorities, students examined how NATO is adapting to new operational demands and how European allies are strengthening defense capabilities while pursuing greater strategic autonomy.
For many, the visit to SHAPE brought abstract concepts to life. “Being inside SHAPE made NATO feel real,” one student said. “We learned how, with strategy and coordination, the alliance comes together in practice.”
The course also explored the EU’s expanding role in global security alongside its longstanding economic and trade influence. Through briefings at the European Parliament, European Commission, European External Action Service, and leading policy think tanks, students analyzed how the EU approaches strategic competition, migration, energy transitions, and emerging technologies—and how its relationship with the United States continues to evolve.
A visit to the Flemish Parliament offered additional insight into Belgium’s complex federal system, highlighting the interplay between national and regional governance.
“Visiting the European Parliament, the European Commission, and then the U.S. Mission to the EU were highlights of the course,” another student reflected. “It helped me better understand where Europe is headed.”
George Mason partnered with KU Leuven for the program, giving students the opportunity to stay in a medieval university town while studying contemporary global challenges. Participants received a Certificate of Completion from the Irish College Leuven.
By the end of the week, students returned to Northern Virginia with a deeper understanding of collective defense, diplomacy, and institutional decision-making—and with a clearer sense of how NATO and the EU must continue to evolve to meet 21st-century challenges.
The Schar School will offer the course again in January 2027. More information on Schar School study-abroad opportunities is available at this website.