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Nora Fernandez Fernandez
Next Monday, May 8, the Rey Juan Carlos University is organizing a cycle of University Conferences on the role of the European Union as an autonomous and global actor on the international scene.
According to Elena Díaz, professor of International Relations at the URJC and director of the seminar, "the general purpose of the event is to publicize and disseminate the principles and values of the European Union, especially in the field of security."
The sessions will take place in the Hall of Degrees of Departmental I of the Fuenlabrada campus and will cover the whole day, from 09:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m., with a break for lunch. Apart from Elena Díaz, the professor of Public International Law and International Relations, Lucía Mantecón Díaz, has been a key piece in coordinating the seminar.
After the first edition of the event, held last year, this year the activity is part of "the contribution of the Community of Madrid within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the European Council", according to Díaz.
The seminar, promoted by the Community of Madrid, the Carlos III University of Madrid and the URJC, "will address different topics going from the general to the particular", as indicated by its director. “First of all, we will deal with the evolution and characteristics of the EU security policy and the advances in integration. Next, we will address the geopolitical and geostrategic framework in Europe for the implementation of a joint security policy; the threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and European policies in the fight against international terrorism”, Díaz qualifies.
On the other hand, the issue of the war in Ukraine will be very present, being of great interest to the European community. To this end, the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) between the EU and NATO will be discussed, as well as investment in the defense industry to face the new challenges of the European Union in terms of security integration.
During the conference, several professors from the URJC and the Carlos III University will participate, as well as experts in security and defense issues from the European Union itself.
The event was attended by María Luisa Humanes, Vice-Rector for International Relations of the URJC, and the General Director of Cooperation with the State and the EU of the Community of Madrid, José Francisco Herrera Antonaya.
As the director of the seminar, Elena Díaz, points out, "the value provided by these conferences is a fairly complete vision of the European reality in terms of security, taking into account what is happening in the invasion of Ukraine." This seminar, she continues, "contributes to strengthening the significance of the European Union as a global player in international relations."
These University Conferences are intended for URJC International Relations students, although the event is open to the entire university community until full capacity is reached. The seminar will have 8 thematic presentations and 0,4 ECTs will be awarded to URJC students who attend as assistants. The full program can be found at the following link: The creation of a singular security area by the European Union