KOREA-EU-NATO Next Generation Policy Experts Network

The 2024 KOREA-EU-NATO NextGen Program is a unique experience for early career scholars and policy experts specializing in Korean and East Asian affairs that provides participants with opportunities to engage in discussions with leading policy makers and scholars specializing in Korean and East Asian affairs and the role that the EU and NATO can play on the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific, through a series of in-person and online seminars and conferences. Our project  aims to encourage participants to produce policy-oriented research on East Asia, particularly on the Korean peninsula, and make relevant connections between the European Union and Korea as well as NATO and Korea so as to build future collaborative activities among participants and ROK policy makers on the distinctive role that the EU and NATO can play in strengthening Korean security and in supporting the ROK’s foreign policy objectives.

The program is organized by the Asia Institute thanks to the generous support of the Korea Foundation and will be supported by an advisory committee of distinguished European and Korean advisers with experience in academia, government, and the media sector. Alongside a series of expert seminars, the program will offer dedicated training on how to produce an academic paper and a policy analysis with focus on the topics covered by the program.

All costs related to the participation in the program will be covered.

Program Goals:

• Creating and consolidating a European network of early career researchers and specialists who will provide relevant contributions for Korea-EU-NATO relations;
• Providing participants with opportunities to deepen their knowledge on Korea-related issues and on the potential of Korea-EU and Korea-NATO relations;
• Mentoring and supporting participants for the production of policy-oriented research focused on Korea and East Asian affairs;
• Encouraging future collaborative research teams and projects among participants.

Program Activities:

In-person:

• Kick-off meeting in Bologna on 15 March 2024. Introduction of participants and active engagement with leading scholars and experts through roundtables, presentations and discussions focusing on Korea, on the analysis of the political situation in the Indo-Pacific region and on Korea-EU-NATO relations;
• Group visit to Brussels (EU institutions and NATO headquarters) in early September 2024 with the opportunity to meet and interact with NATO and EU officials dealing with Korea and Asia;
• Final Conference in Bologna in December 2024 with panel presentations of participants, experts and scholars from Europe and from Korea involved in the project as well as ROK policy makers based in Italy and in Brussels.

All travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

Online:

• Six academic conferences with invited experts and scholars from Korea and Europe aimed at providing participants with useful insights and information about the main issues and topics involving Korea and its relations within the Indo-Pacific region and with EU/NATO.
• Two special seminars: the first on EU-Korea relations, given by a senior EU policy maker, and the second on NATO-Korea relations, given by a former NATO Assistant Secretary-General;
• Three workshops: one on academic writing, one on policy-oriented writing and one with journalists and media experts on news reporting about Korea

Program Eligibility

• Graduate students, post-doc researchers, trainees, faculty in the early stages of their career, young professionals in business, politics and media;
• Professional interest in Korea and/or East Asian affairs;
• Residents of a member state of the EU and/or NATO (excluding US and Canada).

NEXTGEN PROGRAM INVITED SPEAKERS: