Conferences and Events

We marked International Migrants Day through an event dedicated to real stories, lived experiences, and meaningful dialogue about migration, integration, and belonging. Organized together with IOM Romania, Faculty of Political Sciences, and DIM Centre, the event brought to the forefront the voices of migrants living in Romania who, through their own journeys, actively support and empower others in their integration process. Their stories highlighted migration not only as a challenge, but also as a source of resilience, solidarity, and contribution to society. Through personal testimonies, interactive discussions, and a dynamic Q&A session, participants explored migration beyond statistics and policies, focusing instead on people, choices, and the everyday realities of building a new life in a different country. The conversations emphasized the importance of community support, mutual understanding, and inclusive spaces where dialogue can flourish. We reflected on how migrants contribute to social cohesion, cultural diversity, and economic development, and how integration is a shared responsibility that begins with openness and empathy. The event also provided a valuable space for students, academics, practitioners, and community members to connect, exchange ideas, and engage in constructive dialogue on migration and diversity in today’s world. We sincerely thank our speakers for their openness and inspiring contributions, as well as everyone who joined us and enriched the discussion with thoughtful questions and perspectives.

Together, we continue to believe in the power of dialogue, solidarity, and shared human experiences.Moderators: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cristian Pîrvulescu, Dean of the Faculty of Political Science – SNSPA; Mircea Mocanu – Head of the IOM Office – Romania.
Date: December 18, 2025
Time: 5:00 PM
Type of event: Offline conference
Recording available on YouTube: Coming soon.
Supporting information: Presentation.

In September, veteran of EU affairs, Mario Draghi, released his long-awaited report on the state of the Union’s economy. In a world moving away from cooperation to competition, following the Covid pandemic, his predictions are coming chillingly true. Draghi identifies 3 main fields of European action: 1) Technological innovation, 2) The Green Policy and competitiveness, and 3) Increasing security and reducing dependencies. Yet, European corporations have fallen behind in technology and innovation, when compared to their US and PRC counterparts. Unless we can sustain our economic model, Draghi says, we’ll need to make a collective choice to reduce these sectors to 2 or to 1, a scenario in which we will overall lose.                                                                            

Caught between a China on the offensive for imposing its model of centralized planning and an unexpectedly hostile America, which wants to grab as it pleases, how will the European Union act? Will we ‘pull ourselves up by the bootstraps’, toward finding a definitive place in the global economy?

The event was organized with the support of The European Parliament to Campus and the Association of Former MEP’s.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Leslie Huckfield, Socialists’ Member of the European Parliament 1984-1989; now Professor of Economics at the Open University in Scotland

Discussant: Lect. univ. Claudiu Crăciun, Head of the Political Sciences and European Studies Department, Faculty of Political Sciences – SNSPA

Date: March 11^th 2025

Time: 16:00 Bucharest time (GMT+2)

Event type: Hybrid Webinar

YouTube webinar recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWfGna2DWS8.

Support information: agenda, presentation and additional notes.

Moderated by Prof. Dr. Andrei Țăranu, also featuring the presence of Omar Kadkoy (Foreign Policy, Security, and Migration Program Coordinator – Istanbul; Heinrich Böll Stiftung) as keynote speaker, and several guests: Bogdan Dănilă (Chief, Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation Division – Department of Humanitarian Response and Recovery; International Organization for Migration), Prof. Dr. Haldun Yalcinkaya (Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations/ Director; TOBB University, Bodrum Institute), Fatma Yilmaz (expert in gender and minority policies; SNSPA – National University of Political Studies and Public Administration), and Lect. Dr. Claudiu Crăciun (Head of the Political Sciences and European Studies Department; SNSPA – National University of Political Studies and Public Administration).

The webinar brought to the fore current topics and critical challenges for Syria, providing a discussion platform for international experts and participants interested in geopolitical developments in the Middle East. The recording of the event is available here.

Moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cristian Pîrvulescu, also featuring the presence of Prof. Dr. Remus Pricopie (Rector of SNSPA) and several guests: MEP Nicolae Ștefănuță, the Greens/European Free Alliance Group, and MEP Dragoș Tudorache, Renew Europe, Pablo Zapata, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Romania, Simona Marin and Mălina Voicu from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Niculae Cârcu, representative of the Romanian National Council for Refugees, and Prof. Dr. Remus Anghel, migration expert from the Faculty of Political Sciences – SNSPA.

Taking place at a crucial moment for the European Union, preceding the European elections in June 2024, the conference addressed one of the continent’s most pressing challenges: migration and asylum.

This theme, of major importance for Europe’s future, was discussed within a debate supported by renowned experts and Romanian MEPs and revolved around three essential questions:

• What is the European Union doing correctly regarding migration and asylum governance?
• What are the different policy visions regarding migration of Romanian MEPs and migration policy experts?
• What risks does perpetuating a faulty system pose for migrants’ rights and political competition within member states?