WEASA

🎓 Success story of Ketevan Kukava: From Natolin Fellowship to Doctoral Research in University College Dublin / @ucddublin We’re excited to share the remarkable journey of Ketevan Kukava, who joined the Natolin Fellowship Programme through the #EU4Youth initiative. The Natolin Fellowship Programme significantly broadened Ketevan's knowledge and strengthened her confidence to pursue an academic career at University College Dublin, a top-ranked global institution. 🗣 “Currently I am a PhD researcher at University College Dublin. The Natolin Fellowship Programme influenced my professional direction by deepening my understanding of EU integration with significant legal, institutional, and societal implications. It also helped me go beyond institutional frameworks to focus on how integration affects people’s daily lives”, - shares Ketevan. Now Ketevan is a part of the RIGHTS-TO-UNITE project as a doctoral researcher. This initiative explores how citizens can exercise substantive rights derived from the EU, focusing on three dimensions of integration: economic, social, and digital rights. 🔗 Read the full article on @euneighbours website: euneighbourseast.eu/news/stories/g… The Natolin Fellowship Programme was carried out with the financial support of the European Union & @LithuaniaMFA as part of and in the framework of the project EU4YOUTH – Phase III Youth Employment, and Entrepreneurship programme Scholarship Scheme for Eastern Partners at the College of Europe in Natolin. @CPMALithuania

Check out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe. neweasterneurope.eu/2025/09/27/iss…

📢The call for #WEASA2025 P2P Professional Meetings is now OPEN! Are you ready to reconnect with your WEASA network? This is your opportunity to visit fellow alumni, share insights, and initiate new collaborations. 📅 Apply by 21.09 | More info ➡️ weasa.org

The 13th Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy (@weasa_natolin) brought together nearly 30 mid-career professionals from Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, equipping them with fresh skills, perspectives, and connections to navigate the evolving digital, democratic, and transatlantic landscapes. 🎥 Watch the highlights below!👇 @gmfus

🎓 The 13th edition of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy / @weasa_natolin has proven to be a deeply insightful and enriching experience. This year, we welcomed around 30 exceptional mid-career professionals from Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus, who are now equipped with new skills, tools, and perspectives to navigate the evolving digital, democratic, and transatlantic landscapes. This would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our long-standing partners: the Polish American Freedom Foundation and the German Marshall Fund of the United States / @gmfus. Their commitment to fostering dialogue, leadership, and democratic resilience in the region continues to shape the future of WEASA.

We wrapped up the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy / @weasa_natolin with a dynamic Oxford Debate 🗣️ on the motion: “This House believes that foreign interference, not internal weakness, is the main cause of democratic backsliding in the Eastern Partnership”. Both sides presented compelling arguments, so compelling, in fact, that the debate ended in a draw. A true reflection of the complexity of the challenges facing the region. 🎓 The day concluded with a Closing Ceremony, marking the end of an inspiring week of learning, collaboration, and exchange. 💡 As part of the final program, Tatevik Hovhannisyan / @tatevik_arm, WEASA Project and Communications Officer, introduced the WEASA Alumni Network, showing participants how to stay connected, engaged, and empowered beyond the Academy. The final note of #weasa2025 was the traditional family photo: an illustration of new beginnings and the start of the next chapter.

Day 5 of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy / @weasa_natolin began with a practical workshop 🛠 on "Disinformation, Democracy, and Elections", led by @JakubSzymik, Founder of CEE Digital Democracy Watch. Participants explored how disinformation campaigns shape public opinion and how democratic systems can build resilience against them. 🌍 In the afternoon, participants joined a panel discussion on “Global Threats to Security: A Multipolar World and Rising Powers” featuring: 🔹 Adam Balcer, Programme Manager, College of Eastern Europe / @KolegiumWroclaw 🔹 @Tiziano_Marino, Head of the Asia-Pacific Unit, Centro Studi Internazionali The conversation spotlighted how emerging powers, such as China, India, Iran, and Turkey, are influencing the future of Eastern Partnership countries through shifting alliances, strategic influence, and expanding geopolitical reach.

The participants of the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy / @weasa_natolin began the day with an eye-opening session led by Giorgi Iashvili / @gioiashka, Cyber Security Consultant and WEASA alumnus, who guided them through the evolving landscape of global cyber threats 🌐 and how different regions are responding. Building on the morning discussion, they dove into a hands-on workshop with Łukasz Król 🔐, journalist and digital security expert, gaining essential skills to navigate and secure digital environments in their professional lives. 🧠 In the afternoon, participants led SWOT analyses examining the state of play in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Ukraine on their path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. The discussions revealed both shared challenges and country-specific opportunities.

🌍 Day 3 at the Warsaw Euro-Atlantic Summer Academy / @weasa_natolin was packed with insight, action, and critical discussion! 🎙 We were honoured to welcome back Dominik P. Jankowski / @dpjankowski, Director of the Economics & Security Committee at the @natopa, who shared his personal perspectives on NATO’s role amid hybrid threats. Always a pleasure to host him at Natolin! 🕵️‍♀️ The day shifted into high gear with a hands-on OSINT workshop by Sopo Gelava / @SGelava from @DFRLab, @AtlanticCouncil, where participants explored tools for geolocation, verification, and fact-checking. 🇪🇺 Finally, #weasa2025 participants a timely panel on “Is European Integration Still on the Table for the Eastern Partnership?”, organised by the European Neighbourhood Chair of the College of Europe in Natolin.