Past and Future of Europe
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Past and Future of Europe
24.05.2010
The positive ideals animating the Schuman Declaration (May 1950) remained vital for Europe according to the Minister of State for European Affairs, Dick Roche. Mr Roche was the keynote speaker at a symposium commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which was co-organised and hosted by the School of History at UCC recently.

The Minister contended that European solidarity in the face of adversity was just as relevant in Europe now as 60 years ago. He underlined that to forget the achievements of European integration in building Europe after the horrors of World War Two, the holocaust and fascism was foolhardy. 

The event was opened by Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dara Murphy, and the President of Alliance Française de Cork, Nora Callanan. It examined the origins and evolution of European integration, Irish-European relations and the challenges facing Europe.

Ten UCC students delivered roundtables on essential contemporary European issues (the future of Europe; European defence; the role of youth; and the EU’s cultural policies). The selected ten students represented Ireland at the 27-nation pan-European conference at the Robert Schuman Centre, Scy-Schazelles, Lorraine France earlier this month. They were drawn from the School of History MA programmes in International Relations and Politics and they were widely acclaimed to be the best national team at the event wowing audiences with their inspirational audiovisual feature (‘Ireland and Europe’).

The symposium also heard from Dr Anne-Marie AUTISSIER ( University Paris VIII), Tony Brown of the Institute for European and International Affairs (Dublin), Hélène Duquin (Alliance Française), Dr Mervyn O’Driscoll (UCC), Quentin PERRET (Atelier Europe, France), Michael STANGE (Centre Européen Robert Schuman, France), and Dr. Jérôme aan de WIEL (UCC).

The day-long symposium was organised by the Alliance Française de Cork and the European Integration Studies programme of the School of History (UCC), with the support of the Robert Schuman Centre, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Department of Foreign Affairs. It was the event on which the President of the European Council, Hermann de ROMPUY, granted his high patronage.

P icture L-R:  Hélène Duquin (Director of Alliance Française de Cork), Martin Territt (Director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland), Nora Callanan (President of Alliance Française de Cork), Cllr Dara Murphy (Lord Mayor of Cork), Tanya Murphy, Alain VERNINAS (special political advisor of the French Ambassador in Ireland).

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