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The Center for Advanced Studies at Eurac Research in cooperation with the Institute of Political Science at the University of Leipzig would like to offer a platform for an exchange of ideas and invites to an international workshop on July, 9th and 10th 2020 in Bozen-Bolzano. Experts coming from different areas of study and from the practice, will provide insights into developments and future perspectives of international relations in the European context.

Thirty years ago, the Soviet Union collapsed, fifteen years ago the great eastward expansion of the European Union (EU) started. These events were accompanied by much hope and optimism. Today, the people in the east of the EU are among the strongest supporters of the Union, but the wave of refugees on the Balkan route and growing income disparities, are also raising doubts about the benefits of European integration. In addition, a series of surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center between 2015 and 2017 revealed a gap in many attitudes towards social issues, religion and minorities between Western, Central and Eastern Europe. Historical experience and migration are among the main reasons why East and West have never really grown together. In fact, through increasing migration the differences and gaps between East and West became evident on a broad level. Another reason is that in spite of the formal process of integration in the course of the EU-enlargements, the EU structures and logics remained predominantly shaped by the mentality of the founding members. There was not really a process of renegotiation after the enlargements, thus, even hindering a real integration between old and new member states.

The current context of the economic crisis and political instability highlights an increasingly urgent need for Europe to build a stronger identity and community, in order to put up an united front outwards, to keep being economically competitive and having political weight at the global level. Furthermore, the actual COVID-19 crisis encourages us to reflect even more on what Europe is all about and in which direction developments should go.

In order to achieve a European integration with a strong cohesion, a deeper understanding and mutual appreciation among EU community members, as well as among them and external political and commercial non-EU partners (e.g. Russia) is desirable. Various questions arise in this context:

• How can European countries achieve and develop an intercultural competence, in order to better understand and negotiate with partner states?
• How can stereotypes and reciprocal wrong perceptions be abated to foster cooperation and future developments?

There are no simple answers, but the need for discussion and to develop new approaches is of great relevance and interest.