On May 13, Dr. Yeo Lay Hwee from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs together with twenty students from the SMU School of Social Sciences in Singapore visited PRIF for an engaging exchange. Stefan Kroll, Irene Weipert-Fenner, Sascha Hach, and Dirk Peters introduced the students to the institute's work and shared insights into a range of current research topics. They addressed a variety of relevant geopolitical and security challenges for Europe today. They touched upon the global energy transition and the European Union’s growing demand for renewable energy, especially regarding its dependence on imports from North Africa. Even though politicians often describe this economic relationship as a win-win situation, it also has the potential to lead to political and social conflict. The speakers also discussed Europe’s quest for strategic independence in the midst of the tensions of great-power politics and the ambivalence of security discourses as they can influence conflicts and mistrust.
Following the researchers’ presentation, the students did not only ask questions about the topics but they also presented videos they had filmed themselves, in which they explored the European Union’s responses to environmental or sociopolitical issues, such as climate change and migration.
