This page announces program deadlines, upcoming events, and special TAM activities. Additionally, this page serves as a portal to the annual TransAtlantic Perspectives online journal, authored by TAM students and edited by Sarah Hutchison.
Spring trip to New York flurry of activity for TAM students
TAM II students took part in a graduate seminar at NYU April 17-21, 2012, and particpated in a number of acivities throughout the city.
We started off on Tuesday evening with a meet-and-greet session involving TAM students, MA students from NYU, and graduate students from the University of Hannover in Germany. Professor Christiane Lemke, the Max Weber Chair in German and European Politics at New York University, welcomed us to The Center for European and Mediterranean Studies (CEMS) and went over our schedule for the days ahead. Students conversed, exchanged research ideas, and ate dinner together. The next morning we were back at the Center for two talks:
Professor Colette Mazzucelli, of NYU's Global Center, gave a presentation called "Crisis Mapping and Human Rights Groups." This talk was followed by one titled "European (Dis)Integration: Multi-level Governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina," given by Alim Baluch of Leibniz University Hannover. After these lectures, students had lunch at the Center and cast off to take the 9/11 Memorial tour. That evening six TAM graduates joined the TAM students and those form Hannover to eat at Apple restaurant. The after-dinner karaoke session was a blast! On Thursday, we enjoyed a tour of the UN, a briefing there by a Greek Political Affairs Officer named Andriani Mortoglou, and a session at Human Rights Watch. That evening TAM students went to NYU's Deutsches Haus for the start of the Max Weber Chair Conference 2012. Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, gave the opening address and Prof. Charles S. Maier from Harvard University gave the keynote speech. The next day, students attended the conference then returned to Chapel Hill on Saturday.
The TAM program wishes to thank Professor Lemke for making this professional opportunity possible for the TAM II students and for orchestrating such a successful event!
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TAM students audience for Slovenian ambassador at UNC
On Friday, April 13, 2012, TAM students attended a talk given by His Excellency Roman Kirn, the Ambassador of Slovenia to the United States. He discussed Slovenia after 20 years of independence as well as its role in the European Union and the global economy. Mr. Kirn was appointed Ambassador of Slovenia to the United States on May 26, 2009. Ambassador Kirn most recently served as Director of the Department for North and Latin America and the Caribbean for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and head of transatlantic relations and preparations of the EU-U.S. Summit during Slovenia's European Union presidency in June 2008. He was also Slovenia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2002-06), during which time he was Vice President of the U.N. General Assembly, Vice President of the 2005 NPT Review Conference, among other positions, as well as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE, 2000-02).
Ambassador Kirn holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Ljubljana (1976) and speaks English, French, Czech and Serbian/Croatian.
Ambassador Roman Kirn addresses a group at the Global Education Center
Ambassador Roman Kirn addresses a group at the Global Education Center
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2nd annual TAM alumni event returns to UNC
On the afternoon of March 23, 2012, TAM students, accepted applicants and TAM administrators and graduates gathered for the second annual TAM alumni panel discussion at UNC-CH. Six TAM graduates returned to campus to discuss their career paths. These accomplished individuals included a Canadian foreign service officer (class of 2002), a UNC World View program associate (class of 2008), a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers (class of 2006), a WRI marketing, development & events associate (class of 2007), a director of client management at Ijet Inc. (class of 2004) and a partner at Kyle House Group (class of 2004). Their remarks focused on the ways in which TAM prepared them for their professional lives and helped them to secure employment. The panel discussion was followed by a question and answer session and a reception at the Carolina Inn. The returning graduates had the chance to learn about how TAM has developed since they were enrolled students and to tour our current location in the FedEx Global Education Center.
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Member of EU Delegation to the US visits UNC
The head of press and public diplomacy at the European Union Delegation in Washington, DC, delivered a public lecture for the UNC Center for European Studies Feb. 7 at the Center for Global Education. Silvia Kofler, who oversees media relations, public outreach, and academic and cultural programs for the Delegation, centered her lecture on the Euro debt crisis. TAM students and other members of the UNC community totaling more than 70 attended the talk and reception that followed.
Left: European scholars gather at the lecture reception at the
FedEx Global Education Center.
Right: Silvia Kofler, Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Diplomacy at the European Union Delegation (left) and
Center for European Studies Executive Director Erica Edwards.
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Fall conference papers available
TAM students in Professor Christiane Lemke's POLI 733 European Integration course ended the fall 2011 semester with a two-day research symposium Nov. 18-19 at UNC. All class participants presented their research findings in the form of conference papers. The event, titled "TransAtlantic Perspectives on the European Union," afforded students the opportunity to share their ideas and hone their public speaking skills. As a continuation of the conference, we have published the program as well as select papers (all as PDF). Please click the paper titles to read various students' work:
The CFSP and the European Union: Reflections on the Libyan Conflict, Randall Denison
Pipelines and Politics in the European Union: Crafting a Common Energy Policy and the Issue of Securing Supply, Zachary Dunnam
The Europeanization of Immigration Policy: A Comparative Study of Denmark and Sweden, Marie Henry
A New Tool for Democratization within the European Neighborhood Policy: The “Advanced Status” Program in Morocco, Megan Leahy
Salvaging Democracy in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes: The European Neighborhood Policy and Ukraine, Joshua McCrain
EU Environmental Policy in Housing: From National, Supranational, and Global Perspectives, Drew Sampson
Playing With Fire? Political Implications of the Interest Rate Setting by the European Central Bank, David Weisstanner
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2011 Annual D.C. Trip
Over UNC’s fall break, Oct 19-22, the 20 new TransAtlantic Masters (TAM) Program students traveled to Washington, DC, for site visits and an alumni reception. Our meetings began on Thursday morning with a session at The World Bank. From there we went to the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (G/TIP) and met with Foreign Affairs Officer Sean Ruthe. The final stop that day was the EU Delegation to the US, where we were hosted by Bill Burros, Senior Advisor in the Political, Security and Development Section, and Amy Medearis, Senior Economist from the Economic and Financial Section. That evening the students were joined by close to 40 alumni for a reception in the hotel. The next day we met at the Atlantic Council with TAM alum Garrett Workman and his colleague, David Kirk. Another TAM graduate, Christina Cody, joined the session to talk about her work across the street at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. Finally, we were at Main State for a briefing with staff from the European Regional Affairs (ERA) office and two Turkey desk officers.
TAM students pose with Class of 2009 alumni Garrett Workman and Christina Cody
(front row, far left) at The Atlantic Council.
Left: Jan Ahlen, TAM Class of 2009, with Center for European Studies
Executive Director Erica Edwards at the alumni reception.
Right: TAM Associate Director Sarah Hutchison (center), with
Aaron Steers-Smith and Jennifer Harmon, both Class of 2005.
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TAM students pose with Class of 2009 alumni Garrett Workman and Christina Cody
(front row, far left) at The Atlantic Council.
Left: Jan Ahlen, TAM Class of 2009, with Center for European Studies
Executive Director Erica Edwards at the alumni reception.
Right: TAM Associate Director Sarah Hutchison (center), with
Aaron Steers-Smith and Jennifer Harmon, both Class of 2005.
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Welcome the Class of 2013
The Center for European Studies is pleased to welcome the 2011-2013 TransAtlantic Masters Class to UNC-CH. There are 20 in-coming students this year. Students in both TAM I and TAM II cohorts come from a variety of states, including Florida, Texas, California, Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, and North Carolina. This year’s in-coming TAM students received undergraduate degrees from the following institutions: NC State, UNC-CH (5), UNC-G, U of Colorado-Boulder (2), Appalachian State, Oregon State University, Boston University, Michigan State University, UT-Austin, Ohio University, University of Maryland at College Park, CA State University, CA Polytechnic State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and DePaul University. The new TAM students have studied and/or worked abroad in Mexico, Sudan, Australia, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium, New Zealand, the UK, Vietnam, South Korea, India, and Turkey. Many of the in-coming students already have substantial work and volunteer experience involving the finance, law, international NGOs, and educational outreach.
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TransAtlantic Perspectives
TransAtlantic Perspectives is an online journal produced by the TransAtlantic Masters Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Click the logo to read more!