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After a year of political disruption in 2024—when voters in more than 60 countries, including many in Europe, went to the polls—the conversations at the 11th annual student-led last month were primed with relevance and urgency.

Influenced by the theme, “Leader or dreamer? Europe’s role in a fragmented world order,” some 550 students, academics, and leaders in government, multilateral organizations, and the private and nonprofit sectors came to the ����vlog���� campus to debate a shaping Europe’s future: navigating populism and democratic challenges, the European brand, the power of art, climate ambitions, energy, global diplomacy, brain drain and emerging technologies, the future of LGBTQ+ rights in Europe, boosting economic strategies, fortifying the continent’s frontlines, migration, Europe’s role in the Middle East, and leading the fight for human rights. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights set the stage. 

Integrated into these serious discussions was a critique of Europe being a continent of ideals. President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on this very topic as it was debated at the conference.

“We realize the criticism is real, but we’ve gotten the message—Europe is awake,” says Elif Memet MPP/MBA 2026, one of the conference’s two co-chairs. Memet, who is from Romania, is pursuing a joint degree with Harvard Business School and is a Rubenstein Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership and an Oval Office Fellow. “Will Europe deliver on its promises, or will it falter into pretense? Europe has long been tangled in red tape and, yes, sometimes action feels too slow. But I’m confident Europe has the talent, resources, and institutional ability to change. We can rise to this moment. As Prime Minister of Belgium highlighted in his remarks, Europe can and must deliver.”

Lili Vessereau MPP 2025, a conference co-chair and Fulbright and Dias Scholar from France who focuses on international development economics, adds to Memet’s thought.

“Being in the U.S. every day, we see how Europe’s way of doing policy can be seen as ideals-driven. The  [General Data Protection Regulation] clearly demonstrated Europe’s leadership in setting global standards,” she says. “However, with the introduction of the  last year, we find ourselves questioning whether Europe is continuing to lead or is dreaming of remaining a standard-setter. We all believe in the EU’s leadership and long-term vision, but it raises the question: how do we ensure that this leadership remains impactful?”

According to Memet, the speakers this year were resolute on where they stand on issues. During a debate on boosting Europe’s economic strategies for competitiveness between former EU Executive Vice President and Commissioner and Governor of the National Bank of Belgium , both agreed there’s a need for some deregulation in Europe to help boost competition; however, they debated whether Europe should rethink some of its longstanding policies, including in the energy sector.

“I saw leaders from our continent dissecting policies and long-held beliefs, but not at the expense of our values—our moral commitment to climate, our moral commitment to democracy and freedom of the press,” says Memet. “We were able to do that while scrutinizing policies.”

Conversations weren’t just about geopolitical and economic issues—they also critically examined Europe’s role as a cultural actor, says Florian Dirmayer MPP 2025, the conference’s content chair and Fulbright Scholar from Austria. He highlights the conversation, The Power of Art in Uncertain Times, between Vice President for Public Policy (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) at Netflix , President of the Salzburg Festival , and President and CEO of the Boston Symphony Orchestra .

“There’s this dilemma of seeing Europe only as a museum or where you go for holidays,” Dirmayer says. “But we also need to better understand what Europe can do for its future when it comes to culture and how it can use its soft power. It was interesting to establish these new connections that relate to Europe and its transatlantic ties but aren’t on everybody’s mind.” 

Organizing the two-day conference is a year-long, all-hands-on-deck effort not for the faint of heart.

Memet, Vessereau, and Dirmayer led a 47-member team of students from 24 countries—from across Harvard as well as MIT, Boston University, and Tufts—in addition to 30 day-of volunteers, to organize 13 panels, five keynote speeches, and several workshops. And they did it as full-time students who, among many other things, are researching European monetary policy and Romania’s transition to the Euro with Professor Jason Furman; examining green growth at the Center for International Development and debt restructuring at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government; and studying bilateral migration agreements with the , drawing from U.S.-Latin America lessons to inform EU policy.

When asked about the most rewarding part of their conference experience, Memet, Vessereau, and Dirmayer all came to the same independent conclusion: their team. 

“Working on Europe with so many Europeans, I learned more about our team’s national cultures and Europe as a whole. Being in the U.S., far from home, it made me realize how European I am,” Vessereau says. “The European Union’s motto is —the experience of forming unity through our team’s different national identities left a strong impression on me.”

Dirmayer agreed before sharing his parting thought.

“At the start of the conference, we posed the question: to lead or dream? But I realized during the conference these two things don’t oppose each other; they go together. That’s where Europe’s strength lies and that of our team,” he explains. “We will not tire of dreaming European ideals, of norms we stand by and that should be universal. The conference showed we can talk about these big, optimistic ideas, while at the same time addressing the most challenging questions. It’s something I hope for my home continent and for others, too.”

The  is student-led and organized by the European caucuses at Harvard Business School, Harvard College, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Law School, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Photos by Max Bueno and Winston Tang