Much learning happens in classrooms, but nothing brings politics and law to life quite like standing inside the institutions where decisions are actually made.

Most years (global wars and pandemics permitting), final‑year students in Politics and Law are invited on an academic trip to Brussels to learn more about the key political, legal, and security institutions located there. This year’s visit took place from 13–15 April and included students from BSc Law, BSc Politics and International Relations, BSc Law and International Relations, and MSc Security and International Relations.

We were extremely fortunate to receive invaluable support from one of our graduates, John Maas, who spent many years in Brussels as a Senior Military Advisor at the European Commission before completing our MSc International Relations during his retirement. His help in coordinating introductions and visits was indispensable.

The timing of the trip could not have been more relevant. With the war in Iran dominating headlines, questions surrounding the future of US support for NATO, and the ongoing resetting of UK–EU relations, there was no shortage of urgent and complex themes for students to explore.

The trip began with a very early start. We left Canterbury at 2.30am on Monday and arrived in Brussels at noon.

We took a stroll to refresh ourselves and admired the Belgian Parliament Building before entering the UK Mission to the EU at 2pm for a reception with students from the University of Edinburgh and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Despite pretty severe sleep deprivation, our students looked very smart,  were attentive and asked some great questions. The panellists spoke about their graduate journeys and their current work representing the UK and negotiating the best relationship possible with the EU.

Once we had checked into our hostel, everyone was free to explore the city. The lecturers had a wander, a meal and a sensible early night. Somehow the students found the energy to enjoy more of the nocturnal delights of Brussels!

The next morning our first stop was at the NATO headquarters where we were hosted by the D2IA team (Defence Industry, Innovation and Armaments Division).  Michael Schroer, Justas Pakašius, Jordan Kupfer and Sílvia Ribes Jovell shared their graduate stories and insights into their work at NATO. Again, our students impressed with their questions. The session ran over significantly and we were very grateful for how generous our hosts were with their time.

The highlight however, was the chance encounter with Secretary General Mark Rutte in the coffee queue. Our students demonstrated exemplary networking skills – being brave enough to introduce themselves, while most others in the café were too shy to do so. Mr Rutte was very friendly and welcoming and agreed to take some photos with us. This was the standout highlight of our whole trip!

The afternoon was spent at the European Parliament. Karen Ben Tolia ran a fascinating interactive session with the students, providing an overview of the institutions, voting procedures and brought the intricacies of interpreting in 24 official languages to life. We even got to sit in the famous Hemicycle to really get a feel for what Parliamentary life is like.

With the formalities over, we had another evening exploring the highlights of the city. Beer, waffles and frites were consumed. Street art and statues were admired. Some karaoke was sung. Bedtimes were later but somehow we all made it onto the coach the next morning and got back to Canterbury safely on Wednesday afternoon.

Everyone had a wonderful time and our students were an absolute credit to the university.