For BA (Hons) Politics and International Relations students, Alexandru Moraru and Tom Cutts-McKay, a course trip to Brussels offered a unique chance to engage with some of the EU’s most influential leaders, thinkers, and key decision-makers.

“As part of our course, we had the incredible opportunity to visit Brussels, a city widely recognised as the heart of the European Union. The trip helped to provide an immersive insight into the EU's institutions and policymaking processes, particularly at a time when we’re studying on the Europe and the European Union module. It was amazing to get such an incredible, hands-on experience and see everything we’ve been learning about come to life in a real-world context.”

During their visit, Alexandru and Tom had the chance to explore various EU institutions, attending a plenary of the Committee of the Regions in the Hemicycle, meeting with European political party representatives, engaging with Greenpeace EU, and interacting with the UK Mission to the EU. The exposure to such high-level discussions and decision-making processes gave them a unique perspective on European politics.

“A highlight was our visit to the Moldovan Mission to the European Union, where we met Moldovan Ambassador Daniela Morari. Her perspective shed light on Moldova's journey toward EU accession, including efforts to align with EU standards and implement EU law. It was fascinating to hear about Moldova’s commitment to democratic values and its aspirations to join the EU, despite the challenges it faces, particularly from Russian influence.

“We learned so much from this trip, not just about EU politics but also about how smaller nations like Moldova move toward integration into the EU. It’s also given a fresh focus to our upcoming coursework, knowing how relevant and impactful this field is.”

This experience further strengthened Tom’s future plans: “Seeing how the EU operates in person has deepened my passion for the subject and helped me to make my decision to pursue a masters in politics.”