Mathilda Ketunuti, who is an MA student in International Relations at Leiden University took part in the recent Europaeum Winter School on the European Green Deal at University Complutense in Madrid (UCM).
Mathilda kindly volunteered to write a diary of her travel and participation in the event at UCM. Please read below about her journey to Spain and her time at the Winter School. Please read the official report for this event here.
Day 1 (Monday)
My trip to Madrid for the Europaeum Winter School 2025 started with a train journey to Munich Airport, which took me two and a half hours, followed by a three-hour wait at the airport and a two-hour flight before I finally arrived in Spain. Needless to say that I was quite exhausted by the time I arrived at my final destination, but I was also really excited for the days ahead. This excitement further increased once I saw my hotel room, which looked even better than on the hotel’s website! Once I had settled in, I went to have dinner with some friends, who also participated in the Winter School, and then we had an early night to be ready for the programme of the next days.
Day 2 (Tuesday)
The first day of the Winter School focused on cultural activities and enabled us to get to know Madrid a bit more, which was a very welcome opportunity for many of us, who had never been to the city before. While it was not my first time in Madrid, I nevertheless got to explore new facets of it as well, for example with a guided tour through the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Museum, that was scheduled for us. This was followed by lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in the city centre, after which me and a friend did some more sightseeing, that took us to the Botanical Garden of Madrid, the La Latina quarter (-highly recommended) and finally the Plaza Mayor. When sunset approached, we went to have drinks on one of the rooftop bars in the Gran Via and let me just say that the view was truly impressive! To finish off this successful day, we all had a delicious dinner together at a Peruvian restaurant, where we got the chance to get to know each other better and exchange about our day.
Day 3 (Wednesday)
On Wednesday, a packed schedule full of discussions and presentations around the topic of sustainability and the European Green Deal awaited us at the Economics and Business campus of the Complutense University Madrid. After some welcome remarks from the university as well as Europaeum, the first keynote session provided an insightful account of existing legal tools aimed at promoting biodiversity and climate system protection. This was followed by a panel discussion with two Spanish business representatives about the circular economy, which ignited a heated discussion about producer vs. consumer responsibility regarding climate action…something to think about! After having lunch at the cafeteria, we spent the afternoon listening to a series of presentations by participants themselves, which touched upon a wide variety of topics and disciplines ranging from the EU-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement to the average yearly CO2 emissions of a PhD student. The programme at the university ended with another panel discussion about the Farm to Fork Strategy. After this long day, we were all exhausted and thus happy to end the day by having dinner at a Cuban restaurant, where we enjoyed some cocktails and some very authentic Cuban live music.
Day 4 (Thursday)
We spent the whole Thursday morning listening to two very interesting roundtable discussions of experts, local business representatives and policymakers on the restoration of ecosystems and sustainable mobility respectively. After a delicious lunch with various Spanish specialities at the cafeteria, the afternoon programme entailed another round of student presentations, e.g. about the EU Deforestation Regulation or Communal Urban Gardening in the EU. The academic programme of this day ended with a final panel discussion on energy transitions in the EU and globally with representatives from academics, business as well as the European Commission. Several of those speakers also joined us in the evening for the final stop of our Latin American culinary journey, that took us to a Mexican restaurant. Turns out that a Margarita is the perfect way to top off a cognitively stimulating day.
Day 5 (Friday)
The last day of the Europaeum Winter School 2025 started with a very energetic and interesting keynote session on the regulatory implications of the European Green Deal for companies within the EU and beyond, held by Lela Melon, a sustainability business consultant and university professor in Barcelona. After a coffee break of half an hour, we reconvened for the first roundtable discussion of the day on the alliances and intersections between universities and industries regarding sustainability. This was followed by another re-fuelling break (lunch) before a member of the European Commission’s climate department detailed the EU’s international climate diplomacy efforts, a key topic in light of climate change being a global challenge. The final roundtable discussion of the Winter School focused on the topic of what a just green transition entails, which made it clear that there is no one answer to this question. To mark the official end of the event we had some farewell drinks and snacks at the university, where we said our goodbyes to the organisers of the event. Some of us then went on to have drinks in the city (thereby marking the unofficial end of the event) and celebrate an eventful week.
Day 6 (Saturday)
While some of us had already left the previous evening, most of the other participants made their journey back on the same day as me, so Saturday was a day full of goodbyes from old and new friends I had gained during the last five days. My journey back home took me first to the airport of Madrid, from where I flew to Munich, and then to Innsbruck via train, where I arrived in the evening. Although I was quite tired from a day full of travels, I also felt very grateful for a week full of learning, exploring a lovely and vibrant city, eating delicious foods, and, most importantly, exchanging with fellow students from all over the EU and beyond. I will always look back on the Europaeum Winter School 2025 with fond memories and I would strongly recommend this enriching experience to anyone considering to participate in a similar programme.
