Institute for European Union Studies at SUNY

DATES:

Wednesday, January 8 (visits to EU institutions) and January 9-11 for SUNYMEU.  There will be an excursion to a site of interest on Sunday, January 12.

For more information, contact Dr. Juan Arroyo

SUNYMEU Program Director

About SUNYMEU

SUNY Model EU is a project funded by the Institute of European Union Studies at SUNY (IEUSS), through the Office of Global Affairs, SUNY System Administration, campus contributions, and participant conference fees.

As with many international simulations, students and universities represent country delegations in preparing to attend a European Council Summit. Usually, these delegations are comprised of four person teams, with each student playing an actual political figure from that country’s government. These roles are generally the Head of Government (Prime Minister or President), the Foreign Minister, the country’s ambassador to the EU (COREPER II), and a Finance Minister. Larger teams can also bring an additional deputy minister for Europe or deputy Prime Minister. Host teams will generally chair the Head of Government and Foreign Minister meetings, playing the roles of Council President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs. Additional delegation assignments also play the role of the European Commission and Secretariat, as well as the SUNY Model EU Press corps. 

Once assigned “roles,” country teams work to prepare a single-page proposal for an item to be discussed at the summit, and submit it to the presidency team a little over a month prior to the simulation and the presidency team works with the secretariat to generate an initial agenda of items to be debated in each functional group setting. We try to debate the most important and timely issues confronting Europe, from the crisis in the Eurozone, to the military action in Libya, and problems integrating recent immigrants into European society. Students debate the issues and come to common positions on items before them, working first in small groups (of just their partner ministers) before putting the final conclusions of the presidency to a vote of the whole.

Model EU has proven to be an enormously rewarding experience for our past participants, and a visit to our SUNY Model EU Facebook page will confirm this. Students from all over the SUNY system and northeast have an opportunity to meet and work with students from all over Europe, to learn about one of the most complex and important actors in the international arena today, and to develop their social capital in learning how to present their views before both a small group and plenary setting. Smaller than most Model UN simulations, it is a more participatory experience for all those who do come, and there are fewer “spectators” given the small size and the importance of each country in EU Council decision making.

Video about SUNYMEU

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

SUNYMEU Registration

You can create an account by entering basic information, and then confirming your e-mail information. Then you can place the order by looking for this item (you can also click on the name below and start there):

S.U.N.Y M.E.U 2020 Conference

SKU: 13161965154

When you reach the checkout page, scroll to the bottom and provide the following information in the Special Instructions box:

- Gender

- emergency contact information

Later, we will also have everyone provide additional information regarding medical insurance and a liability waiver.

If you prefer to pay by wire transfer, please contact Prof. Alexandru Balas directly for instructions (alexandru.balas@cortland.edu).

HOTEL INFORMATION

There is no single conference hotel.  Here are recommendations.

The simulation begins on Thursday evening, Jan, 9, 2020 and ends after a closing reception on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. Our European delegates usually reserve three hotel nights (arrive Thursday and leave Sunday).

Our US delegates usually reserve six nights, arriving Tuesday, Jan 7, and leaving Monday, Jan 13. This gives you time to visit some EU institutions on Wednesday, and visit a nearby Belgian city on Sunday.

Our partners at Vesalius have helped us create the following list of affordable hotels, each with a different combination of positive features. In order to keep the participants somewhat close to each other, we recommend that you pursue the first two options, which we have used in the past.

1. Meininger Hotel – Brussels City Center 

Quai du Hainaut 33, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. Formerly a brewery, MEU stayed here in 2014. It is across the canal from the city center, about 5 minutes to Comte de Flandre metro, 10-15 minutes to the Grand Place.

Directions from Meininger to Versalius College

Note that you need to give yourselves about 40 minutes, each way.

Travel to Vesalius College (+-40 minutes):

Walk 5 minutes from Meininger Hotel to Metro line 1 Graaf van Vlaanderen

Take Metro line 1 from stop: Graaf van Vlaanderen in the direction of Stokkel.
Transfer at Montgomery to line 7 or 25 in the direction of Vanderkindere (line 7) / Boondaal Stadion (line 25).
Exit at Etterbeek Station. Walk 2 minutes to Vesalius College Pleinlaan 5.

Getting back to Meininger Hotel (+-40 minutes):

Walk 2 minutes to Etterbeek Stadion.

Take Tramline line 7 or 25 in the direction of Heizel (line 7) / Rogier (line 25).
Transfer at Montgomery to Line 1 in the direction of Weststation.
Exit at Graaf van Vlaanderen. Walk 5 minutes to Meininger Hotel.

2. Hotel Ibis Brussels City Center 

Rue Joseph Plateau N°2. This is the hotel that we stayed at in 2018 and 2016, near the Place St. Catherine. 2-minute walk to the nearest subway station. 7-10 minutes to the Grand Place.

The folloing options are new to MEU:

3. Hotel Ibis Brussels Grand Place 

Rue du Marché Aux Herbes 100. A few minutes to Grand Place, short uphill walk to the main train station.

4. Jacques Brel Hostel  

Rue de la Sablonnière 30. This is a classic youth hostel option, with 2-8 beds per room, etc. It is located to the North of the Royal Palace and Central Park, about 10 minute walk to the Grand Place.

5. Motel One  

Rue Royale 120. Close to the Brel Hostel , and 5-10 minutes to the center of town.

6. Adagio Brussels Europe 

Rue de l’Industrie, 12. Close to Prime Minister’s house and 5 minutes to Grand Place.

7. JES Sleep Inn 

Rue des Ateliers 3, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean. Located close to the heart of Molenbeek, about 5 minutes to Comte de Flandre metro.

8. Generation Europe 

Rue de l'Éléphant 4, 1080 Bruxelles. Youth hostel-style; in Molenbeek, 5 minutes to the Meininger; 5-10 minutes to Comte de Flandre metro; 15 minute walk to Grand Place