EUI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ELECTIONS FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2019-2021: CANDIDATES & PROGRAMS

EUI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
          ELECTIONS FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2019-2021:
                      CANDIDATES & PROGRAMS

                                         ALESSANDRA CHIRICO

In accordance with the letter and the spirit of its Statute, the EUI Alumni Association (AA) is an independent
organisation, comprising high-level European public affairs professionals working both in academia as well as
in the policy world. In order to promote and further strengthen the statutory objectives of the AA, we put
forward the following proposals:
    1) Provided that the AA’s independence shall not mean operating in a vacuum or in isolation vis-à-vis
        the EUI, it is our firm intention to:
        (i)          strengthen the bonds between the two for the benefit of the whole EUI Alumni
                     community, and
        (ii)         to increase the interaction within the AA of leading academics and policy makers, for the
                     sake of the continuous promotion of the European integration project.
    2) This will involve the organisation of seminars, events and workshops addressed to academics and
        policymakers to heighten their awareness about academic engagement with European affairs. These
        events shall contribute to the development of the global outreach and recognition of the EUI as the
        centre of excellence on European affairs worldwide.
    3) Events should be held either in Florence or in the location of existing AA's local chapters. To this end,
        we will work to encourage the formation of new local chapters and support existing ones.
    4) In order to achieve the AA’s objectives, we will commit ourselves to reopen negotiations with the
        EUI about the access to the Library, the Archives, and the canteens for the AA’s members.
    5) The AA will facilitate the career of its members by disseminating job opportunities relevant for the
        Alumni in academia and elsewhere at the international level.
    6) The AA will also take a stand in the defense of academic freedom to protect EUI Alumni and all
        academics under threat.

Finally, the above-sketched points shall be supported by a clear strengthening of the internal governance of
the AA, such as the one proposed by Filippo Vergara Cafferelli, who is also standing for the elections of the
Executive Committee.

SHORT BIOGRAPHY – ALESSANDRA CHIRICO (PH.D. LAW 1999-2004)
Alessandra Chirico graduated from the EUI with a PhD in Law in 2004. Alessandra also holds a Post-doc
from the Walter Hallstein Institute of the Humboldt University in Berlin. In addition to such an academic
background, Alessandra is a qualified lawyer admitted to the Italian Bar. Alessandra has a varied professional
experience in the academia as well as a practitioner, as legal consultant, regulatory adviser, legal translator,
compliance expert and EU public affairs expert. She is the author of numerous publications in European law,
most notably on monetary law, EMU and economic governance, corporate governance and financial services.
She is currently working as an independent consultant with a specific focus on growth finance and impact
investing. Finally, Alessandra has been serving the EUI AA from 2017 until 2019 acting as Vice President
within the Executive Committee.

TAMIRACE FAKHOURY

My name is Tamirace Fakhoury, and I have been a postdoctoral researcher and a Jean Monnet Fellow at the
Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies (Migration Policy Center) from 2008 until 2011. Currently, I
am an Associate Professor in Political Science at the Lebanese American University, and the Director of the
Institute for Social Justice and Conflict Resolution. I research post-conflict settlements in divided societies,
refugee governance in the international system, and the EU’s external policy in the Middle East. From 2012
until 2016, I was a visiting Assistant Professor in the Summer Sessions at Berkeley. I am an avid traveler, and
in my spare time, I write poetry and watch movies.
The years I spent at the EUI were life changing. I made lifelong friendships, and established synergies with
scholarly communities that have proven to be quite substantial for my trajectory. Things that I utterly miss
about the EUI are the multidisciplinary environment, the diversity of scholarly approaches and the infinite
possibilities to network with colleagues in an inspiring setting.
With this background in mind, I am running for the 2019 elections of the EUI AA Executive Committee:
From a strategic perspective, I would like to coordinate with other members of the Executive Committee to
see how we can best represent the EUI Alumni’s interests and disseminate their achievements. In
collaboration with EUI AA colleagues, I would then aim to develop a strategic plan to publicize the work,
research, and outputs of EUI alumni in visible and impactful manner; and to organize career support and
professional training workshops that speak to existing challenges.
From a networking perspective, I would like to consolidate opportunities for EUI Alumni to meet in different
cities and to debate their concerns and aspirations in online and offline platforms.
From an academic perspective, I would like to provide a contact point for EUI Alumni who wish to deepen
their research on the Global South, or who are simply looking for establishing ties with academic and civil
society actors within and beyond Europe. My intent is to consolidate the EUI AA community’s presence in
events and conferences dealing with various world regions and diverse schools of thought. For 2021, I aim to
raise research funds to co-organize a local workshop at the EUI tackling the challenges, ethics and
methodologies of doing field research in difficult contexts.

DIEGO GARCIA
My name is Diego Garzia. I have been Jean Monnet Fellow and then Research Fellow at the Robert Schuman
Centre for Advanced Studies between 2012 and 2016. I am currently a Senior Researcher and Lecturer at the
University of Lucerne in Switzerland, where I hold an Ambizione fellowship granted by the Swiss National
Science Foundation. During my years at the EUI, I have coordinated a number of large-scale projects (such as
the euandi VAAs) involving over a hundred past and present EUI researchers. I have also devoted quite a lot
of time and energy to other organizations of the Institute (4B’s extra-curricular activities). It is my intention to
continue serving the EUI Community by running for the Executive Committee of the EUI AA. Together with
Hanna Schebesta (LAW 2013) and Elie Michel (SPS 2017) we believe that our mission is to bring back the
Alumni Association to its alumni!

Workplan for the EUI AA (2019-2021)
The EUI Alumni Association has radically changed over the last 2 years. Independence of the AA from the
EUI is a challenge - but also an opportunity to organize on our own terms. However, this transition has not
been successful so far. We would like to promote collectively an ambitious project for the EUI AA. We run as
a team, yet we strive to work with other alumni in the Executive Committee. Sadly, the organizational and
managerial matters of the association of the EUI AA are now a priority. The new statutes of the associations
voted in 2017 are inadequate: lack of comprehensive provisions for the functioning of the association; dubious
objectives of the association. Communication from and with the current EC has been chaotic (multiple
communication channels, contradictory information, censorship of members on social media…). To say the
least, the current electoral process has been mismanaged.
The organizational insufficiencies are a threat to the survival of the association. They need to be sorted out
immediately and rigorously. Yet we want to join the AA board for substantial reasons We believe the AA can
do a better job to develop the exceptional network of EUI Alumni.
Revive the network. The EUI AA should focus on its core missions: inform members about each other and
about current EUI activities; link current EUI researchers with Alumni to discuss research and
jobs/missions/internships; and inform on professional opportunities. We want to systematically scope how
current ad-hoc local/generational/departmental EUI clusters could be supported. Online communication of the
AA can be substantially improved. We don’t want to spam you - but rather channel the information more
efficiently.
Reconnect with the EUI. The opinion of the alumni is valuable to the EUI. In general, we would strive to
make the Alumni heard more – particularly in these times of distrust between the EUI and the AA.
Budget. The re-organization of the EUI AA is likely to limit severely the association’s financial capacity to
act. We suggest complementing the current membership fee-based financing with a voluntary donations
approach, where - as in most other AA – members can contribute for specific purposes.
The Alumni Stipend. We would create a fund for visiting researchers to spend time at the EUI. Targeted at
young researchers who could otherwise not sustain such stay. To begin with, this stipend could target
researchers whose academic institution is under threat (CEU) or has been abruptly cut off from the EUI
(Brexit).
Organize one Alumni event at the EUI. We want to have a single yearly Alumni event at the EUI, and it
should be visible. We would like to integrate this event in the State of the Union. We think the contribution of
the Alumni should be substantial and mobilize members from the academic and professional world to
participate in panels of this large-scale and transdisciplinary event.

DAVID GEARY
David Geary is a graduate of the Department of Law of the European University Institute (LL.M 1998/1999,
During his time at the EUI David was a member of the Bar Fiasco Committee and arranged a financial rescue
package over the summer of 1999 so that Bar Fiasco could open its doors to the September 1999 cohort!
David also founded the Brussels Alumni Chapter in 2002 and, together with Candido Garcia Molyneaux,
organized a number of events in Brussels, including an Alumni dinner with European Commission President
Romano Prodi in 2003. A keen advocate for Europe, David campaigned in favour of the Lisbon Treaty in both
of Ireland’s referenda on that treaty, founding and chairing the ‘Solicitors for Europe’ campaign group which
was part of the successful ‘Ireland for Europe’ civil society referendum campaign in 2010. He is also a former
chair of EU & International Affairs Committee of the Law Society of Ireland and has experience of organizing
seminars and events. A solicitor admitted in Ireland and in England & Wales, David is General Counsel
Caribbean for the Digicel Group in the Caribbean and Central America. He previously practiced competition
and regulatory law with major law firms in Sydney, Brussels and Dublin. He is the author of various
publications on European law, technology and regulation and is a regular contributor on European affairs in
the Irish media and to discussions on the future regulation of the Internet in the Caribbean & Americas region.
                                Work plan for Alumni Association 2019 - 2021
The Alumni network is the core strength of the Alumni Association. I believe it is important to focus on
this. If elected I intend to:
Strengthen & Build Alumni Chapters
As the founder of the Brussels Alumni Chapter in 2002 I am keenly aware of the opportunities that strong
local chapters present for alumni and the Alumni Association. This experience also gave me an insight into
the challenges and support required to host events and to build and maintain a network of local chapters.
Alumni chapters have been organised in a number of cities and there are opportunities to form alumni chapters
in other cities.
I propose to focus on both developing and supporting this network of alumni chapters including enabling each
local chapter to hold a number of gatherings and at least one headline event each year.
Strengthen the Alumni network
The Alumni network presents a wealth of opportunities and contacts for its members. I propose to build on
the work that has already been done to continue to develop a truly collaborative alumni network. In doing so I
propose to consider and adopt approaches of other alumni networks that have successfully developed cultures
where alumni share ideas, and assist each other with mentoring and professional opportunities.
Build Social Media Presence
Social media is an important tool for communication – connecting and building awareness. I propose to apply
my communications industry experience and leverage industry contacts to develop a social media strategy for
the Alumni Association and local chapters.

PENELOPA GJURCHILOVA

Dr. Penelopa Gjurchilova holds PhD in Law from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy,
LL.M as Fulbright Scholar from University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT., USA, MPA from Harvard Kennedy
School of Government as Mason and Kokkalis Fellow, Cambridge, MA, USA, JD from the Law School of the
University Cyril and Methodius in Skopje, Macedonia and BA in international relations and diplomacy from
the American College of Switzerland. She has over 23 years of experience in RoL, gender equality,
international relations, diplomacy, security, international development, HRs and conflict resolution. She has
worked at senior positions at MFA, UN, OSCE and ODIHR, DCAF, EU.
She is currently Country Representative for DCAF – Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance in the
Intelligence Sector Reform Programme for RN Macedonia based in Skopje.
Proposed Work Plan for the Executive Committee of the EUI Alumni Association Nomination for the
period 2019-2020
The next mandate of the AA EC will be of great importance to further establish the way forward after the AA
separation from the EUI and all the challenges encountered along the way.
I would be honored to be selected in the Executive Committee and if that is the case, I propose to work with
all the members of the AA EC in order to:
      Further and clearly define the relationship with the EUI for the benefit of the alumni and all AA
         members and former researchers;
      To work as active and productive team members of the EC;
      To use my contacts around the world and build strong relations with other alumni associations that are
         of interest in order to work on common ideas and goals;
      To organize at least two high level conferences at the EUI during the mandate on topics to be agreed
         but that are in the spotlight at the moment in the world with participation of world-renowned experts
         as well as EUI AA members, alumni and researchers and relevant EUI academics;
      To work continuously with the EUI top management team in order to resolve any outstanding issues
         from the past that hinder the relationship between the EUI and the AA as well as the access of the
         alumni to the EUI facilities and the email accounts;
      To finalize, if that is not done yet, the legal status of the AA as separate body under the Italian law;
      To work to develop the AA website to be fully functional and accessible for all the members around
         the world;
      To add all AA members if possible, in order to build strong connections between them for
         networking, career and other opportunities around the world;
      To work on sustainable system to strengthen the assistance and help in career moves and changes for
         AA members around the world;
      To work on any other issues as agreed with the EC team and the GA of the AA;

HELKE HEINS

Propose workplan for the term of office 2019-2021
In accordance with the letter and the spirit of its Statute, the EUI Alumni Association (AA) is an independent
organisation, comprising high-level European public affairs professionals working both in academia as well as
in the policy world. In order to promote and further strengthen the statutory objectives of the AA, we put
forward the following proposals:
    7) Provided that the AA’s independence shall not mean operating in a vacuum or in isolation vis-à-vis
         the EUI, it is our firm intention to:
         (iii)        strengthen the bonds between the two for the benefit of the whole EUI Alumni
                      community, and
         (iv)         to increase the interaction within the AA of leading academics and policy makers, for the
                      sake of the continuous promotion of the European integration project.
    8) This will involve the organisation of seminars, events and workshops addressed to academics and
         policymakers to heighten their awareness about academic engagement with European affairs. These
         events shall contribute to the development of the global outreach and recognition of the EUI as the
         centre of excellence on European affairs worldwide.
    9) Events should be held either in Florence or in the location of existing AA's local chapters. To this end,
         we will work to encourage the formation of new local chapters and support existing ones.
    10) In order to achieve the AA’s objectives, we will commit ourselves to reopen negotiations with the
         EUI about the access to the Library, the Archives, and the canteens for the AA’s members.
    11) The AA will facilitate the career of its members by disseminating job opportunities relevant for the
         Alumni in academia and elsewhere at the international level.
    12) The AA will also take a stand in the defense of academic freedom to protect EUI Alumni and all
         academics under threat.
Finally, the above-sketched points shall be supported by a clear strengthening of the internal governance of
the AA, such as the one proposed by Filippo Vergara Cafferelli, who is also standing for the elections of the
Executive Committee.

Elke Heins (née Viebrock) graduated from the EUI with a PhD in SPS in 2004. Her thesis was on trade unions
and unemployment insurance in comparative-historical perspective (supervised by Stefano Bartolini). After
graduation she held various research and teaching posts at the University of Stirling and the University of
Edinburgh. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and the Deputy Director for Postgraduate
Research at the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Edinburgh. Her main research
interests are comparative and European social policy, and she has published widely on the politics of welfare
reform, labour market policy and health policy. She is a member of the steering group of the interdisciplinary
Europa Institute at the University of Edinburgh. She is also co-coordinator of the Jean Monnet Centre for
Excellence ‘European Futures’ at the University of Edinburgh (2018-2021).

ELIE MICHEL
I am Elie Michel; I graduated from the SPS department in 2017. I am currently a researcher and lecturer at the
University of Lucerne. My research focuses on elections and political parties.
While at the EUI, I have been actively involved in the decision bodies (Executive Committee and Academic
Council as a researcher representative), but also in other activities (co-founder of the EUI Refugee Initiative).
I wish to continue to serve the EUI Community by running for the Executive Committee of the EUI AA, and
the recent crises of the AA have motivated me further. Alumni were but also still are the EUI – and I believe I
can help put the EUI AA on the right track again.

Workplan for the EUI AA (2019-2021)
The EUI Alumni Association has radically changed over the last 2 years. Independence of the AA from the
EUI is a challenge - but also an opportunity to organize on our own terms. However, this transition has not
been successful so far.
Together with Hanna Schebesta (LAW 2013) and Diego Garzia (former RSCAS), we would like to promote
collectively an ambitious project for the EUI AA. We run as a team, yet we strive to work with other alumni
in the Executive Committee.
Sadly, the organizational and managerial matters of the association of the EUI AA are now a priority. The
new statutes of the associations voted in 2017 are inadequate: lack of comprehensive provisions for the
functioning of the association; dubious objectives of the association. Communication from and with the
current EC has been chaotic (multiple communication channels, contradictory information, censorship of
members on social media…). To say the least, the current electoral process has been mismanaged.
The organizational insufficiencies are a threat to the survival of the association. They need to be sorted out
immediately and rigorously. Yet we want to join the AA board for substantial reasons We believe the AA can
do a better job to develop the exceptional network of EUI Alumni.
Revive the network. The EUI AA should focus on its core missions: inform members about each other and
about current EUI activities; link current EUI researchers with Alumni to discuss research and
jobs/missions/internships; and inform on professional opportunities. We want to systematically scope how
current ad-hoc local/generational/departmental EUI clusters could be supported. Online communication of the
AA can be substantially improved. We don’t want to spam you - but rather channel the information more
efficiently.
Reconnect with the EUI. The opinion of the alumni is valuable to the EUI. In general, we would strive to
make the Alumni heard more – particularly in these times of distrust between the EUI and the AA.
Budget. The re-organization of the EUI AA is likely to limit severely the association’s financial capacity to
act. We suggest complementing the current membership fee-based financing with a voluntary donations
approach, where - as in most other AA – members can contribute for specific purposes.
The Alumni Stipend. We would create a fund for visiting researchers to spend time at the EUI. Targeted at
young researchers who could otherwise not sustain such stay. To begin with, this stipend could target
researchers whose academic institution is under threat (CEU) or has been abruptly cut off from the EUI
(Brexit).
Organize one Alumni event at the EUI. We want to have a single yearly Alumni event at the EUI, and it
should be visible. We would like to integrate this event in the State of the Union. We think the contribution of
the Alumni should be substantial and mobilize members from the academic and professional world to
participate in panels of this large-scale and transdisciplinary event.

HANNA SCHEBESTA

I am Hanna Schebesta, Assistant Professor at Wageningen University. I graduated in Law in 2013. During my
time as a PhD, I acted as a researcher representative, and afterwards worked at the EUI as a Research
Associate.
Since I became an Alumni in 2013, I have had the impression that the EUI AA does or offers next to nothing.
Personally, I would love to change that, and to help make the EUI AA more significant than an e-mail address
again.

Workplan for the EUI AA (2019-2021)
The EUI Alumni Association has radically changed over the last 2 years. Independence of the AA from the
EUI is a challenge - but also an opportunity to organize on our own terms. However, this transition has not
been successful so far.
Together with Hanna Schebesta (LAW 2013) and Diego Garzia (former RSCAS), we would like to promote
collectively an ambitious project for the EUI AA. We run as a team, yet we strive to work with other alumni
in the Executive Committee.
Sadly, the organizational and managerial matters of the association of the EUI AA are now a priority. The
new statutes of the associations voted in 2017 are inadequate: lack of comprehensive provisions for the
functioning of the association; dubious objectives of the association. Communication from and with the
current EC has been chaotic (multiple communication channels, contradictory information, censorship of
members on social media…). To say the least, the current electoral process has been mismanaged.
The organizational insufficiencies are a threat to the survival of the association. They need to be sorted out
immediately and rigorously. Yet we want to join the AA board for substantial reasons We believe the AA can
do a better job to develop the exceptional network of EUI Alumni.
Revive the network. The EUI AA should focus on its core missions: inform members about each other and
about current EUI activities; link current EUI researchers with Alumni to discuss research and
jobs/missions/internships; and inform on professional opportunities. We want to systematically scope how
current ad-hoc local/generational/departmental EUI clusters could be supported. Online communication of the
AA can be substantially improved. We don’t want to spam you - but rather channel the information more
efficiently.
Reconnect with the EUI. The opinion of the alumni is valuable to the EUI. In general, we would strive to
make the Alumni heard more – particularly in these times of distrust between the EUI and the AA.
Budget. The re-organization of the EUI AA is likely to limit severely the association’s financial capacity to
act. We suggest complementing the current membership fee-based financing with a voluntary donations
approach, where - as in most other AA – members can contribute for specific purposes.
The Alumni Stipend. We would create a fund for visiting researchers to spend time at the EUI. Targeted at
young researchers who could otherwise not sustain such stay. To begin with, this stipend could target
researchers whose academic institution is under threat (CEU) or has been abruptly cut off from the EUI
(Brexit).
Organize one Alumni event at the EUI. We want to have a single yearly Alumni event at the EUI, and it
should be visible. We would like to integrate this event in the State of the Union. We think the contribution of
the Alumni should be substantial and mobilize members from the academic and professional world to
participate in panels of this large-scale and transdisciplinary event.

FILIPPO VERGARA CAFFARELLI

I am standing for the elections of the 2019-2020 Executive Committee of the EUI AA, because the AA needs
the help of all the Alumni to survive after the traumatic separation from the EUI. It needs the collective effort
of the Alumni and it is a shared responsibility of all of us to make the AA succeed. In my opinion this builds
on the following three points:
1. re-establish good relations with our Alma Mater, the EUI, make them understand we are their best allies,
   their first “ambassadors”, not their competitors. Then it will be obvious to the EUI why Alumni must be
   able to retain wide Library access rights, a printing quota and access to the EUI facilities.
2. a new Statute for the AA, that prevents a lack of powers such as the one that occurred in the last months.
   The current Statute dates back to the time when the AA had no legal personality, and has loopholes and a
   large room for discretionary decisions which must be eliminated, while assuring effective and prompt
   decision making and increasing the degree of transparency. Of course checks and balances will be included
   to avoid any abuse. The new Statute will provide for an elected non-executive body, that oversees on the
   alignment of decisions with the Statute and the internal rules. A set of simple and clear rules of procedure
   will also be written to clarify the internal functioning of the AA and prevent arbitrary behavior. This will
   involve clear rules on the decision-making process of the AA, including the management of AA funds, our
   money! Moreover the AA now has legal personality under Italian law and this bears great responsibilities
   for the members of the Executive Committee. An appropriate and functioning governance will guarantee
   that they will not be be liable if their decisions comply with Statute and the internal rules, and will increase
   the accountability of the Executive Committee before the Alumni.
3. a larger AA active membership. A shared and inclusive governance of the AA and a renewed relationship
   with the EUI will make again the AA really attractive for all the Alumni who will feel fully represented by
   the AA and will recognize it as the forum to interact with fellow Alumni and the EUI. It will no more be the
   case that the AA could be mistakenly considered as someone’s association; the AA must and will be the
   association of all the Alumni of the European University Institute!
I pledge to work with the other members of the Executive Committee to make sure these issues are addressed.
My workplan focuses on strengthening the internal governance of the AA, which we have all seen
dramatically failing in the past months. A new Statute and simple and clear rules of functioning are
preconditions for the good health of the AA and should ideally go together with a renewed outreach program
such as the one proposed by Alessandra Chirico, Karine Caunes and Elke Heins, who are also standing for
these elections.

Filippo Vergara Caffarelli — At the Bank of Italy since 2005, I am now a Senior Economist in the
Directorate General for Economics, Statistics and Research. I obtained a Laurea in Economics cum laude from
the University of Roma “La Sapienza” (1997) and a Ph.D. in Economics from the EUI in 2006. Formerly a
research fellow in Applied Economics at the “Sapienza” University of Rome (2002-2005), in 2015 I was a
visiting scholar at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Cambridge and a visiting fellow at Wolfson
College, Cambridge. I have worked on Brexit, international trade, economic analysis of public institutions,
industrial organisation, and game theory. I have published in several academic journals, including Dynamics
Games and Applications, Review of International Economics, Rivista di Politica Economica, and
Federalismi.it, as well a VoxEU