Latest News

October 2025

On 3 October, Professor Dame Helen Wallace DBE, CMG, FBA, the Chair of the Brunat Trustees, was awarded an Honorary Professorship at the College of Europe in Bruges. This honour reflects Professor Wallace’s long-standing and continued commitment to the College, both as a student (from 1967-68) and subsequently as a Professor, as well as her outstanding contribution to the fields of political science and European Studies.

September 2025

Nick Thomas–Symonds, the UK Minister responsible for EU relations, gave a speech at the College of Europe in Bruges on 16 September. The full text of his speech is available here. Photos and more information are also available here.

September / October 2024

Recording of Webinar now available

A recording of the dedicated webinar for UK applicants to the College of Europe that took place on 23 October 2024 is now available to watch on the College’s website here, by entering the passcode T7Cr*zp1

Dedicated Webinar for UK applicants to the College of Europe

Join a dedicated webinar for UK applicants to the College of Europe on 23 October 2024 at 5.00 pm (GMT). Passcode for the meeting: 12345

Want to learn more about the chance for students from the UK to join the College of Europe, the leading postgraduate institute of European studies for a life-changing and career-boosting experience? A chance to study alongside students from across the world – and to learn more about the scholarship programme that accompanies this?

Applications for the academic year 2025/2026 are now open. Apply at admissions.coleurope.eu before 15 January 2025 and be considered for full or partial scholarships for the UK covering the tuition fee, board and lodging.

Since 1949, the College of Europe has prepared thousands of graduates from across Europe and beyond for careers related to European affairs and European cooperation. For British students there remain a huge number of opportunities to build expertise in the working approach of the UK’s key economic and diplomatic partner. It offers a unique, enriching chance to study and work abroad. Since 1992, the College operates in Bruges, Belgium and in Natolin (Warsaw), Poland. As of this year, it is also present in Tirana, Albania.

The College of Europe in Bruges offers specialised disciplinary programmes focusing on European Affairs. The host city is well known for its stunning beauty and is within easy reach of Brussels and the key EU and international institutions, think tanks, and other stakeholders in the European project. Each year, around 350 students from over 50 different countries come together to nurture and exchange ideas on the European project. Dynamic professors and small group teaching feature in its offer of a unique teaching and living experience. The newly added Tirana programme has been conceived to address the increasing demand for a well-rounded, critical perspective on the salient challenges of the 21st century, with a particular emphasis on the Southeastern Europe and EU-Western Balkans relations.

The College of Europe in Natolin is at the cutting edge of the study of new developments in the EU and its neighbouring countries. Its interdisciplinary programme focuses on the multilateral dimensions of the EU and is complemented by two study trips. Its personalised learning experience, under the guidance of world-renowned academics and experts, offers insights into Europe’s main challenges in the 21st century. Nestled in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, Natolin allows for a collegiate atmosphere, welcoming around 130 students from more than 30 countries each year.

The Bruges-Natolin UK European Scholarships Fund (BRUNAT) was established in 2010 to provide assistance to talented applicants with strong connections to the UK who have been offered places at the College but might otherwise be unable to take them up for lack of funds. The scholarships usually cover the tuition fee component of the College’s fees (usually around two-thirds of the total fee).

We are looking forward to e-meeting you! 

June 2024

The Brunat Trustees offer their congratulations to Brunat Scholar, Benjamin Owen, who has received two awards for his Master’s thesis entitled ‘Watchdogs and Borders: Scrutiny of Frontex as a study in EU accountability’, supervised by Professor Martin Westlake. Benjamin was awarded the Sir Julian Priestley Memorial award for ‘the best Master’s thesis on European policies and strategies’ and the Transparency International EU prize for ‘the best Master’s thesis on the European Union’s role in anti-corruption efforts / Transparency, integrity and accountability of the EU’s institutions’.

November 2023

Together with the College of Europe, on 24 November 2023 Brunat organised a dedicated webinar for prospective candidates from the UK.

May 2022

It was with great reluctance that the Trustees noted Doreen Kinsler’s wish to retire as Treasurer/Trustee. Since its foundation, Doreen has been invaluable, central to Brunat’s functioning. James Denman has agreed to join the Trustees as Hon. Treasurer and day-to-day financial administration is the responsibility of George Hay & Company, Chartered Accountants, 83 Cambridge Street, Pimlico, London SW1V 4PS

October 2022

One of our Trustees, Marie Louise Kinsler (1991-92, Mozart promotion), kindly hosted a Brunat reception in her Chambers in the Middle Temple. About 25 alumni, Trustees, donors and Brunat scholars attended the event. The photo below shows Trustees Doreen Kinsler, Helen Wallace and Moya Denham. In view of the fallout from the ongoing political crisis in the UK, participants had an increased sense of the value gained from study at the College of Europe, setting up the scaffold on which bridges between the UK and the EU may be built.

October 2021

The board of Trustees has been further strengthened with the appointment as Trustees of the Reverend Richard Washington, a former student and long serving employee at the College of Europe in Natolin, and of Mr Tim Gordon, an alumnus of the College of Europe in Bruges who is now active in the tech sector.

May 2021

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sir Martin Donnelly as a Trustee. An alumnus of the College and a former Permanent Secretary of the Department of International Trade, he brings a wealth of experience.

July 2020

We are sorry to report the recent death of Alan Forrest, an Alumnus of the College of Europe’s Alcide de Gasperi promotion (1954-55) and a former President of the Alumni Association.

In a lifetime of service to the European cause, he was instrumental in establishing Brunat in 2010 and served as Trustee until his retirement in 2016. We shall miss his continuing, enthusiastic support.

July 2020

We are now offering UK-based applicants interested in applying to the College of Europe the possibility to be put in touch with alumni who can answer questions on the different study programmes and about life on campus, both in Bruges and Natolin.

If you would like to participate, either as a (potential) College applicant or as an alumnus/alumna, please send an email to brunatscholars@gmail.com.

March 2020

Our former founding Trustee and Hon. Secretary, Sir Brian Crowe KCMG, has sadly passed away at the age of 82. Sir Brian was Director General for External and Politico-Military Affairs in the Council of the EU between 1994 and 2002, following a career as a British diplomat culminating as ambassador in Vienna.

More recently he had been Deputy Chairman of Chatham House and a foreign policy consultant. We are grateful for Sir Brian’s engagement in support of Brunat over the years, most recently as an honorary adviser.

January 2020

Susanna GARSIDE, a 2018-2019 Brunat Scholar, has published a paper as part of the College of Europe’s EU Diplomacy Paper series. The paper, “Democracy and Digital Authoritarianism: An Assessment of the EU’s External Engagement in the Promotion and Protection of Internet Freedom” is available to download on the College’s webpage.

October 2019

Reception in London: On 3 October 2019 Marie-Louise Kinsler QC, an alumna of the College of Europe and a Trustee of Brunat, hosted a reception for UK-based alumni (including five former Brunat scholars) and Brunat donors in her Chambers, located in the historic Middle Temple beside the River Thames. Professor Catherine Barnard (Professor of EU Law at the University of Cambridge and Senior Fellow, The UK in a Changing Europe) spoke of the ongoing and future difficulties of achieving Brexit with or without a deal.

Everyone agreed that their College of Europe education helps gain a wide range of jobs with an essential understanding of the challenges.

Application Deadline: Online applications for entry to the College of Europe for the academic year 2020-2021 are now open and will close on 15 January 2020 at 23:59. The online application tool is available here.

December 2018

Application deadline: Online applications for entry to the College of Europe for the academic year 2019-2020 are now open and will close on 16 January 2019 at 23:59. The online application tool is available here.

Profile of Brunat Scholars: a profile of three of this year’s Brunat Scholars has been published by Quitte ou Double. The article (in French) is available here.

January 2017

Reception in London: The Trustees of the Bruges-Natolin UK European Scholarships Fund hosted a reception on  31 January with the support of the European Commission at Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU to meet some of the scholars sponsored at the College of Europe by the Fund, to hear from Eloise Todd (von Humboldt Promotion 1999/2000), CEO of Best for Britain, and to encourage further support for the College and the Fund in a congenial atmosphere.

November 2016

The resignation of Alan Forrest, one of our founding Trustees, was accepted with regret. He served in the European Commission and subsequently in the Council of the European Union. An alumnus of the College of Europe and President of the Alumni Association 1958-1960 and 1980-1984, he will continue to support our efforts as well as those of his Promotion to raise funds for scholarships at the College.

January 2016

Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister and alumnus of the College of Europe (Mozart, 1991-2), attended a reception held at Europe House for supporters of the Fund and for UK-based alumni of the College of Europe. We are very grateful to Europe House for agreeing to sponsor the reception at which former scholars Emily Murrell (Marie Skłodowska-Curie, 2011-12), Oliver Hodgson (Václav Havel, 2012-13) and Zara Reid (Falcone-Borsellino, 2014-15) made brief presentations. The event was judged a great success and there are plans to repeat it in 2017.

December 2015

Brunat Anniversary Reception in Brussels: The Bruges-Natolin UK European Scholarships Fund celebrated its first five successful years at a reception in Brussels on 8 December thanks to Andrew Renshaw (Mme de Staël, 1984/85). Three former scholars (Yentyl Williams – Vàclav Havel, 2012/13; Simon Budden and Sam Villiers – Voltaire, 2013/14) spoke about their time at the College and their subsequent careers. The assembled guests (who included previous donors and British alumni of the College) agreed that, at a difficult juncture in the UK’s relations with its EU partners, the need for such well briefed Brits could not be more evident. A similar reception is planned for the end of January in London.

November 2015

David Williamson (Baron Williamson of Horton GCMG, CB, PC), our founding chair, died in August 2015 after a prolonged illness. As Secretary General to the Commission 1987-97 he played a crucial but understated role in European treaty change and further integration of member states that allowed for derogations acceptable to the United Kingdom. His leadership was immensely valuable in Brunat’s early days.

 Brunat LinkedIn Group: On the initiative of Yentyl Williams, a former Brunat scholar, a Denman Brunat College of Europe LinkedIn group has been set up with the particular aim of helping new graduates to adjust to the world of work in Brussels. So far it has eight former scholars as members.

 

Online donations to the Brunat Scholarships fund can be made simply by clicking on the banner below: