High-speed rail as a strategic infrastructure: a review of the EU’s high-speed rail vision within the TEN-T framework 
Dissent at the centre: protest policing in the EU’s capital 
Unpacking the Global Gateway’s Financial Structure: A Critical Look at its Development Logic 
2026 Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive – The amendment process and its impact Anastasia Stanković
She graduated from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, with a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy Analysis and is currently pursuing a master’s in Comparative Public Policies and Administration. Anastasia Stanković serves as Vice President of the Student Council and as a student mentor, working to strengthen student participation, representation and community life at the faculty. She has also gained research experience as an undergraduate researcher within the EUTOPIA alliance. Her interests include public policy, democratic innovation and the role of young people in politics, with a particular focus on student activism and participation in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, she serves as a board member of OSSI, an alliance for the integration of Serbian students in the EU.
Maria Francisca Moutinho Ricardo Da Costa
Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, Francisca is a third year Politics & Government student at Sciences Po. She is currently on exchange at the University of Toronto. She previously graduated from the United World College in Costa Rica. Her academic interests include International Security, Human Rights, and Migration Affairs.
Her experience includes internships at the Portuguese Refugee Council, the EuroMediterranean Human Rights Network, and the Geneva International Centre for Justice. She speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish and French, and is currently studying Arabic.
Marta Luis
Originally from Portugal and now based in the Netherlands, Marta is completing a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration at Rotterdam School of Management and has studied Global Affairs at Leiden University.
She is a former SDG 8 Ambassador and is currently working at the European Registries for Rare Endocrine and Bone Conditions, focusing on ethics and privacy.
She aims to pursue a Master’s degree in International Relations and her academic interests include geo-economics, foreign affairs, and security.
Maria Beatriz Barberis
Maria Beatriz is a Brazilian student, holding a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the State University of São Paulo, Brazil, which included a semester abroad at the University of Toronto, Canada.
She has experience in diplomacy, international organizations, and development projects, including 5 years as a Project Assistant at the United Nations. Her interests include social development, inequality, and poverty eradication, inspiring research on social policies worldwide with the goal of contributing to dialogue and finding best practices.
Currently, she pursues a Master’s degree in Global Politics and Society at the University of Milan.
Alice Freguglia
Alice Freguglia has developed an academic background that combines social sciences, international relations and sustainable business management, with a particular interest in sustainability in the fashion industry and the social impact of global supply chains. She deals with human rights, corporate responsibility and youth empowerment, issues she explores through international projects, research activities and educational initiatives.
At the same time, she works in the field of institutional and digital communication. In her role as Social Media Manager and Communications Strategist, she coordinates international teams, develops informative content and uses digital technology to make complex issues related to sustainability, governance and global relations accessible.
Blanca Lozano Navarro
Blanca is a PhD student in Political Economy at the Universidad de Granada. She holds a BSc in Economics and an MA in Development Economics from the same university, plus research stays at Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne and Université Paris VIII. Her research examines economic internationalisation, institutions and public policies in Europe since the 1970s through a critical approach.
Her publications appear in specialised journals, and she takes part in European funded projects, international conferences and teaching tasks as a research assistant across Europe. Her experience includes also policy consulting in the private sector.
She works in Spanish, English, and French and aims to support public debate and advance sustainable policy design in the European Union.
Carlotta Pappalardo
Originally from Catania, Sicily, Carlotta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages from the University of Catania, which included an Erasmus+ study period at Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven, Belgium.
She is currently pursuing a double-degree Master’s program, having studied Global Politics and Euro-Mediterranean Relations in Catania before specializing in European Law at the University of Liège.
She speaks Italian, English, French, Spanish and is currently learning Dutch.
Professionally, Carlotta gained administrative experience as an intern in the Migration Office of the Prefecture of Catania, and she is currently a writer for the Italian online newspaper, Sud & Nord.
Giulia Puppo
Giulia is a third year student in the UNA Europa Joint BA in European Studies offered by KU Leuven. Her academic path has taken her to the Università di Bologna and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, building on a middle and secondary education completed in international schools in Poland and Slovakia.
This trajectory has shaped a truly multilingual and international background.
She is committed to understanding and addressing the challenges Europe faces today, with particular interests in political journalism, democratic backsliding, and the protection of human rights.
Virginia (Vi) Camoletto
On the verge of graduating in their Master Degree in International Relations and with a law background, Vi Camoletto is currently approaching the world of academic research. They have always been a highly political person, always interested in local and international political evolutions and always ready to activate themselves in the streets for what they believe is right.
Currently they are concentrating on the theme of research which most interest them which are democratic backsliding in European States and Human Rights violations within the European Union territory.
Lucía Potier Riveiro
Of Spanish and French nationality, Lucía studied Law across both educational systems and is currently completing a Master’s degree in European Economic Law at Sorbonne University in Paris. Her academic path is complemented by professional experiences in Luxembourg, Spain, and France, including an internship at the European Court of Auditors, where she contributed to analyses on public governance and financial accountability.
She has also collaborated with two economic research centres on EU policy, volunteered in the field of international protection and asylum, and is currently assisting the Paris Court of Appeal with research on financial procedural law. She is particularly interested in how EU institutions shape economic regulation and market structures.
Camilla Cappa
Camilla is completing a Bachelor in International Science and European Institutions at the University of Milan. Currently based in Geneva, Switzerland, for an exchange semester, she plans to graduate in 2026 and continue pursuing her interests in EU policies, Global Governance, International Cooperation and Human Rights.
Her passions include travelling, journalism and taking part in Model United Nations, where she enjoys debating global challenges and developing her diplomatic skills.
She is fluent in Italian and English, has a good level of Spanish and is working to improve her German and French.
Camilla hopes to build a career in International Organizations or European Institutions that will allow her to combine research, communication and policy work, while contributing to meaningful change.
Ioanna Sapouna
Ioanna is a final-year undergraduate student in Business and Public Administration with a concentration in Political Science. She is a junior researcher at the Center for Liberal Studies (KEFiM) and the Institute of International Relations at Panteion University and she speaks seven languages.
Her academic interests focus on feminist theory, political philosophy, human rights and the history of ideas, with a particular emphasis on gender, law and power.
Bennet Frigge
Bennet graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Leiden University in the Netherlands. During his bachelor’s, Bennet specialised in Russia and Eurasia.
In doing so, he focused on political, economic and cultural historical aspects of the region and its interrelation to the international sphere. Afterwards, he also specialised in the European Union as an institution by pursuing another minor.
At the moment, he is enrolled at ULB in Brussels for his Master’s in Political Science. Bennet’s current research interests include EU-Russia relations, Human Rights in Russia and the CFSP of the EU.
Pablo Villar Bollaños
A specialist in security and geopolitics, Pablo began his academic journey with a Double Bachelor’s in International Relations and Law from the University of Deusto. During his studies, he gained critical international perspective at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow and applied his skills locally by collaborating on the development of San Sebastian’s 2030 Strategic Plan.
He has since earned a Master’s degree in Security, Intelligence, and Strategic Studies and is currently expanding his expertise with a Master’s in Economic and Geopolitical Intelligence. His work focuses on high-level strategic issues, including Great Power Competition, Outer Space Security, and post-Soviet dynamics.
Katharina Rettig
Katharina is pursuing an M.A. in International Studies/Peace- and Conflict Studies at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. She is currently working as a Legal Caseworker in Greece where she contributes to projects on displacement, international protection of vulnerable migrants, and EU policy response. Additionally, she serves as a Research Fellow at the Heidelberg Institute of International Peace and Conflict Research where she monitors political conflicts in Central America.
As a volunteer Spanish – English interpreter she supports Al Otro Lado, a US-based organization that offers legal and humanitarian support to migrants. Driven by a commitment to sustainable peace processes and international protection, her research focuses on the intersection of peacebuilding and migration in (post-)conflict societies.
Louise Cullen
Louise is a Law and Political Science graduate from Trinity College Dublin, currently working in Ireland’s foremost youth information and mental health charity. Louise is passionate about enhancing standards of living and equality. Her research interests include public health, rural development, sustainability, and civil rights and legal protections.
Outside of academic pursuits, Louise is an avid reader and Taylor Swift fan! She is also a fluent Irish speaker and, via a 1200-day Duolingo streak, working on her French, Italian and Spanish.
Maria-Ioana Stanescu – Writer in the Editorial Office Team
Ioana is a Bucharest-raised, Reims-based second-year Bachelor’s student at SciencesPo, who is passionate about education policy, with a particular focus on enhance digital competences as a pathway to ensure democratic resilience and civic participation.
Thus, she is especially interested in exploring how inclusive and future-ready education systems can actually reduce inequality and empower marginalised communities, which are topics she will try to sneak into her research at EST as well!
Joes Bruin
Joes Bruin is currently a graduate student in International Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University – School of Advanced International Studies with bachelor’s degrees in history and philosophy and master’s degrees in international relations and political philosophy at Universiteit Leiden. He is specialising in both the historic as well as the contemporary aspects of geopolitical security, especially in Europe and the connection Europe has with East-Asia, and the political thought of philosophers such as Agamben and Kant.
Furthermore, he is interested in all thing’s history, from Romand emperors to the First World War. Besides his studies, he has been an enthusiastic rower and currently likes to both swim and run.
Andrea Campo
Andrea is a Postgraduate Researcher at University of Tuscia, at the Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business Organization.
In 2024, he has graduated with a master’s degree in International Relations at Luiss Guido Carli University, in Rome. Before his master’s degree, he attended a summer school named War and Diplomacy at King’s College London, where he developed his interest in security and war studies.
For his master’s thesis, Andrea analyzed how the development of the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union influenced the changes in the security policies of the Nordic countries.
As part of his degree, he spent one semester as exchange student at the University of Oslo and three months doing an internship at the General Consulate of Italy in Zürich.
Karen Apreevi – Writer at the Editorial Office
Karen has obtained a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at the International Black Sea University (IBSU). He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Security Studies at the Business and Technology University (BTU) in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is also an alumnus of the OSCE Scholarship for Peace and Security. A Georgian national of Armenian descent, he has previously worked in project management roles at local NGOs, advancing informal education and intercultural dialogue among Georgian youth.
He is devoted to popularising security-related matters in public discourse. Through his research, Karen seeks to promote regional perspectives on international affairs at the global stage.
Eva Zimianiti
Eva graduated with a BA in History and an MPhil in Political Thought & Intellectual History from the University of Cambridge. Her studies equipped her with strong research skills, as she engaged in the analysis and interpretation of complex historical and political texts.
Building on her academic background, Eva has published articles on geopolitics, multilateralism, defence and security, and has participated in relevant conferences. Additionally, she has experience in intercultural communication, working at an international company in Paris, France.
Eva’s engagement with the European Student Think Tank began through the 2025 European Policy Prize, and she is keen to increase her involvement in youth-led policy analysis and debates.
In terms of language abilities, Eva speaks Greek, English, French and Spanish.
Tamaya Sauerwein
Tamaya Sauerwein is a second-year undergraduate student at Sciences Po Paris, with a major in Politics and Government and a regional minor in Latin America and the Caribbean. Having grown up in Berlin with French, German, and Peruvian backgrounds, she brings a multicultural and transnational perspective to her work, with fluency in German, French, Spanish, and English, and a good command of Portuguese.
She is passionate about international affairs and their analysis, EU-LAC Relations, journalism, and questions of intersectionality in international law, with a strong interest in research and policy-oriented writing.
Elli Winetsdorfer
Elli Winetsdorfer holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Development Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Crisis and Security Management, as well as Criminal Justice, at Leiden University. She has completed an internship at a policy think tank in Jordan and has volunteered for several years in EU-supported programmes.
Her academic and professional interests include human rights, humanitarianism, crisis management, organised crime, and the MENA region. Beyond research, she actively promotes and raises awareness of human rights issues, participates in human rights projects, and is engaged in advocacy and activism.
Anita Ambrosi
Anita holds a Master’s degree in Social Work, with academic training focused on comparative welfare systems and evidence-based social policy analysis. Her studies have centred on gender policies, work–life balance, child and elder care, and active ageing.
She previously obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Languages and Cultures of the Middle East and North Africa, which gave her the opportunity to undertake study periods in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia, and later to specialise in the sociology of migration.
She is currently based in Italy, where she works as a junior researcher. She is fluent in Italian and English, has intermediate proficiency in French and Arabic, and a basic knowledge of Turkish.
Elena Vihocencu
She graduated from the BA International Relations and International Organization at the University of Groningen in 2024. Afterwards she pursued a MA in International Political Economy at the same institution, from which she graduated in 2025.
Her research interests focus on the relationship between public and private actors, with particular attention to European industrial policy, enterprise competitiveness, and economic growth.
She is also interested in the politics of natural resources and economic policy, as well as questions of identity and multiculturalism in contemporary societies.
Paolo Lini
Paolo graduated from the University of Milan with a bachelor’s degree in International Politics, Law and Economics. He is currently a first-year master’s student in War and Defence at the Swedish Defence University in Stockholm.
During his bachelor’s studies he spent a semester at Waseda University in Tokyo and completed a summer school at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China, and he will spend a semester at Macquarie University in Sydney as part of his master’s studies. His research interests focus on European defence integration and international security in Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region.
He has experience as a research assistant and is actively involved in associations and initiatives concerning European affairs.
Adam Żyłka
With an academic background in Applied Linguistics and Philosophy, Adam is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations at the University of Warsaw. Fluent in seven languages, his academic interests include minority language rights, language policy, and international security.
He is actively involved in civil society initiatives, particularly within the World Esperanto Youth Organization (TEJO) and the Polish Forum of Young Diplomats.
His work bridges linguistic expertise with a strong interest in international politics, human rights, and policy-oriented analysis.
Melina Vinueza
Melina is a 29-year-old professional holding a master’s degree in public and cultural diplomacy. With a background in political science and international relations, Melina has been involved in the study of European and international foreign policy after her academic experiences at IRCOM-Institute Albert Le Grand in France and the University of Siena in Italy.
Her working experiences in high-level institutions such as the CREDO Center of Excellence in Cultural Relations and Cultural Diplomacy ignited her desire to research and advocate for cultural dialogue as well as fair representation of women in IR.
Andri Stavrou
Andri holds a Bachelor’s degree in French with European studies from the University of Cyprus, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and during her master’s thesis at the ULB, she focused on U.S. foreign policy in Iraq. She also holds an MBA and is currently pursuing an MSc in Enterprise Risk Management.
She completed internships at the Diplomatic Missions of Cyprus in Brussels where she focused on Public Diplomacy and EU Foreign Policy. Moreover, at the Institut Emile Vandervelde (IEV), study centre of the Belgian Socialist Party, she specialised in Belgium’s security and defense policies. Throughout her academic and professional career, she developed a keen interest in International Affairs and particularly in Foreign Policy, Security and Defense.
Catarina Lufinha
Catarina is a final-year Economics and Political Science honours student at Trinity College Dublin. Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, her professional experience includes roles in international trade, management consulting, and research. She also spent a semester abroad at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
Her academic interests centre on the dynamics of international economics, particularly how macro-level economic systems create structural constraints and opportunities for both individual and collective actors.
Dianne Smits
Dianne has graduated from a masters in food biotechnology and a masters in food law from Wageningen University. During her bachelors she has also taken a minor in globalisation, development and policy. Dianne’s main interests and background are related to food and agriculture.
Next to her studies, Dianne has been active in different organisations. She has spend a year as a board member of the student union, she was active as a party member of the municipality council and was a board member of a foundation that aimed to link students to volunteer jobs, and support local charities financially. Additionally, to promote the findings in her master thesis, she has worked closely with legal and public affairs firms, to reach relevant Members of Parliament, that could use the information to push for policy change.
Jennifer Shoemakwr
Jennifer, a dual citizen of Russia and the United States, was based in Paris, France for 5 years and has recently relocated to London, United Kingdom. She has grown up internationally – having resided in Russia, the UAE, Indonesia, the US, and Malaysia. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International & Comparative Politics and a double minor in French and International Law from The American University of Paris.
She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Intelligence and International Security at King’s College London. She has internship experiences in asylum court research, business, political engagement, and news reporting. She also has volunteering experience with multiple refugee support initiatives. She has special interest in European security, particularly topics such as counterterrorism and crime prevention.
Ferzan Ideli – Working Group on Migration
Ferzan Ideli is an M.A. Sociology student at Freie Universität Berlin (standing with distinction; expected July 2026). He graduated cum laude in Political Science and Public Administration from Bilkent University, with Dean’s List placements and an Outstanding Achievement Scholarship.
His academic projects include survey research on post-election public attitudes, research assistance on child labor in Turkey’s seasonal agricultural sector, and a policy paper on Syrian immigrants and gendered employment in Turkey’s service sector.
He has completed internships in social policy and public finance, working on disability-related family support and public expenditure tracking. His interests span migration, social policy, and public health, with a quantitative focus using STATA and Python. He volunteers with Yekmal e.V. and supports Project Access fundraising.
Muhammad Rauhan Rasheed
Muhammad Rauhan Rasheed is currently enrolled in the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Programme Religious Diversity in a Globalised World (ReD Global) at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, and the University of Córdoba, Spain.
He has also completed Master’s in Development Studies from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad.
In addition, he holds a Bachelor’s in International Relations from the National Defense University Islamabad (NDU).
Enzo Guillaumet – Environmental Policy
He is a Bachelor’s student in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His main field of interest is comparative constitutional studies.
He wishes to investigate the effect of semantics and narratives on policy acts. More generally, he is interested in comparing governance structures instead of policy reforms.