I grew up in the trenches of the Bosnia-Herzegovina war and have seen first-hand what it means to live in an ethnocracy, a place where democratic values and behaviors are non-existent. When I moved to Sweden as an adult and started learning about European and global democracy, I was reminded how Bosnia was the example […]
Tripadvisor, Inspiration for Our Digital Democracy? Read More »
If this past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that change will happen without any warning, regardless if we or our institutions are prepared for it. Personally, I was already adjusted to one aspect of this global shock: working remotely. As millions around the world joined digital work during the pandemic, these
Zooming, Slacking & Meeting: Browsing through the EU’s Digital Work Potential Read More »
With 80 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, it’s an issue that disarms many. But there’s another side of migration that doesn’t get much coverage – depopulation in rural areas. In fact, in the past 50 years, 26 million people have left the European countryside. By connecting the two issues, I believe we can cancel them
Let’s Take a Practical Approach to Europe’s Refugee Crisis Read More »
The global pandemic has jolted our food systems and lifted the veil to reveal the extent of its inefficiency, fragility, and unsustainability. Food is the epicentre of this global transition process. It represents the intricate web that connects everything and everyone – from policymakers to businesses, from producers to consumers and, therefore, is precisely the
Plates and Policies Are Best Shared Read More »
Over the past six years, I have had the chance to discreetly observe how French-speaking higher education institutions operate on a daily basis within the Agency for Quality Higher Education (AEQES) in Wallonia-Brussels Federation (WBF). I have participated in the evaluation of over 70 programs at 50 institutions. Based on interviews with several thousand people
EUducation: Nine Proposals for Quality Higher Education Read More »
On 16 September 2020, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative in her State of the Union address. What does this initiative consist of, and what core values does it convey? Will its setup and implementation allow for the NEB to deliver on its promises?
The New European Bauhaus: Beauty & Privilege Win Again? Read More »
Artificial intelligence and gender bias: An example “I’d blush if I could” is Siri’s response, to a human user telling ‘her’, “Hey Siri, you’re a bi***.” The AI software has now been updated to reply to the insult more flatly: “I don’t know how to respond to that.” However, the virtual assistant’s lack of assertiveness
“I’d Blush if I Could” Is What Artificial Intelligence Said to Gender Equality Read More »
“Fatemeh, I think it would be great if we could organize a podcast interview about innovation in democracy!” That is what Miguel de Fontenay, my former colleague from my previous corporate life, announced to me at the beginning of a strange year rung in with an on-going pandemic, vaccination contests, and American elections sprinkled with
Innovating Democracy by Turning the Rubik’s Cube Read More »
Today, let’s talk about European parties. No, not the flag-waving, bring-a-dish-from-your-country, international celebrations of diversity. Not the cosmopolitan get-togethers, multi-cultural extravaganzas, and other piazza-filling, booze-imbued celebrations made possible by decades of continental peace: cornerstones of the Erasmus experience. No. European political parties. Ah! My representatives in the European Parliament! No, not quite. Not the “Political
European Parties: A Cinderella Story? Read More »
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