The College of Europe, a postgraduate institute that prepares students for elite careers in the EU bloc, has admitted 17 students from Britain this year.

That’s despite the 2016 Brexit vote, which saw that country exit the EU in early 2021. 

The Gazette understands that many of the British students are civil servants, on secondment in order to specialise in European affairs.

A total of 24 students from Ireland are in attendance for 2022-23.

Distinguished alumni

The bilingual College of Europe prepares students for posts related to EU co-operation and integration, and has many distinguished alumni, including Irish economist David McWilliams and retired Supreme Court Judge Mary Finlay Geoghegan.

The College of Europe operates on two campuses – in Bruges (Belgium) and Natolin (Poland).

Its multinational intake is drilled with a specialised grounding in the European dimensions of their field of study, across law and economics.

European project

Each year, the Bruges campus admits around 350 students, many on partial or complete scholarships, with the goal of “nurturing and exchanging ideas on the European project”. 

It offers degrees such as MSc in European Economic Studies, and Master of European Law (LLM), as well as an MA in European Political and Governance Studies.

France sent 87 students this year, with 46 from Spain, 44 from Italy, and 30 from Belgium.

In 2018-19, ten students were admitted from Ireland, and 12 from the United Kingdom, with one coming from the US.