As the dust from the official closing of the 23rd Visegrad Summer School begins to settle, we're back, just like we promised, to share the final presentations from the VSS Future Lab.
Let’s start with Team 1, which tackled one of the most pressing and complex questions for the future of enlargement:
Let’s start with Team 1, which tackled one of the most pressing and complex questions for the future of enlargement:
How might we address expert shortages in candidate countries to enable smoother EU integration?
Róbert, Aleksandra, Margarita, Viktoria, Lucia, and Bogdan confronted the realities of brain drain - a significant obstacle for many countries seeking EU membership. Recognizing that the lack of legal, political, and economic expertise directly undermines democratic institutions, their group sought ways to build local capacity and retain talent.
Using context mapping and moodboards, their creative process led to three key proposals:
Expert exchange programs between candidates and Visegrad countries - reviving the spirit of regional solidarity and shared experience.
A professional Erasmus+ for public sector workers in candidate countries, enabling short stays at EU institutions to learn best practices.
Incentivizing young professionals to stay and work in their home communities - inspired by policy examples from Hungary.
This is a powerful, practical vision for a stronger, more cohesive enlargement process and a great example of how VSS is a space where bold ideas begin.
