The “Applied Workshops on Global Affairs” aim at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The Workshops introduce students to specific problems of international relations, European affairs and policies, and international security by adopting a practical approach and innovative teaching methods. Students are involved in simulations, debates, role-play, etc., by qualified instructors with direct knowledge in the relevant field.
Workshops take place each year in September and February, before the kick-off of the courses, and are open to a limited number of students, who would like to gain specific skills and experience, under the guidance of qualified practitioners, concerning the management and resolution of practical cases.
SAWGA Workshops are reserved to SIS students: only in the event of vacancies, Master's Degrees students from other UniTrento Departments and 3°-4°-5° year students from UniTrento Faculty of Law may be considered eligible to attend the Workshops.
September 2025 Edition
Workshops are scheduled according to the following timetable:
Who is a refugee? Refugee status determination (RSD) in practice
Instructor
- José H. Fischel de Andrade - Adjunct Professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Short bio
Doctor José H. Fischel de Andrade read Law (LLB), International Law (LLM), International Relations (MSt) and History of International Relations (PhD) at the universities of Brasília, São Paulo, and Cambridge and is a former Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The Graduate Institute (HEID) in Geneva. He teaches part-time in Berlin (Humboldt) and enjoyed implementing the fruits of his teaching and research in challenging areas: he has served in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in various positions and in all continents from 1995 to 2025.
Abstract of the Workshop
This seminar focuses on the process to assess and decide whether an asylum-seeker is or is not a refugee.
On the first day it examines both the protection regime pertaining to refugees and the refugee definition enshrined in the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.
On the second and final day it adopts a ‘hands-on’ methodology, namely a case study on refugee status determination (RSD). The case study simulates an RSD procedure before an eligibility board. Group members will play the roles of the asylum-seeker’s lawyers, State lawyers, and adjudicators (RSD board)..
Calendar
- Monday, 15 of September, 14:00 - 17:00 - Room Laboratorio multimediale 1, Palazzo Prodi
- Tuesday, 16 of September, 14:00 - 17:00 - Room Laboratorio multimediale 1, Palazzo Prodi
The EU as a Geopolitical Actor
Instructor
- Stefania Benaglia - independent consultant and advisor on EU foreign policy
Short bio
Stefania Benaglia is an expert in EU foreign policy, with a focus on EU–Asia relations and the Global Gateway. An Italian national based in Brussels since 2008, she currently works as an independent consultant and advisor on EU foreign policy, providing strategic insights to public and private sector clients. She most recently served as Head of Foreign Policy at CEPS, one of Europe’s leading think tanks, and previously held positions at the European Commission and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Stefania has lived and worked also in India (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung), Israel (International Institute of Counter-Terrorism), the United States (Italian Embassy in Washington D.C.; Johns Hopkins SAIS; San Francisco State University), France (Sciences Po Grenoble), and Spain (Leonardo da Vinci programme). She holds a Master’s in International Relations and Strategic Studies from Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), a Master’s from the University of Pavia, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bologna.
Abstract of the Workshop
This intensive 6-hour seminar explores the European Union’s emerging role as a global security actor, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific—a region central to the 21st century’s geopolitical realignment.
The first session (3 hours) offers a theoretical and policy-oriented overview of the EU’s foreign policy and strategic approach, including its Indo-Pacific Strategy, trade and connectivity initiatives (e.g., Global Gateway), maritime security cooperation, and relations with regional partners such as India, ASEAN, and Japan. It also critically examines the EU’s balancing act between economic interests, normative agendas, and growing great-power rivalry. Special attention will be given to the implications of EU rearmament and defence industrial policy, and how these developments reshape the Union’s external action and strategic autonomy.
The second session (3 hours) consists of a hands-on simulation where students will draft a 2040 EU Indo-Pacific Strategy through scenario building and role play, assuming the positions of various EU institutions, member states, and strategic partners. This exercise will develop strategic foresight, negotiation skills, and a deeper understanding of policymaking under uncertainty.
By the end of the seminar, students will gain both conceptual and practical insight into the EU’s foreign policy machinery, its evolving security posture, and its role in shaping a multipolar world order.
Calendar
- Tuesday, 16 September, 09:00 - 12:00 - Room Laboratorio multimediale 2, Palazzo Prodi
- Wednesday, 17 September, 09:00 - 12:00 - Room Laboratorio multimediale 2, Palazzo Prodi
Application (deadline: Sep 2nd, 2025)
Each workshop is limited to 30 participants, and registration is mandatory. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. If we receive a high number of applications, we will prioritize each student's participation in at least one workshop.
Please note that, as registration is open to a limited number of students, joining the workshops implies the assumption of a commitment to participate. Acceptable justifications for absence only include illness or other compelling reasons.
Please note that participation in workshops does not constitute a valid excuse for absence in other teaching activities. Students engaged in simultaneous and incompatible teaching activities (e.g. crash courses, compulsory language courses) are requested not to attend the workshops.