Participants of the 2025 European Summer School, held in the Monastery of Poblet, Spain, and organised by the School of Government and Leadership Isabel la Católica, in partnership with COMECE, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Fundación Nemesio Díez. (Photo: UVF)
The second edition of the European Summer School 2025, themed Security, Strategy and Leadership, has now concluded. The programme took place from 5 to 13 July 2025 at the historic Monastery of Poblet, Spain.
Bringing together 40 carefully selected young professionals from over 20 countries, the programme chose participants based on their academic excellence, leadership potential, and dedication to shaping Europe’s future.
This year’s theme — Security and Defence — tackled one of the most urgent and complex issues of our time. Over nine intensive days, participants engaged in high-level lectures, strategic workshops, and collaborative simulations, all designed to deepen their understanding of Europe’s current vulnerabilities and responsibilities within a rapidly changing global order.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn directly from distinguished figures including: Jan Figel, former EU Commissioner and Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion; Ambassador Jan Tombiński, current Polish Ambassador to Germany and former EU Ambassador to the Holy See; General Carlos Javier Frías, Director of the Spanish Army War College; Colonel José María Pardo de Santayana, Senior Analyst and Research Coordinator at the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies; Marcela Szymanski, head of the Brussels office of Aid to the Church in Need; Beatriz de León, expert in radicalisation and conflict in West Africa; Andrew Smith, specialist in nuclear deterrence; Grégoire Catta, theologian and expert in Catholic Social Teaching from the French Bishops’ Conference; Andrés de Castro, geopolitical analyst.
Speakers also included several advisers from COMECE, among them: José Luis Bazán, adviser on Migration & Asylum and International Religious Freedom; Marek Mišák, adviser on EU External Affairs; Stefan Lunte, Secretary General of Justice and Peace Europe.
In addition to its academic depth, the programme integrated cultural identity and ethical leadership, including a visit to Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Família — a symbol of Europe’s spiritual heritage and enduring creativity.
The European Summer School 2025 did not claim to provide definitive answers. Rather, it nurtured a new generation of leaders equipped to grasp complexity, manage uncertainty, and craft responses rooted in ethical principles and strategic foresight.
The Summer School was organised by the School of Government and Leadership Isabel la Católica, part of the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, in partnership with COMECE, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and Fundación Nemesio Díez.