As we move toward a world comprised of fewer, but larger, unified regional groupings such a the European Union (EU), governments and businesses must learn to deal knowledgeably with these new entities. Future leaders now coming through our colleges and universities must confront the realization that the U.S. no longer functions unilaterally in an insular environment.
The European Union Simulation, organized by a consortium of East Coast universities and colleges, offers students an excellent opportunity to test their cognitive and leadership skills in a three-day event in Washington, D.C. On the first day of the Simulation, students visit European embassies and the State Department. These visits allow the students to further their understanding of the countries they represent in informal briefing sessions and a satellite link-up with the EU commission in Brussels. During the second and third days the students assume the identity of their EU alter egos. Some serve as Ministers in their respective governments, while others assume the role of Members of the European Parliament, representing the various political viewpoints found in that body.
The Simulation enables the students to experience the same problems as their European counterparts as they try to overcome the structural problems inherent in the EU organization. It enables the students to comprehend more effectively the complexity and interdependent nature of the EU, and to understand the process of social change through democratic institutions and systems.
Every Fall semester the World Affairs Club, in cooperation with the International Relations Department, sends a Lehigh delegation to the European Union Simulation in Washington, D.C.