Professional Visits, Lectures & Excursions*

Strasbourg, France

	The Council of Europe The Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration. It focuses on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation.
	The European Parliament The European Parliament is the parliamentary institution of the European Union. Together with the Council of Europe it is one of the most powerful legislatures in the world. It plays an active role in drafting legislation which has an impact on daily lives of all European citizens.
	The European Court of Human Rights The  European Court of Human Rights with its 47 member states monitors respect for the human rights of 800 million Europeans. It deals with new challenges and consulidating the rule of law and democracy in Europe. In almost 50 years the Court has delivered more than 10 000 judgements.
	The Assembly of European Regions Established in 1985, the AER is the largest independent network of regions in the wider Europe. Bringing together over 270 regions from 33 countries and 16 interregional organisations, AER's mission is to: - Promote the principle of subsidiarity and regional democracy; - Increase the regions' political influence within the European institutions; - Support the regions in the process of European enlargement and globalisation; - Facilitate interregional cooperation across wider Europe and beyond. www.aer.eu

Luxembourg

	The European Court of Justice The European Court of Justice is the highest court in the EU. It is in charge of reviewing the legality of the acts made by European institutions, ensuring that the 27 member states comply with the obligations under the treaties and interpreting EU law as the request of national courts.
	The European Court of Auditors The European Court of Auditors is a external investigatory audit agency. Well known as the independent guardian of the financial intrest of the European citizens, the court promotes accountability, transparency and assits in overseeing the implementation of the EU budget.

Germany

	The German Federal Bank The German Federal Bank  or "Deutsche Bundesbank" which is located in Frankfurt, is the central bank of Germany. Due to its strength and size the Federal Bank is the most influential member of the European System of Central Banks.
	The European Central Bank The European Central Bank in Frankfurt is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. The ECB's main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the the 16 EU countries of the euro area.
	The German Stock Exchange The German Stock Exchange is one of the world's leading exchange organizations and the largest in Europe. The entire organization consits of eight stock exchanges situated in different parts of Germany. The most famous is located in Frankfurt.
	The Federal Constitution Court The Federal Constitutional Court is located in Karslruhe. The main task of the court is juridical review. Additionally it has to ensure that all German institutions obey the German constitution and the basic law.

Brussels

	The European Commission The European Commission is the Eu's executive body. It represents and upholds the interests of Europe as a whole. It drafts for new European laws, manages the day-to-day business of implementing EU policies and spending EU funds. The Commission also makes sure that everybody abides by the European treaties and laws.
	The Council of the European Union The Council of the European Union defines the general political direction and the priorities of the European Union. The European Council provides the Union with the necessary inputs for its developement. It does not exercise legislative functions.
	The Committee of the Regions The role of the Committee of the Regions – Economic and Social Commission is to put forward the local and regional points of view on EU legislation. It is an advisory body composed of representatives of Europe's regional and local authorities. It must be consulted before EU decisions are made, affecting local and regional governments.
	The US Mission to the EU Founded 50 year ago, the US Mission to the European Union is a imoprtant institution, maintainig diplomatic relations between the USA and the EU. In Brussles there are representatives from different US departments, e.g. Justice, Trade, Agriculture, Public Affairs... Additionally the US Mission provides information for the USA or the EU.
	The World Bank Group The World Bank Group is not a bank in common sense. It provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries. The mission of the bank is to fight poverty for lasting results and to help people to help themselves and their environment by providing resources, sharing knowledge, building capacity and foreign partnerships.

* Although we will do our best to include most of the excursions and visits listed above, we can not guarantee that they will be available each semester.
Please visit the Dates & Itinerary page to see which activities are currently planned or included in your program.