“Current EU Issues and Priorities” – A Lecture Recap

“Current EU Issues and Priorities” – A Lecture Recap

On March 1, 2024, Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl, chair of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy and former Austrian Ambassador to China, delivered a lecture titled, “Current EU Issues and Priorities”. The event was chaired by Associate Professor Xu Zhengyuan from the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China. Professors Tang Hong, Xu Ying, Ji Xianbai, Dr. Zhu Xiaoqi, and Dr. Zhang Yunhan also participated in the discussion, which attracted many faculty and students from both inside and outside the university.

Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl is the chair of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy and has held several prestigious diplomatic positions. She served as the Austrian Ambassador to the People's Republic of China and Mongolia from 2012 to 2017, and as Ambassador to Brazil and Suriname from 2017 to 2021. From 2005 to 2012, she was the Director-General for Development Policy and Cooperation at the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between 2001 and 2004, she served as the Assistant Director-General of the UN Industrial Development Organization's office in New York, and from 1998 to 2001, she was Austria’s representative to the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Industrial Development Organization, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna.

At the invitation of the UN Research Center at Renmin University of China, Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl delivered a comprehensive presentation titled 'Current EU Issues and Priorities.' Dr. Giner-Reichl provided an in-depth introduction to the main functions of the EU's key institutions and analyzed the EU's focus on a range of emerging issues through the 'EU 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework' (MFF). She also discussed the significant impact of the 'European Green Deal' on the EU’s economic sustainability. Additionally, Dr. Giner-Reichl shared her insights on China-EU relations.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in a lively exchange with Dr. Irene Giner-Reichl on topics such as the EU's strategic autonomy and regional cooperation. The students all expressed that they greatly benefited from Ambassador Giner-Reichl's lecture.