Transatlantic Bridge Conference 2025: A Timely Gathering on the Future of the Transatlantic Alliance

From May 30 to June 1, 2025, SAIS was proud to take part in the fourth edition of the Transatlantic Bridge Conference, held across IE University's campuses in Madrid and Segovia. Co-organized by the IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Sciences Po Paris School of International Affairs, and the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, this annual initiative brought together students, scholars, policymakers, and institutional partners to examine the most pressing challenges facing the transatlantic alliance.

In a time of geopolitical upheaval, technological disruption, and democratic uncertainty, the 2025 conference created essential space for rigorous, forward-looking dialogue—spanning borders, sectors, and generations.

The conference opened at IE Tower in Madrid with a public panel titled "Trump 2.0: Challenges and Opportunities for Europe," moderated by David Leonhardt of The New York Times. Panelists included Francis J. Gavin (Johns Hopkins SAIS), Arancha González Laya (Sciences Po PSIA), Cecilia Malmström (PIIE), and Amanda Sloat (IE), who explored the implications of U.S. political dynamics for European policy, trade, and security.

Over the following two days in Segovia, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on European security and NATO, transatlantic trade and supply chains, democratic resilience, global tech governance, and climate cooperation. The conference welcomed a range of voices—from former heads of government and leading scholars to emerging student leaders and diplomats from across Europe, the United States, and the Global South. "Transatlantic ties are under unprecedented pressure, something we've never witnessed before in the US-Europe relations. The Transatlantic Bridge Conference takes place at an incredibly timely moment. At our Segovia retreat, we aim to deep dive into the causes of today's challenges and to develop creative solutions to strengthen the relationship," said Enrico Letta, Dean of the School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University and former Prime Minister of Italy.

Arancha González Laya, Dean of PSIA at Sciences Po, highlighted: "The fourth edition of the Transatlantic Bridge could not take place at a most opportune moment. At a time of stress in the transatlantic relation, universities provide a safe space for exchanges and dialogue to further mutual understanding."

"The transatlantic partnership remains essential to addressing today's global challenges—from European security and trade resilience to the future of democracy and global tech governance," added James B. Steinberg, Dean of Johns Hopkins SAIS. "At a time of turbulence and uncertainty across continents, sustained dialogue is more vital than ever. Across our campuses in Washington, Bologna, and Nanjing, SAIS is proud to foster the kind of informed, global engagement that this conference exemplifies."

James Levinsohn, Dean of the Jackson School at Yale, concluded: "The transatlantic alliance was built more than eighty years ago on mankind's aspiration for peace, democracy, prosperity and individual freedom, and on the belief that these four goals are mutually reinforcing and could only be pursued simultaneously. The last few years, we've seen war and disinformation spread, democracy weaken, prosperity concentrate in the hands of the few, and new technologies siphon off individual freedoms. This conference brings together today's thinkers and policymakers from both sides of the Atlantic, with the goal to foster a common understanding of the dangers we face and build the relationships necessary to shape a united response. As a professional school focused on educating future leading policymakers, the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs is proud to nurture and strengthen these vital dialogues."

We are deeply grateful to all who joined us in Madrid and Segovia and to our institutional partners—IE University, Sciences Po, and Yale Jackson School—for their commitment to this collaborative effort. The insights and connections forged during the 2025 edition will continue to shape the conversation around transatlantic relations in the months and years ahead.



Event Program