Bio
Michael Leigh is Academic Director, Master of Arts in European Public Policy
Senior Adjunct Professor at SAIS Europe
Sir Michael Leigh is distinguished visiting fellow at the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States and was previously senior fellow at Bruegel; he has served as senior advisor, Covington & Burling LLP, Brussels; earlier he was Director-General for Enlargement of the European Commission (2006-2011); Deputy Director-General for External Relations (2003-2006); cabinet member and official, European Commission (1977-2003); Assistant Professor of International Relations, SAIS Bologna Center (1976-1977); Lecturer in International Relations University of Sussex (1974-1976). Erskine Fellow (2017) University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He received the KCMG award for his services to the European Commission.
His research, writing and public speaking focus on the future of the EU, enlargement, EU foreign and security policy; transatlantic relations; Turkey's relations with the EU; energy questions in the eastern Mediterranean; He writes and comments on European affairs for Geopolitical Intelligence Services reports online, Euractiv, EUalive, and other media.
Leigh holds a Bachelors degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a PhD in Political Science from M.I.T.
Courses
- Introduction to the European Union
This short course provides students with the background and information they need to understand the European Union’s (EU) role in international relations today. It is especially recommended for students considering registering for courses focusing on the EU who have not previously studied theories of regional integration or the history, economics, law, institutions, external relations and politics of the EU. It will enable you to engage with fellow students and faculty at SAIS on the basis of a shared understanding of the EU, its main challenges and opportunities.
The main requirement is to participate regularly and actively in the five sessions. You are encouraged to consult the online sources specified in the syllabus, which will provide you with real-time information on European issues as they develop.
- Scenarios for the Future of Europe
Since the global financial crisis in 2008, some of the most senior political figures in Europe have predicted the EU's collapse or disintegration. A succession of crises (the euro, migration, Brexit, rule-of-law, Covid-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation, the Hamas-Israel war) as well as the rise of euro-skeptical populism appeared to vindicate such predictions.
But others claim that European integration has always advanced through crises and see a bright future for Europe through a "green recovery" from Covid-19, a robust and united response to external threats, the building of a digital single market, and a robust industrial policy, as well as the EU's regulatory power, extending to AI, enabling Europe to compete more effectively with global rivals. Some see a growing EU role in foreign policy, security and defense, including transatlantic engagement and a strategic response to the rise of China and to Russian aggression. A major EU role in the reconstruction of Ukraine (and Gaza?) could reinforce this more positive narrative.
In this course students work together in teams, in dialogue with the instructor, to develop scenarios projecting alternative futures for the EU in the period until 2035.
