The EU Centre for Global Affairs and the Law School at the University of Adelaide would like to thank everyone who joined us defying the weather on the evening of 9 May to celebrate Europe Day 2016 and all things EU and all quiz takers.

Europe Day is an annual celebration symbolising the peace and unity of Europe and the evening started with networking reception to celebrate these values followed by the presentations of panel of speakers on the theme “United in Diversity”, the motto of the European Union.

We would like to thank our speakers from the University of Adelaide for providing insights into different aspects and concepts, current state and challenges being faced of such a unique model of regional integration:

• Professor Paul Babie, Associate Dean of Law (Research) of the Adelaide Law School, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of the Professions opened the event welcoming the guests and emphasizing the importance of maintaining and developing further the relationships with Europe and the lessons we all can learn from the examples of the EU.
• Ms Jessica Viven-Wilksch, Lecturer, Adelaide Law School shed light on the historic and legal background drawing attention to the fact what a bold endeavour the project was. Yet, it was at the same time absolutely necessary and urgent for a region devastated after World War II. It all started with the Schuman Declaration on 9 May 1950 and laid the foundations for the European Union.
• Associate Professor Ben McCann, Head of French Studies Department gave an interesting and insightful account of what is going on in the European cinema market. He discussed the concepts of ‘EU cinema v national cinema’ underlining the relative dominance of US film production studios drawing upon the figures of attendance in 2014. We got to know that, apart from other factors, this is due to the fact that major US film production studios developed into huge integrated organisations who can leverage their available human, financial, infrastructural and distributional recourses to maximize profits and share risks between a wide range of projects.
  Ben McCann also illustrated by the example of the French film production industry the effectiveness of well-balanced and focused policy actions in generating an enabling art and culture environment.
• Dr Benito Cao, Lecturer from the Department of Politics and International Studies addressed the very complicated and pressing topic of ‘European Identity Politics’, especially in the light of recent events in the world which inevitably have most immediate implications for Europe, the EU and all of their citizens. Benito Cao cited the recent speech of Pope Francis at the Charlemagne prize acceptance ceremony as an example of how Europeans and all interested parties should manage and address current challenges by reclaiming the principles that had been established after the second world war, above all by embracing integration and revamping its social model to “benefit ordinary people and society as a whole”.
  And it is very demonstrative that two of the speakers concluded their speeches with the same motto in mind that more precisely can reflect the current challenge as well as future possible actions in Europe – ‘United in Adversity’.
• Mr Keith Wilson, Executive Director of the Institute for International Trade closed the event with prize-giving ceremony for the most successful quiz takers and highlighted positive moments of collaboration with the EU Centre for Global Affairs and future opportunities ahead.

Look at the event photos here

Download the copy of Associate Professor Ben McCann’s presentation here: EU Cinema

Answers for the Europe Day quiz are available here