The interdisciplinary and multinational seminar PROTEUS (Programm für einen Orientierungskurs in Recht und Politik des EU-Systems), taught by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dr. h.c. S. Hobe (ILWR, University of Cologne) and Prof. Dr. W. Wessels (CETEUS, University of Cologne), was conducted during the summer semester of 2024. This captivating seminar, focused on the law and politics of the European Union (EU), provided students with a comprehensive understanding of current European affairs. The seminar reached its culmination with an exhilarating excursion to Brussels, offering the students an immersive experience within the key institutions of the EU. Moreover, the students had the unique opportunity to actively participate in a Simulation Game about the Strategic Agenda of the European Council. A group of MA students from the Turkish-German University also joined the Brussels excursion, enriching the overall academic atmosphere.

Throughout the seminar, the students were exposed to a variety of enlightening lectures delivered by esteemed professors such as Professor Hobe and Professor Wessels. These lectures provided valuable insights and fostered intellectual discourse. In addition to the lectures, the students organised themselves into small groups, collaboratively preparing papers to enhance their engagement and preparation for the Simulation Game. The seminar itself was meticulously organised in an interdisciplinary manner. Meltem Soydan, Mag. iur., research assistant at the Institute of Aviation Law, Space Law, and Cyberlaw (ILWR), and Darius Ribbe M.A., research fellow at the Centre for Turkey and European Union Studies (CETEUS), joined the excursion as organisers. They were supported by Anuschka Windisch, student assistant at CETEUS.

The excursion was funded by the Kölner Gymnasial- und Stiftungsfonds (KGSF) and the University of Cologne as part of the Cologne Summer Schools (CSS) program. The excursion was co-organised by ILWR, CETEUS and FEU (Fördergesellschaft für Forschung und Lehre zur Europäischen Union e.V.), which supported the excursion with funds from the German-Turkish Youth Bridge (DTJB). The final report of our seminar is online available.