Passion Wanted for a New Euorpe –
EuroAcademy 2005

A unique event where 120 students from top universities meet leaders from industry, academia, and politics to reflect on Europe, its future, and their role as potential leaders. This was the second McKinsey EuroAcademy, which took place from October 6 to 9, 2005 in Cape Sounion, near Athens. The participants joined outstanding guest speakers - including Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, and Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament. Together, they experienced four days of intense learning, reflection, discussion, and, of course, fun.

By enabling discussion between current and future leaders in both formal and informal contexts, we wanted to give the students a chance to develop their vision of the new Europe and to explore what their own personal leadership contribution could be in the future. We also wanted to discover what the leaders of tomorrow consider the most pressing issues facing Europe.

On the first evening, students joined McKinsey consultants and guest speakers for an opening dinner. The following day, the students grappled with hot issues in plenary sessions on Europe and leadership and in breakout groups on more specific topics. The discussion was lively and the debate challenging. The third day was a sailing event, designed to encourage teamwork and continued peer exchange. For the final day, students generated ideas on how to advance Europe, with prizes awarded for the best proposals.

2005 Booklet