Sciences Po Hosts a Climate Change Negotiations Seminar for European Students

As part of CIVICA - the European University of Social Sciences, Sciences Po hosted the second edition of an Honours Seminar on “Climate Change Negotiation in a European Context” organised by our Urban School, negotiations expert Francesco Marchi and Department for Studies and Partnerships and CIVICA's team. At the end of January 2025, over 40 students from Sciences Po and our European partner universities attended the 4-day event.

Sciences Po aims to become a European Hub for university knowledge cross-fertilisation. This yearly Honours Seminar is an opportunity to carry out an innovative pedagogical approach by breaking the walls between research, teaching, training and practice on a key challenge: climate negotiations. Indeed, Francesco Marchi considers negotiation as “a new alphabet for future leaders in addressing societal transformation and challenges such as climate change”.

Words from the students who attended the second edition

An energising mix of theoretical discussions and practical simulations helped to get an overview of the most fundamental negotiation skills. One of my key takeaways was the realisation that outcomes often hinge less on the content of discussions and more on the interpersonal dynamics between stakeholders! Ultimately, we can only solve the climate crisis if we collaborate. Even if negotiation techniques cannot do magic, they can work wonders, particularly if the conversation has reached an impasse.

Harriet Keppler, Bocconi University (Italy)

Negotiating with people from different backgrounds felt like piecing together a puzzle: each person’s perspective added a piece, and only through collaboration did the bigger picture emerge. The most surprising skill I developed was learning how to find common ground in opposing views – the thread that binds seemingly conflicting ideas. Europe, in its diversity and unity, is the ultimate example of what this work can achieve – and it’s a story I hope to contribute to.

Filipe Serrano Gama, IE University (Spain)

 The most valuable insight I gained during the seminar has to do with human relationships. I used to think that negotiating meant getting the best possible deal for one's own self-interest, regardless of the other party. Now I know how it is possible, through cooperation and dialogue, to create added value and stable agreements from seemingly conflicting interests. The seminar also enabled me to understand the importance of personal reputation in multilateral negotiations.

Global governance is simply essential to address environmental challenges, and negotiation is the only tool we have to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

Chiara Andreazza, Master Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities, Sciences Po (France)

The seminar organised by CIVICA brought a crucial practical dimension to our reflection on global challenges, placing us in the shoes of negotiators and revealing that all international collaboration begins with genuine listening. Through initiatives like this, as well as other strengthened academic and civil cooperation, we are contributing to Europe's capacity to embody a strong, just, and nuanced voice—that of a generation curious about the world, deeply committed to justice, and ready to defend a shared future with conviction.

François Lambert, Master Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities, Sciences Po (France)

Watch back the video report on the first edition of this enriching experience

Each CIVICA Honours Seminar is a week-long intensive programme bringing together master’s students from any of the 10 universities of the CIVICA alliance, allowing for a “deep dive” in key topics addressing current global issues and leveraging upon interdisciplinary, transnational and research-intensive approaches.

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