These are mid-level or senior EU officials sent for a semester or a year to research, teach and consult with students and faculty in selected U.S. universities. During any given semester approximately ten fellows are dotted throughout the U.S. and are generally eager to travel to other institutions to lecture on their areas of expertise. Team Europe, a nation-wide group of U.S. academics and business people who are knowledgeable about the EU, is another source of visiting lecturers. The Academic Affairs Office of the Commission Delegation in Washington coordinates Team Europe, and is a contact point for the network of EU Fellows. Moreover, the Delegation's diligent interns respond to student inquiries for information and documentation on specific EU policies or programs.
Assessments are in keeping with the students' backgrounds and interests.
Instead of a lengthy research paper, students are asked to write a relatively short position or briefing paper on an aspect of EU policy from the perspective of an EU institution, member state, interest group, or third country. The purpose is to train students to find relevant information quickly, to grasp the essentials, and to be concise. In other words, the paper is intended to replicate a real-life assignment in the workplace. The final exam is more conventional, consisting of questions requiring essay or op-ed type answers. Conclusion Graduate students are more focused and exacting than their undergraduate counterparts.