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At the European Parliment

At Bruegel

In December 2025, a group of our economics students swapped the lecture theatre for a study trip to Brussels. The three-day experience changed how they see economics, and for some, their own futures.

The timing couldn’t have been better. The students arrived just as big questions were being debated at the EU:  the 2028–2034 EU budget, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, and how Europe should respond to inflation, economic security and the green transition.

“In class, I’d learned about trade policy mainly through standard economic models,” said Yusihui Zhang. “Hearing policymakers discuss strategic dependencies, supply chain resilience and geopolitical risks made these abstract ideas much more concrete.”

For others, it was the physical spaces that inspired them. “When we walked into the actual room, the decisions were made,” Flynn Murrell said, “ I’m  now more sure I should do my Masters to get into the running.”

Talks at the European Commission, European Parliament and economic policy think tank Bruegel turned lecture content into lived experience. First-year student, Aberami Sivaharan, described how a Bruegel session on the EU budget “made ideas on budget constraints and policy trade-offs more familiar.” Marco Giorgi left with a sharper sense of scale: “Expectations about the EU’s ability to transform economic outcomes are often higher than what its actual budget allows.”

Accompanying faculty member Dr Jiao Wang, Assistant Professor, Economics said: “At the end of each trip, I see concrete improvement in students' understanding of the issues related to the UK and Europe, and in their confidence in discussing these issues.”

The trip also reshaped how students thought about potential careers. “I appreciated the fact that one can have an impact on EU policymaking without necessarily working in an institution,” said Hans Aris Loik. Vince Comer admitted that before the trip, working in policy “was not really on my radar… I’m now seriously considering it.”

Josh Ewer found the think tank visit eye-opening: “We got to see how the trade negotiations come to life… I never did think about working in policy, but it has opened a new door to me.” For some, the competitiveness of roles at the Commission, Parliament and top think tanks was insightful – but it also clarified students' interests in international organisations, NGOs, consultancies and national public administrations.

And then there was the networking side of the trip. “I appreciated learning more about my course mates,” said Hans. With first-, second- and final-year students all together, informal peer mentoring happened over meals, walks and metro rides.

Social highlights came up as often as institutional ones. “I indulged in Brussels beer, cuisine and the chocolate, and the architecture is beautiful,” added Josh. For Aberami, the standout moment was “seeing the Grand Place lit up, and walking through the Christmas markets, enjoying waffles, and spending time with people I wouldn’t normally have met. The Brussels trip is worth it and great value.” 

If you’re interested in study trips please contact: business-international@sussex.ac.uk

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