Charles Cohen

After studying the EU through the prism of Central and Eastern Europe at UCL SSEES, I wanted to get a comprehensive understanding of EU institutions, so I applied to the European Institute.

Once at the LSE, I tried to broaden my scope of study as much as possible instead of narrowing down my choices to build precise policy expertise. I thought to myself: this might be your last time at university ever, so you better make the most of it! This choice would prove very useful at the start of my professional life. Without knowing, I was already hinting at journalism.

After my studies, I joined Argus Media as a reporter to get journalistic experience covering the European gas market and the related policy developments. But there was something I kept ruminating on: I missed the cross-disciplinary experience I had gotten at LSE, always learning about a new regional development, a historical event or an ongoing debate through a lecture or a reading.

I started thinking of developing a news podcast with a friend I met at the European Institute. Together, we reached out to The European Correspondent and started a weekly European affairs podcast called Meanwhile in Europe.

We aimed to re-create the stimulating campus atmosphere we had experienced on campus when chatting with our friends about European affairs in accessible language. We interviewed MEPs, activists and scholars, always having the EI at the back of our mind - when it comes to interviewing experts, I know where to find them. I then got a step closer to EU policymaking by joining the team of Euractiv’s daily podcast, Today in the EU in Brussels.

If I need to take two key things away from my time at the European institute, it would be the ability to navigate various policy topics and translate them into thorough research, and the constant flow of ideas with classmates, friends and professors in seminars. This has been the backbone of my daily work as a journalist.