Welcome address by the New Director-General Bart Ouvry
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It is an honor to join the Egmont Institute at this moment in time. We live in what some call a ‘geopolitical era’, and this makes the Institute into a more pertinent actor than ever.
Egmont is an independent think-tank that produces evidence based, policy-relevant research, trains Belgian and international diplomats and civil servants, and conducts outreach on the international scene. We have a close dialogue with all our partners, first of all through the international network of the Belgian diplomatic service but also with the diplomatic community, civil society, academia and private enterprise.
Doing so from Brussels, the main headquarters of the European Union and NATO and capital of Belgium, a founding member state of the EU, defines our identity and priorities.
I feel privileged to join a dynamic team which has over the years developed Egmont into a reference in quite a few fields, and as part of an impressive network of European think tanks, academia and media.
I bring to this job my almost forty years of diplomatic experience in United Nations and European Union environments, in fields such as human rights, environment or nuclear non-proliferation, and as Ambassador in three successive African postings.
I’m looking forward to meeting many new colleagues and friends over the coming days and to working with the very stimulating Egmont staff and fellows. Let me know your thoughts and proposals – you can reach me on b.ouvry@egmontinstitute.be.
I conclude by a warm thank you to Professor Dr. Sven Biscop, who acted as Director-General for a full year and has initiated several changes which enhanced the dynamics of our common work. Over the coming months I plan to follow in his footsteps and to bring more focus to our research, and to deepen and broaden our outreach.
Kind regards and looking forward to continuing the conversation with our stakeholders and to working together!
Bart Ouvry.