On September 21, the SEAS-based GW Environmental and Energy Management Institute (EEMI) conducted a seminar with Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges (second largest Port in Europe). The event was held in the Lehman Auditorium.
SEAS Dean John Lach kicked off the event, followed by a panel discussion with Mr. Vandermeiren and Ambassador Andras Simonyi, EEMI Distinguished Visiting Scholar.
The discussion focused on transatlantic efforts and cooperation in support of energy security and the green transition, as well as the increasingly important relationship between the United States and Europe, with a particular focus on Belgium. The Russia-Ukraine war was a special focus. With the cutoff of energy supplies from Russia to Europe, shipping ports are increasingly important both in terms of energy security and in facilitating the transition to clean energy through their instrumental roles in resource import, distribution, and the advancement of renewable infrastructure.
An in-person invitation-only audience of 45 experts selected by the Atlantic Council and Belgian Embassy, along with SEAS National Advisory Committee members, EEMI Director of Business Sustainability Dr. Salah Hassan and other GW experts, posed questions to Mr. Vandermeiren, and was monitored by 280 virtual participants. EEMI Director of Professional Education Dr. Ed Saltzberg coordinated the event.
A recording of the event can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/867530109?share=copy