On 19–20 February, we were thrilled to welcome the EU:CD Fellowship 2026 cohort to Brussels for two days of productive exchange, marking an important milestone in the Fellowship's programme.
Two days of immersive engagement in the heart of EU cyber diplomacy enabled the cohort to engage directly with the range of complementary EU institutions that play a critical role within the EU cyber diplomacy ecosystem, and to gain first-hand insight into how policy priorities are shaped, how positions are coordinated, and how external action and internal resilience agendas connect across the EU system, including the role of EU Cyber Direct in this context. Exchanges with operational and technical actors brought policy frameworks to life, exploring how they translate into threat intelligence practices, incident response coordination, and resilience mechanisms. Meetings with civil society, strategic advisers, and public–private interfaces further enriched understanding of the EU cybersecurity ecosystem, offering a panoramic view of the wider policy landscape.
Beyond institutional engagement, bringing together the cohort from diverse regional backgrounds sparked rich discussions, peer learning, and collaborative thinking, providing a valuable opportunity to strengthen region-to-region connections. In particular, the exchange created space to reflect on shared challenges and approaches across regions, and between fellows and EU counterparts, facilitating the exchange of lessons learned and the identification of new avenues for deeper, more effective cooperation.
Finally, moving from institutional architecture and partnerships to parliamentary engagement and industry interfaces, over the two days the EU:CD Fellowship 2026 cohort engaged directly with the concrete realities of EU cyber diplomacy, co-building the knowledge and exchange that sit at the core of EU Cyber Direct.
