About us
The European Debate Initiative (EDI) was founded in 2018 and is a non-profit organisation that organises debates about european and global affairs.
EDI focuses its discussions on topics that we consider important; this includes migration, human rights, the rule of law, the struggle for democracy, climate change and other important issues.
Politicians, experts, activists and diplomats are invited to share their experience, and students have the opportunity to engage in conversation with experts - to learn, to be inspired and to think of concrete solutions for complex issues in Europe and the world.
EDI has been awarded the European Citizen's Prize 2021 by the European Parliament.
Zoé Elkær Nicot
Zoé Elkær Nicot is co-founder of the European Debate Initiative. She did her BA in European Studies, majoring in EU law from the University of Amsterdam. She is currently studying law (LL.B.) at the University of Copenhagen. Her interests within european affairs revolve around human rights, in particular the role of NGOs and courts in the progressive development of human rights law at national, European and international level. She speaks fluent English, French and Danish.
Francesca Knaus
Francesca Knaus is co-founder of the European Debate Initiative. She did her BA in European Studies majoring in EU law and is currently doing her Master in East European Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her interests revolve around EU politics, foreign affairs, human rights and climate policy with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Originally from Austria, she grew up in Istanbul, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam and speaks fluent English, German, Turkish, French, Dutch and Russian.
John Michaelis
John Michaelis is the latest member to join the European Debate Initiative. He has a BSc in Psychology and a MSc in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam. John holds a fascination for diplomacy and conflict resolution, but also has a profound interest in human motivation and its consequences for policy-making and public attitudes. He values the EU as a peace-keeping entity and source of opportunity, driven by his own experiences of having been able to live and study across Europe.
Klara-Emilia Kajdi
Klara-Emilia Kajdi is French, German, Hungarian and was born and raised in Berlin. She did her BA in European Studies majoring in East European Studies and European Culture and did a minor in Mediterranean Studies. Currently she is doing her MA in East European studies at the University of Amsterdam. She is especially interested in human rights, politics and culture and their points of intersection with a main focus on Central and Eastern Europe.
Ivan Muso
Ivan Mušo was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic. He did his Bachelors in European Studies, majoring in European Economics. Currently, he is doing his Masters in European Policy at the University of Amsterdam. Ivan is passionate about economics, the European Single Market and sustainability where he focuses on maintaining the EU's competitiveness towards other countries. Coming from a Central European country, Ivan’s core beliefs and values are strongly linked to the EU, as it provided great progress for the Czech Republic.
