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, and is completing an internship at the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, before returning as a Political Assistant in the Danish Parliament. Her interests within European affairs revolve around human rights, the rule of law and development policy .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 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. Since 2022 she has been working as a full time policy advisor for a member of the German parliament (Bundestag) in Berlin. Her main focus is on foreign policy and human rights in Central and Eastern Europe.
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 and 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. Currently she is working as a writer, historical educator and in the cinema and film festival field in Amsterdam.
Ivan Muso
Ivan Mušo was born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic. He did his Masters in European Policy at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on the development of the EU Taxonomy. Intrigued by the concepts of competitiveness and sustainability, he currently works for the Czech Ministry of Finance's Economic Transformation Unit.
