Lecture
Europe Hub Distinguished Lecture 2026: Europe’s Digital Sovereignty
- Henna Virkkunen
- Date
- Monday 28 September 2026
- Time
- Location
-
Wijnhaven
Turfmarkt 99
2511 DP The Hague - Room
- 2.02
About the lecture
How can Europe strengthen its digital sovereignty while remaining competitive, innovative and open? Against the backdrop of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and growing geopolitical competition over critical technologies, the question of digital sovereignty increasingly touches upon Europe’s economic competitiveness, security and capacity to act independently. In this Distinguished Lecture, European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen will address Europe’s ambitions and challenges in building a secure and resilient digital future.
Executive Vice-President Virkkunen’s lecture will be followed by a Q&A with students, staff and other members of the audience.
Programma
17:45 – Doors open
18:00 – Welcome and opening remarks by Prof. Luc Sels, President of the Executive Board, Leiden University
18:05 – Distinguished Lecture by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy: Europe’s Digital Sovereignty
18:25 – Q&A with the audience
19:00 – Closing, by Prof. Daniel Thomas, Leiden University
Register here
About the Europe Hub
The Leiden University Europe Hub is an interdisciplinary platform bringing together expertise on Europe from across Leiden University. It connects scholars from the Faculties of Governance and Global Affairs, Humanities, Law, and Social and Behavioural Sciences and promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching and engagement on Europe, its internal development and its role in the world.