The Transatlantic Socrates Seminar was launched in 2019 and gathers for each edition 20 – 25 participants belonging to various nationalities, representing key stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic, involved in strengthening the Transatlantic ties. Since 2022, the Seminar is organized annually in Brussels (Belgium), a city serving as a focal point of both NATO and the EU. 

The 2022, 2023 and 2024 editions of the Seminar were organized in cooperation with NATO (through Policy Planning Unit in 2022 and Public Diplomacy Division in 2023) and the European External Action Service and provided a channel for informal and informed dialogue with key stakeholders on both sides of the Atlantic, in a multi-national environment. 

The participants to the Seminar have various backgrounds such as technology, communication, cybersecurity, defense policy, foreign affairs, diplomacy, political affairs, international relations, finance etc. 

During the 3 days of each edition of the seminar, the participants are challenged to explore contemporary critical issues facing the world and to have an informal, constructive debate on topics such as: societal and democratic resilience in the era of great power competition; the future European and global architectures: the nexus between resilience, security and innovation; opportunities and challenges presented by new technologies; online disinformation and fake news; boosting resilience to cyber and hybrid threats; NATO New Strategic Concept etc.

The Transatlantic Socrates Seminar is developed in partnership with the Aspen Institute US – Socrates Program and is conducted in English. The Socrates Seminars organized around the world provide a forum for emerging leaders from various professions to convene and explore contemporary issues through expert-moderated dialogue. The seminars are designed as values-based Socratic explorations to facilitate the exchange of ideas. The Socrates Seminar is a collaborative endeavour for participants from different fields and the participants are asked to contribute their understanding of and reactions to carefully selected readings, with the guidance of moderators who are experts in their sector.

By joining the Socrates Seminars developed by the Aspen Institute Romania in partnership with the Aspen Institute – Socrates Program, participants join the growing community of Fellows and Alumni of the Aspen Institute Romania Leadership Programs, already covering more than 40 countries and more than 1,600 individuals from across the globe. Also, the participants join a diverse Socrates alumni network which has grown to over 10,000 leaders from the entire world, from the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors.

The 7th edition of the seminar was organized in Brussels on June 10-12, 2025, and the 8th edition will take place in 2026.

Please find below details about the editions of the Transatlantic Socrates Seminar organized by the Aspen Institute Romania between 2019 and 2025.