Debating the Importance of Cybersecurity in Strasbourg

By Michael Morley - Transition Year

On the 24th of January I was fortunate to win a trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, through the Graduate.ie Second Level Student Competition. The competition features a series of quizzes on the European Union and is open to all second level students around the country.

Last Wednesday, I travelled to the European Parliament with 24 other Irish students. Once inside we made our way to the Hemiscycle, where the European Parliament is held once a month. We were then joined by over 500 other students from many other European countries, and greeted by Marc Angel, the Vice President of the European Parliament. Mr Angel welcomed us warmly, told us how he campaigns for equal rights, including gender equality, before opening the floor for a Q&A session.

The highlight of the day was our debate with our fellow Europeans students on the importance of Cybersecurity in the EU's regulations going forward. Here we were given the motion “Safe Internet for a Stronger Europe” to debate the pros and cons of Cybersecurity Regulations and ultimately to vote on what amendments we would enact. We voted to pass the act by a landslide using the famous electronic voting system. Overall, the key takeaway for me was the importance of European democracy and voting.

Later that evening we had the opportunity to explore Strasbourg which is beautiful at this time of year. We visited "Le Petit France", "Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg" and the many festive christmas markets. It was an unforgettable trip that I feel privileged to have won.

I would like to thank Mr. John O Leary for informing me about this competition and to make all students aware that this competition is now open once again for students to travel.

To enter: Click Here