Security research plays a crucial role in responding to terrorism, organised crime and natural disasters.

The annual European Security Research Conference has remained since its start a crucial part in the evolution of civil European security research. Held in Ostende from the 22th to 24th of September 2010, this year's edition will be organised by the Belgian Federal Science policy Office (Belspo) under the Belgian Presidency of the European Union.

Within this context the European Journalism Centre (EJC) and the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry are co-organising a one and a half-day briefing tackling the current state of play on security research, its challenges and its opportunities in the future.

More than 1.000 Representatives from the research and industry fields, the European Institutions and other stake-holders interested in security will gather in this event. They will discuss about developing technologies and the capabilities which support the protection of European citizens.

Journalists will have free access to all the conference programme and will be given the chance to interview many of the key-speakers taking part in the different sessions.

Together with the Nihon Shinbun Kyokai (NSK), the Association of Newspaper Publishers and Editors of Japan, the European Journalism Centre (EJC) invites you to apply for the NSK-EJC fellowship programme taking place between 26 September - 8 October 2010.

Aiming to promote a better understanding of Japan, the programme features seminars led by top lecturers in Japanese politics, economics and culture, complemented by a three-day group tour of Japanese social and cultural highlights.

NSK will cover flight expenses (up to 500 euro), accommodation and local transport for all fellows.

Applicants may be up to 40 years old and should have at least five years of experience as full-time professional journalists. Fellows must have good speaking, comprehension and writing skills in English, the lingua franca for all lectures. Print journalists or editors affiliated with newspapers or agencies are encouraged to apply; freelance journalists and broadcast journalists are also welcome.

For further information please download the prospectus on the following link:

http://www.ejc.net/uploads/media_landscapes/2010Prospectusnsk.pdf

To apply, please fill in the application form on the following link:

https://ejcnet.wufoo.com/forms/ejc-nsk/

and submit along with all the necessary documents by 27 June, 2010. Any application submitted after that date will not be considered.

Contact EJC project assistant Maria Manta (manta@ejc.net - +32 2 235 2344) for any further details.

Applications from EU journalists only please.

Five years after the Orange Revolution put Ukraine on the path towards a European-style government, where will a newly elected president direct the country? With critical gas pipelines running across Ukraine to supply the EU, how will government policies affect the EU’s long term energy security?

Two presidential elections and three gas cut-offs later, this five-day intensive workshop will enable 15 European journalists to take a look at the progress of Ukraine’s political and economic reforms as well as its implications for the future of European gas consumption. A quarter of Europe's gas is supplied by Russia and 80% of it transits through Ukraine.

To guarantee its citizens and economy continuous supplies, the EU has backed the restructuring of Ukraine’s gas transit system. Burdened with an under-reformed economy badly hit by the financial crisis, Ukraine is also deeply divided between a Russian speaking east loyal to Moscow and its western part eying the EU.

This briefing is part of a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) series of eight events organised with the financial support of European Commission’s DG External Relations.

Developed in 2004, the ENP provides a framework for the EU to work with neighbouring countries by offering support and financial assistance in exchange for the undertaking of reforms in line with European values. The hope is that these reforms lead to closer political and economic integration between the neighbouring state and the EU, contributing to a safe and stable European neighbourhood.

This workshop includes a one-day programme in Brussels followed by an intensive study tour to Ukraine. The briefing will examine the ENP’s state of play, the EU’s relations with Ukraine, as well as its political and economic dynamics through meetings, panel discussions, lectures and field visits. Participating reporters will be briefed by a wide range of sources featuring EU officials, diplomats, local authorities, civil society organisations, independent experts, NGOs and journalists.

Applications are open to EU professional working journalists

With the help of Enterprise Europe Network, small and medium enterprises (SME's) can make a splash in the European marketplace and thus become more international and innovative. Working through more than 581 entities from across 45 countries, this network connects small organisations and assists them to make the most of the business opportunities.

Amid this context, the city of Antwerp (Belgium) will be the scene of the Annual Conference of the Network between the 13th and 15th of October. Embraced by this framework, the European Journalism Centre and the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry will co-organise a one-day briefing targeting 15 business-specialised journalists from: Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

Lead by several DG Enterprise officials, the press-briefing will focus on the creation of the Enterprise Europe Network, its challenges, objectives and the impact it will have on the European business market.

Among the some 800 expected participants, the conference will kick off with a joint press conference from VP Commissioner Tajani and Flemish Minister President Kris Peeters. All network partners and representatives from other European Institutions, Member States and European business organisations will also attend.

Journalists attending the event will have the chance to network and open up discussions with the conference participants ranging from Chambers of Commerce to innovation and development agencies.

After gaining independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has gone from being one of the poorest Soviet republics to eventually reaching a double digit GDP growth rate due to its oil and gas resources. Economically, the country’s most important sectors are oil and gas – providing half of its GDP, as well as agriculture - bringing livelihood to just under half of the Azeri households.

Both sectors are indirectly linked to the most pressing environmental challenges facing Azerbaijan. Soil in the region was contaminated during Soviet-era cotton production and Caspian petroleum and petrochemicals industries have contributed to air and water problems.

For energy hungry Europe, Azerbaijan is interesting not only as an energy provider but also as a potential transit point for gas rich Central Asia. Through this briefing in Baku, 15 journalists will have the opportunity to discover in-depth a country that can play a crucial role in securing one of the cornerstones of the EU’s energy diversification policy.

This briefing is part of a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) series of eight events organised with the financial support of European Commission’s DG External Relations.

Developed in 2004, the ENP provides a framework for the EU to work with neighbouring countries by offering support and financial assistance in exchange for the undertaking of reforms in line with European values. The hope is that these reforms lead to closer political and economic integration between the neighbouring state and the EU, contributing to a safe and stable European neighbourhood.

This workshop includes a one-day programme in Brussels followed by an intensive study tour to Azerbaijan. The briefing will examine the ENP’s state of play, the EU’s relations with Azerbaijan, as well as its political and economic dynamics through meetings, panel discussions, lectures and field visits. Participating reporters will be briefed by a wide range of sources featuring EU officials, diplomats, local authorities, civil society organisations, independent experts, NGOs and journalists.

Applications are open to EU professional working journalists

In order for Europe to shape its position on space exploration in the global arena it still needs to define a joint European vision and strategy. An informal meeting between European ministers in charge of space kicked off this process in July 2008. One year later the first international conference on Space Exploration took place in Prague on 23 October 2009.

Moved by the same goals and held at a ministerial level, the second event of this kind will be held in Brussels on 21 October under the current Belgian Presidency.

Amid this context, the European Journalism Centre, in co-operation with the European Commission DG Enterprise and Industry, is putting together a one and a half-day briefing aiming to foster an in-depth political discussion on the main future challenges in space cooperation.

For those who are interested in tackling this topic, the programme will provide journalists with the opportunity to attend several discussions with institutional stakeholders from the EU, the European Space Agency, as well as representatives of third countries active in the space cooperation issue.