Claire Lawrence joined the College of Europe in February 2016. Together with Cesare Zegretti, she leads the Executive Education, Training and Projects Office, where she oversees the development and delivery of executive training programmes and international cooperation projects.
She brings more than fifteen years of experience in business development and the design, management, and implementation of international cooperation initiatives focused on training, capacity building and institutional strengthening. Her areas of interest include EU external action, development cooperation, adult learning, project management methodologies, and organisational capacity development.
From September 2022 to August 2024, Claire was the Coordinator of the European Diplomatic Academy Pilot Programmes, launched by the European External Action Service (EEAS). These two successive programmes provided comprehensive training in EU diplomacy to junior diplomats from EU Member States and officials from EU institutions. The successful completion of the pilot phases paved the way for the establishment of the fully-fledged European Union Diplomatic Academy.
Prior to this role, she notably served as Project Coordinator (Key Expert) for the EU-funded project El-Hiwar supporting Euro-Arab Diplomacy. In this capacity, she designed and coordinated a wide range of activities, including training courses, workshops, policy dialogues, and high-level events aimed at strengthening cooperation and mutual understanding between the European Union and the League of Arab States.
Alongside her project management responsibilities, Claire lectured for eight years on Project Management at the University of Paris-Est Créteil (formerly Paris 12), teaching Master's students specialising in international project management.
Claire holds a Master's degree in International Relations and Political Science from Sciences Po Toulouse, as well as a Master's degree in Development Economics and International Projects from the University of Paris-Est Créteil. She is fluent in English and French.