In this interview with Valentin Dupouey, Director of External Relations, Communications and Events at College of Europe, Flavia Scotton talked to him about collaboration, avoiding burnout and his concept of “interdisciplinary empathy”.

Can you tell us about your career journey?

Good question, I almost don’t know myself! My path into European affairs was not planned; I actually studied sports management, which has nothing to do with politics. I started my career working on sports events and projects. At the same time, I was a volunteer for the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). At first, I was just helping in my hometown in France. Then, I became president of my local group and later of the national French network. That’s when I discovered ESN’s European work. I was invited to Brussels to give my opinion on Erasmus+ funding and how to make the programme more inclusive for students with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This experience changed everything for me; I realized I loved being part of European discussions. I liked sharing my ideas about policies that mattered to me, and I also liked Brussels. I started coming more and more ­– sometimes 10 to 15 times a year – all as a volunteer. At some point, I thought: maybe I should work here. Thanks to my connections in youth organizations, I found my first job in Brussels as Secretary General of JEF Europe (Young European Federalists). It was great because I was finally getting paid for something I had been doing for free for years!

After two years, I took a break: I travelled around for a year, while getting my master’s degree in European affairs. When I returned to Brussels, I worked at the Euractiv Foundation, then at the European Green Party for three years. It was an intense, but great learning experience. After that, I joined the College of Europe, where I work now. I’ve worked now for nearly two years at the College of Europe, and it feels weird, but I still feel I’m in a honeymoon phase with the job. It’s an exciting empowering environment, with great colleagues, interesting projects, a lot of positive changes!

This is my career path in a very condensed way. It’s made of quite a lot of other professional and volunteering experience that were all meaningful!

What would you say are the most important skills for someone in your kind of role today?

One skill I think is important, but not always obvious, is what I call “interdisciplinary empathy”. This means the ability to understand what your colleagues in different roles are going through. For example, if you are a policy officer, do you understand the daily challenges of the communications officer? If you work in finance, do you know what the membership officer deals with?

Being able to empathize with colleagues in other departments is very valuable. In Brussels, many people work in their own silos, so if you can understand and appreciate the work others do – even if you don’t have the same skills or job – it helps build better cooperation between teams. This is something that’s often lacking, so I think it’s an important skill. I’m not sure if I invented the term “interdisciplinary empathy”, but I think it describes the skill well!

In communications specifically, another important skill is being able to explain things clearly. You need strong pedagogical skills to explain complex topics, from the big-picture strategy to the small details, like why you’re posting something on LinkedIn rather than Twitter. Many people have strong opinions about communications. They might not like the colour or wording used, or they may think a text needs to be more in-depth, so being able to explain the reasons behind decisions helps clear up these emotions and misunderstandings, and it also helps break down silos between different teams.

This is why one of my favourite exercises in all policy or communications-related training is the “Grandmother test”: explain what you do, or what you want to achieve, or your strategy as if you were talking to your grandmother. Fantastic little exercise to develop your pedagogical skills.

How do you think one can develop interdisciplinary empathy further?

I think it comes from being genuinely curious. When you have some free time at work, use it to ask your colleagues about what they’re doing. Grab a coffee, but don’t just talk about the usual things like the weekend or the next task. Try to learn more about their work and how it fits into the bigger picture. You can also get a bit geeky and learn about things outside your role. For example, everyone should try to understand their organization’s budget and finances, even if they’re not working in finance. You don’t need to know the whole business model, but understanding the basics of how the office works, and even looking at the Excel sheets behind the budget, can be really helpful.

It’s not always easy, especially if you’ve always been in the same role. But if you’ve worked in different roles before, it becomes easier to understand other people’s jobs.

Can you tell us a story about a tough moment in your career? How did you get through it, and what did you take away from the experience?

One tough moment in my career happened when I found myself burnout. The management at that job was extremely toxic. I was in a position where no one lasted more than a year and a half. I was warned about the challenges when I took the job, but I thought I could handle it better than others. That was a big mistake, and I’ve learned since then to never think that way.

It wasn’t the amount of work or pressure that caused the problem, it was the micromanagement. For example, I was working as a programme director in a small organization, but the founder would review and write handwritten comments on my draft emails. The comments didn’t even make sense, and I was constantly being corrected in a way that felt completely unnecessary.

The turning point came one morning when I spent four hours sitting in front of my computer, unable to do anything. I was completely paralyzed, and that’s when I realized something was seriously wrong. I knew I needed to get out and take care of myself.

Luckily, I’ve always been able to talk openly about mental health, and I didn’t try to hide how I was feeling. In Brussels, many people think speaking up about mental health is a weakness, so they just keep quiet and push through. But when I saw the signs that I wasn’t doing well, I made the decision to leave the job.

Is there something you’ve learned in your career that you wish you’d known earlier?

There are probably a lot of things, but if I had to pick one, it would be this: most of us don’t really know what we’re doing. When you look around, it seems like everyone has it all figured out, like they’re experts and super competent. In Brussels, everyone acts like they know exactly what they’re doing. But in the end, I think most people are just dealing with imposter syndrome.

I learned this when I moved into communications. I got hired as the head of communications for the Green Party, even though I told them many times during the interview that I wasn’t a communications person. I said, “I think I’m a good manager and I understand the challenges here, but I’m not a communications expert.” They still hired me. So, I had to figure things out as I went.

In fact, I realised that I didn’t know much more than other new people starting out. Of course, there are a few people who are exceptionally talented and very competent, but on average, we’re all about the same. So, my advice is: don’t look at others and assume they have everything figured out. Just focus on doing your best, and you’ll be fine.

Young employees are switching jobs and careers more often these days. Do you think that’s a good thing? How can it help someone grow professionally?

I think it’s a good thing. I look at it in terms of skills, knowledge, and professional attitudes. How you acquire those things doesn’t really matter. For example, if you’re looking for a new job, and you’re convinced you have the right skills, it doesn’t matter whether you learned them in one long job or by moving between different jobs. As an employer, I care more about the skills and competencies you have, not how many places you’ve worked.

Now, I do think there is a question of how long you should stay in a position to really grow. It depends on the job. If you’re working on a long-term project – say, a two- or three-year project – it makes sense to stay for the whole cycle so you can experience everything, from the planning to the evaluation. But in other jobs, like in communications in a small organization, maybe after a year, you’ve already seen the whole process and developed a lot. So, job hopping isn’t a problem in principle.

Of course, some employers might question your loyalty if you don’t stay long enough, but I think that’s happening less and less. People know it’s normal to change jobs now. What’s important is that you can tell a story about your career.

As a young professional, it’s helpful to have a “red thread” running through your career. For example, even though I’ve worked and volunteered for about 12 or 13 different organisations in the last 15 years, I can tell a story about my career focused on pro-European, democratic engagement. Everything connects under that umbrella, and it makes sense when I apply for new jobs.

What do you want to see more of in Brussels, and what would you like to see less of?

One thing I’d like to see less of is people constantly trying to reinvent the wheel. Many times, people think they’re facing a brand-new problem and need to find a completely new solution. But if they just start asking around, they’ll realize that others have probably faced the same issue before.

I always try to build informal communities where I can share information and get advice from others. For example, when I was working as director in a youth organization, I created an informal group of directors from different youth and education NGOs. We could share problems we were facing and help each other out. It seems so simple, but in Brussels, sometimes people forget to ask others in their field for help. It’s important to cooperate and share knowledge instead of trying to solve problems alone.

On the other hand, I’d like to see more people questioning the role of work in their lives. In Brussels, many people tie their identity too closely to their job, which can be problematic. If things go wrong at work, it can throw your whole life off balance. Even if you love your job, it can lead to burnout if your entire identity is based on work.

I think people need to take a step back and ask themselves: what role does work play in my life? When I’m 70, will I look back and think about my work the same way? It’s important to have hobbies outside of work and to step out of your professional bubble every once in a while.

LinkedIn, X, Bluesky – What’s the future of social media for the EU bubble and why?

When it comes to social media predictions, I feel like no one really knows what will happen. A lot of people have strong opinions, but they might be wrong. One important question these days is what to do with toxic social media platforms, like X. Should organizations or individuals stay on X or leave? Especially for organizations focused on democracy or media freedom, this is tricky. Do you try to fight against negative trends, or do you leave the platform? And is banning X considered censorship? It’s a complicated issue.

Personally, I’ve noticed that X has become more of a small bubble for stakeholders to engage with each other. It’s not really reaching a wider audience. For example, if we post something about the College of Europe on X, it’s mostly seen and liked by relevant stakeholders like MEPs and commissioners, but not by a broader audience. This kind of platform isn’t going to help us attract talented applicants, so I question if it’s worth continuing to use it.

On the other hand, I’m quite active on LinkedIn. It’s growing fast, and it’s a great platform for professional engagement. It feels more civil because people use their real names and their careers are linked to their profiles, which make LinkedIn less aggressive than other platforms. For institutions like the College of Europe, it makes sense to use LinkedIn since we’re a university that connects students to the professional world.

In the EU bubble, I think LinkedIn is becoming more important. It’s growing, and many organizations, like ours, have seen a significant increase in followers and engagement. For younger professionals, LinkedIn is the place to be.

Do you personally use AI in your job? For what?

This is an interesting topic, because at the College of Europe, AI is being heavily debated, especially in terms of how it affects academic learning and exams. These discussions are happening across universities, and it’s fascinating to see how academia is adapting. However, as the Director of Communications and External Relations, I don’t use AI for copywriting yet.

AI, in my opinion, can limit creativity. For instance, every post about an evening event now seems to start with “What a night to remember!” it’s becoming repetitive. While AI can be useful for generating content quickly, I think it’s important to stand out by being more original and not relying too much on it. I’ve seen trends of LinkedIn posts becoming much longer because they are AI-generated. Personally, I prefer to keep things concise and direct, which seems to be working well on my LinkedIn.

However, I do use AI for brainstorming and strategy. I’ll first come up with my own ideas and then ask AI for additional perspectives or angles that I might not have considered. It helps me refine and improve the work I’ve already done.

What’s something exciting you are working on these days?

I’m currently involved in the new CoE campus in Tirana. It’s an important initiative that focuses on developing skills for the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU. We started the campus in September, and it’s been a rewarding project to support, as it helps equip young people there for the future of the integration process.

Another big one is the European Diplomatic Academy, where we train young diplomats already working in their respective countries’ diplomatic services. This is such a great initiative because it helps create a European spirit of diplomacy by bringing these diplomats together for a semester at the College.

On the communication front, we’re working on moving from top-down communication to fostering community engagement. We want to involve students, alumni, and professors in creating communication for the College, rather than just producing it from the top. It’s a big shift, but it’s something we are really passionate about, and I’m excited to see it take shape over time.

Is there anything new you’re hoping to learn or work on this year?

This year, one area I’d like to focus on is understanding how the College of Europe can become a more visible and active player in Brussels. While we have a vast network and the College is well-connected, we haven’t always been very outward-facing or publicly present in the city. I want to explore how our unique academic institution can contribute more to debates and events in Brussels, particularly around European integration.

What makes this question particularly interesting is that, as the College of Europe, our role is also to foster debate on European integration; I’m keen to understand how we can balance this academic mission while engaging with the political sphere, without crossing into being a political player. It’s something I’m still reflecting on, and I’m excited to further develop my understanding of how we can effectively play a role in Brussels while staying true to our academic values.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

I’d tell myself to say yes to random opportunities. I don’t really believe in working hard for the sake of it; instead, I believe a lot of it comes down to luck. That said, some people would argue that it’s not luck, it’s about seizing the opportunities when they come. And I’d agree with that to some extent. What I mean is: say yes to things you might not have initially considered. Whether it’s going to an event you were unsure about, grabbing a coffee with someone you weren’t planning to meet, or taking on a project that might push you outside your comfort zone – just say yes. I think I started doing this a bit later than others, but the earlier you start, the more opportunities you’ll find, and the more good things will come your way.

What’s something about you that most people wouldn’t know?

I’m actually a pretty decent badminton player! I’ve been playing competitively for 27 years and I’m a Belgian national champion in the over-35 category. I still train three to four times a week and am currently preparing for the national senior championship in April. Badminton has always been a big part of my life, and I’ve been pretty disciplined about it. In the past, I’ve made it clear that my training evenings are non-negotiable; no work events for me during those times. It’s a commitment that’s helped me stay focused and balanced.

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