The Autumn School on "Europe and the Post-Global World: Re-thinking Identity and Democracy in the EU" was a kind of academic opportunity worth experiencing. The German-Italian Centre for the European Dialogue at Villa Vigoni in cooperation with Europa-Universität Flensburg, University of Hamburg, Università Bocconi, Università del Salento, and Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, brought together academics and researchers from all over the EU, and particularly, from Germany and Italy; they gave presentations, shared discussions, gathered over three meals a day, and made valuable connections and academic plans in the beautiful environment of Villa Vigoni in Menaggio. The concepts of 'identity and democracy' were discussed from political, legal, economic and historical perspectives. Thirteen presentations were given and discussed over the three days of the Autumn School. This was followed by a final day of student working groups, each consisting of four to five students, who gave their presentations based on the concepts covered during the Autumn School. As a PhD student with a background in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies, I found the Autumn School to be a valuable opportunity both to network with other academics and to discuss fascinating concepts such as identity and democracy and relate them to other parts of the world outside the EU, while also highlighting some of the outcomes and possible conflicts of the EU's various policies. In addition, the country of origin of the participants, whether EU or non-EU, had a noticeable impact on their engagement with the academic presentations - everyone was involved in the discussions. In addition, the Villa Vigoni staff provided the most welcoming atmosphere. In particular, from the first day and the shuttle from Milan to Lake Como to the last day and the shuttle back to Milan, the discussion and dialogue between professors and students never stopped, making Villa Vigoni the perfect environment for motivating debate and cross-cultural exchange. I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many brilliant minds and contribute to the conversation about the future of Europe, and I am excited to taking these valuable insights forward.