We're excited to announce the Effective Altruism Summit: Brussels, taking place on February 7, 2026 at Flagey in Brussels!
About the summit
This one-day conference brings together 100-150 professionals working in policy and international organizations to explore how Europe can address pressing global challenges more effectively. The summit is designed primarily for people new to EA who work in or around EU policy and international affairs.
Brussels is where decisions on AI regulation, pandemic preparedness, climate policy, and international development are made with effects far beyond Europe's borders. Our goal is to introduce EA frameworks to experienced professionals who can apply this thinking within their institutions and networks.
This summit is organized by EA Belgium with the support of the Centre for Effective Altruism event team.
What to expect
The summit will include:
- Talks introducing EA principles and showcasing real-world impact
- Sessions on key cause areas (AI safety, global health, animal welfare, catastrophic risk reduction)
- Interactive discussions and workshops
- Networking opportunities with practitioners and organizations
- Clear pathways for further engagement
The focus is on conversation and connection, not just content. We're creating space for participants to meet others working on similar problems and explore where their skills can have the greatest impact.
We're in the process of designing the event program. The full schedule will be announced closer to the date.
Target audience
We're primarily looking for experienced professionals (typically 5+ years of work experience) in:
- EU institutions and international organizations
- Policy think tanks and research institutions
- Public affairs consultancies
- NGOs focused on global issues
- Legal and diplomatic roles
That said, we'll also consider applications from motivated early-career professionals, students, academics, and community builders who would benefit from the summit. The event is catered towards people new to or unfamiliar with effective altruism, so no prior knowledge is required.
In order to best support this newer audience, we'd also like to invite those with professional policy experience who are already working in established EA organizations or cause areas. If you'd like to lend your expertise as a speaker or mentor, please contact us directly at summit@eabrussels.org.
Expression of interest
We're now collecting expressions of interest. This isn't a formal application, just a way for us to understand who's interested and plan accordingly. We'll follow up in a few weeks with details about the admission process.
Fill out the EOI form here.
Why a policy-focused summit?
Brussels is a natural location for engaging policy professionals with EA ideas. The city concentrates decision-making power on issues with global implications in ways that few other cities do. It is home to the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the European Union, and over 40 international organizations. Many decisions made here have global scope and long-term consequences. By introducing evidence-based prioritization and impact-focused thinking to professionals already working on important problems, we hope to increase the effectiveness of efforts to address global challenges.
Brussels also offers practical advantages: it's accessible to professionals from neighboring countries, has concentration of policy think tanks and research institutions, and represents a community of people already working on many of the problems EA focuses on. By connecting this existing community with EA frameworks and international practitioners, we hope to increase the effectiveness of efforts to address global challenges.
Questions?
Feel free to reach out to summit@eabrussels.org or leave comments below. We're happy to answer questions about the event, admission process, or anything else.
If you know someone who might want to attend, please share this event with them and encourage them to express their interest!
You can expect further announcements about the event on EA Belgium's Newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Looking forward to seeing many of you in February!