Held in Prague, the European Spring Institute 2009 consisted of lectures and debates surrounding the foundation, development and future of the European Union. The discussion often drew comparisons between the organization of the Union and that of the United States, as well as the present and future role of lobbying in their respective governing processes. The lecturers at the institute were experts in their respective fields and a number of them had very close ties to leadership in Brussels. This, of course, was compounded by fruitful debates in which program participants representing a multitude of personal and educational backgrounds were allowed to exchange ideas about best practice solutions as well as the future of governance and globalization.
 
In addition to the more formal learning experience, participants were offered a fair amount of time to go out and experience the city on their own. "Any effort to articulate the splendor of Prague would be a disservice to its unprecedented beauty," said IPPS participant Brian Stofka, "but to have had the opportunity to take part in the culture and history, and to have done so in the company of new friends that will not be soon forgotten, is to have experienced something the likes of which I may never experience again."