European Union Centers of Excellence In
the United States
The European Commission supports 10 "European Union Centers of Excellence"
at universities throughout the United States, as part of a broader effort to promote
people-to-people ties
across the Atlantic.
The EU Centers of Excellence promote the study of the EU, its institutions and
policies and EU/US
relations through teaching programs, scholarly research and outreach activities
in their local and regional communities. The
Network of EU Centers of Excellence website provides an overview of all
Center resources.
Ambassador
John Bruton, Head of the EU Commission Delegation to the United States,
welcomed the new Centers:
“My congratulations to the newly named EU Centers of Excellence. They are preparing
the students who will take a leading role in the future of the transatlantic relationship.
No investment is more important or better spent.The Centers also produce scholarly
research that informs the policy community and bring the EU to their communities
through conferences, high-level speakers and other activities. I aim to visit
all of the Centers during my time in Washington.”
Grants totaling €3 million will fund activities for a three-year period at the
following universities:
The University of North
Carolina serves as Network and Outreach Coordinator, with the goal of promoting
cooperation and sharing best practices within the network. North Carolina has
also established a network website providing easy access to research and teaching
materials produced by the Centers.
This is the third cycle (2005-2008) of the EU Centers program that was launched
in 1998. The EU Centers program has helped create a foothold for EU studies in
US higher education and served as an information resource for a broad US audience,
with extensive outreach to regional audiences and the policy community. The recipients
of awards in this cycle have been designated "Centers of Excellence"
in recognition of the high quality, variety and depth of their programming.
