European Union Center of Excellence

With support from a grant provided by the European Commission, Indiana University has established a new European Union Center of Excellence on the IU Bloomington campus, with the goal of implementing high quality teaching, research and regional outreach programs on EU and transatlantic themes.

The EU Center supports the activities of IU faculty, doctoral and master’s level students engaged in EU studies and emphasizes training in the least commonly taught languages of the EU member and candidate countries.

The EU Center builds on the strengths of the Russian & East European Institute, the West European Studies Center and other international and policy studies programs at IU to train future generations of scholars and professionals in advanced, interdisciplinary European Union studies.

Additionally, the EU Center reaches out to K-12 teachers, postsecondary faculty, government officials, media, business and other civic groups to furnish accurate and timely information regarding the EU.

Upcoming Events

Conference: Baltic Crossroads: Examining Cultural, Social, and Historical Diversity
Thursday, May 29 - Sunday, June 1, 2008

Wright Education Building, Rooms TBD

The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) will hold its 21st Conference on Baltic Studies on the theme of "Baltic Crossroads: Examining Cultural, Social, and Historical Diversity." One of the conference's main goals is to consider the role of the Baltic Sea Region in the European Union in an era of globalization. More than one hundred panelists from a variety of disciplines including linguistics, economics, history, sociology, religious studies, political science, anthropology, and education reflect an international community of scholars from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, France, Russia, Canada, the United States and other regions.

The conference will feature a special workshop, "Ethnicity and Migration in the Baltic Region," to address questions of ethnicity and immigration in particular. The following are scheduled as featured participants:

Dr. Nils Muiznieks, University of Latvia, Advanced Social and Political Research Institute
Dr. Pille Petersoo, Institute of International and Social Studies, Tallinn University, Estonia
Dr. Audra Sipaviciene, International Organization of Migration, Vilnius, Lithuania

Workshop: The European Union and Why It Matters to Indiana

Friday, June 6, 2008

9:00a.m.-4:00 p.m., Kelley School of Business, Room 736

This workshop introduces teachers of grades 6-12 to the governmental institutions of the EU and to their history and relationship vis-à-vis individual member states. Topical discussions on EU policies and why and how the EU is relevant to the state of Indiana will be presented in the morning. The afternoon session will be devoted to a model European Council [PDF] exercise, with each teacher representing a particular EU member country. Presentations will stress the interdisciplinary nature of EU studies—economics, environment, geography, globalization, government, languages and culture, etc.

For more information or to register, please contact the EUCE by phone at 812.856.3832 or by email.

Center Highlights

The EUCE March 2008 Newsletter [PDF], EU @ IU, is now available online. This issue has articles on Societe Generale and French protectionism and democracy and the EU Committee of the Regions. There are reports on the "Generational Memories of WWII" and "Media, Hybridity, and Migration" workshops held at IUB as well as information about upcoming EU Center workshops and conferences.

The 2008 Midwest Model European Union was held April 17-19. Last year's event was held April 19-21 and hosted by Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The Midwest Model EU gives college students the chance to learn about the workings of the European Union through a hands-on simulation. Every year, more than 160 college and university students meet together in Indianapolis to decide the future of the European Union. Playing the roles of prime ministers & presidents, ambassadors & commissioners, ministers & diplomats, they spend two days haggling over policy, resolving disputes, building compromises, and charting the course of European unity. Last year's keynote speaker was Anthony Smallwood, Directorate General for External Relations, Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Diplomacy, Delegation of the European Commission to the U.S.A.


2007 Midwest Model EU Participants