Centre for European Studies-EU Centre of Excellence, Carleton University
The Centre for European Studies at Carleton University(www.carleton.ca/ces) was established in October 2000 with support from the European Commission and Carleton University. Since 2006 it has maintained its designation as a European Union Centre of Excellence (EUCE) and as Network Coordinator for all Canadian EUCEs. The most recent funding commitment from the European Union extended from 2013 to 2016. Professor Joan DeBardeleben (Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, EURUS), who also holds a Jean Monnet Chair in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood Relations, heads the project; Professor Achim Hurrelmann (Department of Political Science), is Associate Director and Professor Crina Viju (EURUS) is Academic Coordinator.
The approach of CES is inter-disciplinary, involving a mandate of furthering research, teaching, and public outreach activities in the area of EU Studies at Carleton University, in the Ottawa area, and in other parts of Ontario. The Centre is housed jointly in the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies and the Department of Political Science. It collaborates with these and other teaching units, particularly professional schools, helping them to enhance their academic programs by funding visiting scholars from Europe and supporting EU-related courses. The Centre also supports student participation in an annual EU Study Tour and Internship program operated by a consortium of Canadian universities that involves three weeks of consultations in Brussels, Frankfurt, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg. CES provides grants to graduate students and faculty in order to advance EU-related research. These initiatives also receive support from Carleton’s Faculty of Public Affairs, the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, the Office of the Vice-President (Research and International) and other university offices.
The Centre’s research and outreach activities centre around interdisciplinary European Research Nodes (ERNs), which bring together faculty and PhD students from Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. The ERNS have an applied policy thrust and are organized around four themes:
ERN 1: The EU as Global Actor and EU-Canada Relations
ERN 2: Citizenship and Social Integration: Between National and Transnational Society
ERN 3: Innovation in Environmental Policy in Europe and Canada
ERN 4: The Political Economy of European Integration: Regional and Global Dimensions
Each ERN organizes public lectures and conferences, invites visiting scholars, holds research seminars, furthers cooperation with European partners, and generates scholarly publications.
Carleton’s EU Centre of Excellence engages topics on the bilateral EU-Canada agenda and provides the public and the Canadian policy community with expert analysis of issues such as the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (currently under negotiation), European climate change and migration management policies, and EU-Canada cooperation in relation to issues of global concern. This expertise is offered in the form of policy workshops, public lectures, downloadable policy briefs and podcasts, as well as live webinars. In cooperation with European diplomatic Missions, the Centre for European Studies provides a forum for the EU and its Member States to present their positions on current issues in a new series, directed to the public at large, called “European Perspectives”. The Centre’s educational and outreach programs cater to a broad range of stakeholders. Special annual lecture series include the Canada-Europe Business Lecture and the EU Law Lecture. Outreach to Ontario high-school students and teachers is realized through the EULearning Project, which includes an interactive educational website, lesson plans, and in-class teaching, all designed to interface with the Ontario provincial high school curriculum. In the current grant cycle, the EUCE is also committed to making increased use of electronic outreach and teaching tools, such as webinars, podcasts, virtual research seminars, and social media.