Rector: Prof. Jörg Monar
Website: http://www.coleurope.eu/
(Bruges) The College of Europe was the world’s first university institute of postgraduate studies and training in European affairs. It was founded in 1949 by leading European figures such as Salvador de Madariaga, Winston Churchill, Paul Henri Spaak and Alcide de Gasperi in the wake of the first Congress of the European Movement in The Hague in 1948. The idea was to establish an institute where university graduates from many different European countries could study and live together. Today, the College consists of two campuses, one in Bruges and the other established in Natolin, (Warsaw, Poland) in 1993 with the support of the European Commission and the Polish government. The College now operates as ‘one College – two campuses’ and what was once referred to as the ‘esprit de Bruges’, is now known as the ‘esprit du Collège’.
Each academic year at the College is presided by a ‘Patron’ who has contributed to European integration and the values of the European Union. The College of Europe is characterised by its academic independence, its bilingualism, the diversity of its teaching staff and its multicultural environment, which together create a genuine European ‘microcosm’. Entry requirements and rigorous selection procedures ensure that students who are recruited are of the highest calibre. The student body reflects a variety of cultures and personal experiences. Students come from over 50 countries, many speaking several languages. The accredited academic programmes of Bruges and Natolin provide students with a specialised grounding in the European dimension of their fields of study, as well as an in-depth understanding of Europe in all its complexity.
In Bruges, students enrol in one of five academic departments: European Economic Studies; European Legal Studies; European Political and Governance studies; EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies and Transatlantic Affairs. In Natolin, the study programme analyses the process of European integration from a pluri-disciplinary perspective. Upon completion of the programme, students are awarded the ‘Master of Arts in European Interdisciplinary Studies’.
Each department is flanked by a team of Academic Assistants who support the students through teaching activities as well as research. Some Academic Assistants also work alongside Research Chairs such as the EP Geremek European Civilisation Chair, the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair, the InBev-Baillet Latour Chair of European Union-China Relations, and the European Energy Policy Chair. Throughout the year at the College, students participate in many academic pursuits such conferences, simulations, moot court exercises, high level lectures, and study trips to international and European institutions. They also take part in organising their own cultural events in the form of “National Days” to allow their colleagues to discover their national heritage.
Relying on its extensive network of professors, trainers and alumni, the College also delivers, through its Development Office, professional training on EU affairs as well as consultancy services.
The Bruges campus and the Natolin campus are both associate TEPSA members.
Latest News (Bruges):
- “Trade Policy”, 19-22 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- “EU Economic Governance”, 12-14 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- “EU Fact Checking & EU Fact Finding”, 29-30 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- High-level ‘EU Diplomacy Lecture’: “What is the real role of the European Union in peace processes?”, 16 October 2020 (College of Europe, Bruges)
- “Trilemma Tradeoffs in International Relations: Brexit and the Irish Border Question”, Olivier Lewis (College of Europe, Bruges)
- High-Level Transatlantic Lecture by Fiona Hill: “Resetting Transatlantic Relations”, Friday 9 October 2020 (College of Europe, Bruges)
- “Les Cahiers de Tunisie”, Jean-Pierre Cassarino (College of Europe, Bruges)
- 2020 Annual Lecture of the Journal of European Integration by Prof. Dr Sven Biscop, Thursday 15 October 2020 (College of Europe, Bruges)
- “Mega-regionals and the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement: A Historical Institutionalist Analysis”, Tatiana Kakara (College of Europe, Bruges)
- Seminar on Negotiations in Practice, 16-20 November 2020 (College of Europe)
Latest News (Natolin):
- “Trade Policy”, 19-22 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- “EU Economic Governance”, 12-14 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- “EU Fact Checking & EU Fact Finding”, 29-30 October 2020 (College of Europe)
- “The EU and its Neighbourhood: The Politics of Muddling Through”, Tobias Schumacher (College of Europe, Natolin)
- “La question de l’expulsion dans les relations euro-méditerranéennes: Faire la lumière sur la zone grise”, Jean-Pierre Cassarino (College of Europe, Natolin)
- Seminar on Negotiations in Practice, 16-20 November 2020 (College of Europe)
- Tailor-made and executive training courses delivered both online and face-to-face as of September (College of Europe)
- Start of the Academic Year 2020/2021 at the Natolin campus (College of Europe, Natolin)
- Natolin First Semester Study Trips – Four Destinations in “Borderlands” (College of Europe, Natolin)
- Official start for Rector Mogherini at the College of Europe (College of Europe)