Jean Monnet EU Centre of Excellence

A Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence is a focal point of competence and knowledge on European Union subjects. It brings together high-level experts to create links between the various disciplines and resources in European studies and to form links with academic institutions in other countries.

The Centres play a key role in reaching out to students from faculties not normally dealing with European Union issues as well as to policy makers, civil servants, organised civil society and the general public at large.

For further information on Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence please refer to the Erasmus+ Programme Guide. 

Research Excellence at UVic

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence builds on the long tradition of EU activities in research, outreach and experiential opportunities at UVic which has involved faculty from diverse departments to promote, advance and build excellence in the studies of European Integration at UVic and increase the visibility of the EU in British Columbia, Canada. The Centre will serve as the administrative and coordinating hub for the EU-funded activities on campus. It is located in the Centre for Global Studies.  

Recent Jean Monnet EU Centres of Excellence

JM EUCE 2019-2022

The latest Jean Monnet EU Centre of Excellence (2019-2022), held by Dr. Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly, will continue the long standing program of integrated research excellence teaching and outreach, on EU integration and the European Union at the University of Victoria (UVic). Building on past successes this Centre launches a new course, EUS 400 "The European Legacy"; provides mobility and research grants for students to participate in conferences, field work, and experiential learning activities; and in the summer of 2020 founded a new graduate Summer Institute on border and migration public policy in EU-Canada policy relevant comparison.

JM EUCE 2016-2019

The Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence (JM EUCE) grant was led by Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly with Charlotte Schallie, supported by Oliver Schmidtke and Amy Verdun.

The JM EUCE builds on the long tradition of EU activities in research, outreach and experiential opportunities at UVic which has involved faculty from diverse departments to promote, advance and build excellence in the studies of European Integration at UVic and increase the visibility of the EU in British Columbia, Canada. The Centre served as the administrative and coordinating hub for the EU-funded activities on campus, and is located in the Centre for Global Studies. 

Direct outputs include EUS 200, student mobility grants for the EU Study Tour, Graduate Research Grants, and student participation in public forums and other research presentation opportunities.

Our final Public Forum was combined with a Graduate Student Workshop on Canada's Border Policies in Comparative Perspective.

EUCE 2014-2017

EUCE Activities for 2014 - 2017

Date

Activity

Audience
Ongoing BC EU Net Scholars and media
Ongoing City Talks Scholars, students and the public
Ongoing EUCE Lecture Series Scholars, students, and the public
2014 - 2016 Visiting Scholars Program Scholars
February
2014, 2015, 2016		 Holocaust education outreach: High school workshop High school students and teachers
Apr-Jun 2014 EU-Canada Social Policies workshop Officials, civil society, academics, and graduate students
Apr-Jun
2014, 2015 & 2016		 EU field work: graduate students UVic graduate students
May 2014 CETA conference Academics, public and students
May 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 EU study tour UVic students
May-Jun 2014 & 2016 I-Witness program UVic undergrad students
Jun 2014 & 2015 The future of Holocaust memoralization conference Academics
July 2014 State of the EU in Canada/Asia Pacific conference Academics and officials
June 2015 State of the EU in Canada/Asia Pacific conference Academics and officials
May 2016 State of the EU in Canada/Asia Pacific conference Academics and officials
Sept 2014, 2015 & 2016

Study abroad: Spain & Italy

UVic students
Sept-Dec
2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017		 European borders without walls course 

Public and students
Nov 20, 2014 Multiculturalism & immigrant integration public seminar

Academics and public
Nov 21 2014, Fall 2015 & 2016 Teaching EU Integration: high school teacher training

High school teachers
Dec 8 2014, 2015 & 2016 Let's Talk Europe: high school student workshop

High school students
Apr 2015 CETA: Opportunities and challenges for BC

Academics and civil society
May 2015, Jun 2015 & 2016 EU borders intensive summer school

Students, academics and officials
May 2016 Grassroots protest in the EU and Canada

Academics and officials
August 2016 Financial crisis & the role of cooperative financial institutions conference

Graduate students, officials and academics

JMCE 2011-2014

The University of Victoria held a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (JMCE) grant from 2012 to 2014. The JMCE funded teaching and student research at UVic. 

What did the JMCE do?
  • The JMCE sponsored the development of EUS 100, an introductory course on European culture and politics. For some time, EUS program only offered 300 level courses. This new course is of major importance to the program, as it allows students from in any year or area of study to engage with European issues.
  • The JMCE organized annual EUS graduate student conferences. These conferences provided graduate students an opportunity to showcase their research work. The conferences were the flagship events of the year for the EUS program. Hopefully, seeing the interesting work of graduate students will inspire others to become engaged themselves!
Graduate research grants:

In 2014, the following students received research funding from the JMCE and the EUCE:

  • Bryan Benner (MA Candidate, Department of Sociology)
  • Anastasia Chebakova (PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science)
  • Graham Crouch (PhD Department, Department of Political Science)
  • Ivan Dumka (PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science)
  • Alexander Gunn (PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science)
  • Stephen Fielding (PhD Candidate, Department of History)
  • Tatiana Shaban (PhD Candidate, Department of Political Science)
  • Dylan Trerice (MA Candidate, Department of French)
Graduate Conferences:

The JMCE at UVic also hosted three Graduate conferences. The last one, held in 2014, was entitled "Managing diversity, immigration, and multiculturalism".

2014 JMCE Graduate conference

"Managing diversity, immigration, and multiculturalism"

UVic's European Studies program and JMCE hosted the third, and last, graduate conference on the 20th of November, 2014. The conference was an great opportunity for graduate students to present their work on diversity, immigration, multiculturalism, and European integration. 

The following students presented at the conference:

  • Grace Ballor (PhD, UCLA), The Paradox of Firm-Led European Integration: Pre-Crisis Builders Becoming a Post-Crisis Threat

  • Sangmi Cha (Undergraduate, University of Washington, European Studies), Divisive Residue of the Berlin Wall

  • Alex Gunn (PhD, UVic Political Science), Catalonia’s interculturalism model: At the intersection of immigration, national self-determination and European integration

  • Waged Jafer (PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies, UBC), Examination of a ‘victimized identity’ amongst Shiite Muslim Canadians and ‘misrecognition’ of the Shiite identity within Canada.

  • Marc Woons (FWO Doctoral Fellow, KU Leuven - Institute of Philosophy, Centre for Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy, UVic Visiting Scholar), Social Justice Beyond the Nation-State: Liberal Nationalism in Multinational Contexts

View the full conference program. 

2013 JMCE Graduate conference

"European integration"

On January 17th, 2014, the European Studies program hosted the 2nd annual Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Graduate conference. 

The conference was organized by Dr. Valerie D'Erman, of the Department of Political Science. 

The call for papers asked applicants to focus on the European Union, and European integration. 

See the agenda for the conference here. 

2012 JMCE Graduate conference

"Beyond crisis: Ways forward for a renewed European Union"

In 2012, the European Studies program held its first Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Graduate conference. The conference took place at the University of Victoria, on Decemeber 7th, 2012. 

The call for papers sought applications that addressed:

  • New governance instruments in the Eurozone
  • Asymmetrical integration and Eurozone 'ins' and 'outs'
  • The role of the Franco-German partnership
  • Euro adoption in new members; Future enlargement
  • What it means to be 'Europeanized'
  • Treaty change and future directions for European integration
  • The growth or retreat of the 'European identity'

The keynote speaker for the conference was Dr. Alison Johnston, from Oregon State University. 

Audio from the 2012 JMCE Graduate conference

Here are audio clips of the presentations at the 2012 JMCE Graduate conference: