The University of Wisconsin-Madison has received four grants from the European Union totaling €240,000 (approximately $267,000) to establish a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, headed by the recipient of the new Jean Monnet Chair, Associate Professor of Political Science Nils Ringe.
Only seven universities in the United States received the Jean Monnet Centre designation, and Ringe is one of five faculty members nationwide selected as Jean Monnet Chairs for 2015-18. The UW-Madison Jean Monnet activities include faculty research, graduate training, and public outreach, together with a steady two-way flow of people, projects and ideas across the Atlantic.
Ringe
"In an ever more globalized world, the transatlantic partnership continues to be the capstone of international economics, security, and diplomatic cooperation," Ringe says. "Working in concert, the U.S. and EU can bring about substantial change around the world and jointly advance their shared interests and values, even in times when crises abound — perhaps especially in those times. These new grants will allow UW-Madison to remain at the forefront of European and European Union studies in the U.S., and they reflect the recognition and status of our university worldwide."
Named after the architect of European unity post-1945, Jean Monnet, the grant program aims to produce a truly global footprint for the European Union, with a goal of establishing 100 centers in the EU founder's name by 2020.
In some U.S. and European policy debates, UW-Madison Jean Monnet faculty already play key roles in EU scholarship, and even international policy debate. Ringe has a global reputation in comparative legislative studies, including how the EU encourages participatory democracy in an era where populism is growing.
The UW-Madison Jean Monnet interdisciplinary team includes faculty members from the La Follette School of Public Affairs (Don Moynihan), the Department of Sociology (Myra Marx Ferree), and the Department of Political Science (Mark Copelovitch). They and other affiliates will study reform of financial and political structures and regulations, the securing of human rights, and will assess future challenges posed by an aging population, migratory pressures, and youth unemployment.
"The Jean Monnet designation strengthens our university's position as a leading institution investigating the origins, contemporary politics, and future prospects of the European Union — and the international community in general," says Ringe.
"The success of the bid for Jean Monnet funds is testimony to the reputation, hard work, and creativity of the center's faculty and staff, and to the exceptional leadership of Professor Ringe," says Guido Podesta, Vice Provost and Dean of The International Division.
"The Jean Monnet Centre is a model for the way international research and education can serve Wisconsin and the world," says Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Jan Greenberg.
Story by Elizabeth Covington, The International Division