European University Institute facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
European University Institute (EUI)

Type	Intergovernmental organisation
Established	1972
Budget	€93,700,000
President	Patrizia Nanz
Secretary General	Marco Del Panta
Doctoral students	Annually 130 postgraduate researchers for four years
Address	Via dei Roccettini, 9 - 50014 , Fiesole , Tuscany, Italy
Campus	San Domenico di Fiesole

The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate and post-doctoral research-intensive university and an intergovernmental organisation with juridical personality, established by its founding member states to contribute to cultural and scientific development in the social sciences, in a European perspective. Its main campus is located in the hills above Florence in Fiesole, Italy.

The EUI is funded by its Contracting States, the European Union (Erasmus+), and its own revenue, drawn from competitive research funding, partnerships with public and private actors, and executive education.

One of the flagships of the EUI is its doctoral programmes. Each year, it welcomes approximately 130 new PhD researchers at its departments of Economics, History and Civilisation, Law, and Political and Social Sciences. It also offers a selection of master’s programmes and executive education courses. The student and early-stage researcher body is international with scholars representing more than 90 countries.

Since 1993, the Institute has been home to the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSC), which focuses on the critical issues facing Europe, fostering problem-centred research and serving as a bridge between academia and policymaking. In 2017, the EUI established the School of Transnational Governance (STG) with its graduate, fellowship, and executive education programmes.

History and member states

The European University Institute (EUI) was founded in 1972 by the member states of the European Community.

The EUI finds its origins in the advocacy for a European institute at the 1948 Hague Conference and the European Conference on Culture the following year in Lausanne. At the 1955 Messina Conference, when the members of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) gathered to assess that organisation's progress, the German secretary of state, Walter Hallstein, called for the establishment of a training centre for nuclear sciences.

The idea remained largely dormant until 1969 when European leaders met in The Hague and resolved to fund a European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. By this point the idea had evolved from a centre for nuclear sciences to one focused on the human sciences, promoting a cultural exchange between member states.

Plans were put into motion with conferences in Florence and Rome in 1970 and 1971, when it was decided that the institute would be reserved for post-graduate studies and not directly a Community institution.

The six member states – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – signed a convention in 1972 establishing the EUI as a pillar for research and development. The EUI Convention entered into force in 1975, and the institute opened its doors to its first 70 researchers in 1976. Its mission, laid down in the 1970s, is to "foster the advancement of learning in fields which are of particular interest for the development of Europe".

Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the European Community in 1973, and subsequently acceded to the convention establishing the EUI. In 1992, a new convention revising the 1972 convention establishing the EUI was signed by the then 12 Community member states. It entered into force in 2007 when the last contracting state ratified the convention.

EUI contracting states must be European Union member states. As of December 2023^[update], contracting states include all EU member states except Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Lithuania.

Academic Departments

Department of Economics

The EUI Department of Economics provides PhD researchers and MRes students with formal course-based training at the level needed to pursue successful academic or professional careers in leading universities or other research-oriented organisations.

The PhD programme is designed to build a solid base for successful careers either in academia or in the research and economic policy departments of important international and national organisations. The programme offers high-level core and advanced courses to provide this background. Regular and active participation in these events is a key component of the intellectual development of researchers. The final objective is to send researchers to the job market with a deep and thorough knowledge of economics and well-prepared for the intellectual challenges faced by academic scholars and institutional policymakers.

Department of History and Civilisation

The Department of History and Civilisation (HEC) offers a programme of transnational and comparative European history supported by an international and multicultural faculty.

The Department’s research focuses primarily on the history of Europe within a global context from the late medieval period to the present. The Department takes a broad approach to the study of history that includes social and economic analysis, as well as the history of cultural, scientific, and intellectual developments, researching the tensions, contradictions, continuities, and sharp breaks that characterise both Europe’s past and the study of that past, with a view to shedding light on present questions and chart possible futures.

The Department of History also offers an annual summer school, exploring the theme of Global and Transnational History.

Department of Law

The EUI Department of Law aims to contribute to the development of the cultural and scientific heritage of Europe. It offers a fully funded PhD programme and an LLM. Through the ASPIRE programme, the Department extends its reach to researchers from developing countries and emerging economies, offering them the chance to pursue a funded PhD in Law at the European University Institute.

Researchers study the challenges facing European law, public law and private law, international law, and economic law with PhD opportunities across social, cultural, political, and economic topics. Researchers gain experience in presenting their work and are encouraged to participate in conferences, workshops, and the Department's numerous working groups.

The Academy of European Law (AEL) further enriches the Department's offerings, providing advanced summer courses in Human Rights Law and EU Law. Additionally, the AEL hosts the Secretariat of the European Society of International Law (ESIL) and runs a publications programme.

Department of Political and Social Sciences

The research programme of the EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) places emphasis on political and social change within Europe at the national, sub-national, and transnational level. The research interests of the Department range across the four sub-disciplines of comparative politics, sociology, international relations, and social and political theory.

The PhD programme spans four years, with researchers enrolling in various courses encompassing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies during the initial two years at the EUI. Fieldwork and data collection typically occur during the latter half of the second year and throughout the third year. The bulk of graduates pursue careers in academia or secure policy positions in international organisations. Since 2019, the Department organises the SPS summer academy on Democracy and Society in Europe: Latest Insights from Political Science and Sociology.

Florence School of Transnational Governance

The Florence School of Transnational Governance (STG) was launched in 2017 to improve global public policy for the common good. Located in Palazzo Buontalenti in the heart of Florence, the STG is a hub for exchanges bringing together academia, civil society, policymaking, business, NGOs, the media, and more.

The STG’s work builds on four pillars: the Master in Transnational Governance, executive education and the EUI Global Executive Master, fellowships (a Young African Leaders Programme funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships and a Policy Leaders Fellowships), and events.

Six flagship STG programmes interact closely with these four pillars: the European Digital Media Observatory, the European Media and Information fund, STG Climate, the Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Democracy, the Transnational Democracy Programme, and the Open to Health training network.

Commitment against disinformation

The STG contributes to the fight against disinformation as coordinator of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) and the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF).

EDMO brings together fact-checkers, scholars, media, online platforms, and media literacy practitioners to tackle disinformation.

EMIF provides competitive grants to researchers, fact-checkers, not-for-profits and other public interest-oriented organisations working on disinformation research and strengthening media literacy and fact-checking.

Centres and Programmes

A display table associated with the Florence School of Regulation in 2012.

The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies

The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies was launched by the European University Institute in 1993 with the aim to create an interdisciplinary and policy-oriented research centre. It is named in honour of Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of the EU. The first director of the newly established Centre was Yves Mény (1993–2001), followed by Helen Wallace (2001-2006), Stefano Bartolini (2006–2013), Brigid Laffan (2013–2021), and Erik Jones (2021-present). The initial set up was modest, but over the years the centre has grown into a large research centre with over 300 people, pursuing interdisciplinary research into the political challenges facing Europe and the EU today and bringing together academics and practitioners, in both policy dialogues and executive training. The centre's mission is to "contribute to research on the major issues facing contemporary European society, including questions associated with the construction of Europe." The Robert Schuman Centre has several main programmes and chairs.

Global Governance Programme

The Global Governance Programme (GGP) is a large framework for several strands of research covering, international trade, development, climate change, citizenship, security cooperation, and regional integration. It hosts a series of events, including high level conferences, such as the World Trade Forum, and policy seminars.

Florence School of Regulation (FSR)

The Florence School of Regulation (FSR) is a centre of excellence for independent research, training, and policy dialogue. It was founded in 2004 as a partnership between the EUI's Robert Schuman Centre, the Council of the European Energy Regulators (CEER) and the Independent Regulators Group (IRG). The school also works closely with the European Commission. The FSR organises policy events dealing with regulatory issues, provides academic training for practitioners, produces regulation research, and promotes networking and the exchange of ideas in the areas of energy and climate, transport, and water and waste.

European Governance and Politics Programme (EGPP)

The European Governance and Politics Programme (EGPP) is an international hub of theoretical and empirical academic research on Europe's politics and governance. The programme is committed to combining solid theoretical foundations to analyse the interaction between European integration and national politics with analysis based on data collection. Launched in 2018, it was established as the successor programme to the European Union Democracy Observatory (EUDO), active between 2006 and 2016. In 2020, Daniele Caramani took over the directorship of the programme from Brigid Laffan, who was founding director from 2018 until 2020.

Migration Policy Centre (MPC)

The Migration Policy Centre (MPC) was founded in January 2012 and conducts policy-oriented research on global migration, asylum, and mobility. It serves governance needs at European and global levels, from developing, implementing, and monitoring migration-related policies to assessing their impact on the wider economy and society.

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF)

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) was set up to raise awareness of media diversity and freedom issues in Europe. Co-financed by the European Union, it is composed of experts in legal studies, new media policies, media markets, and economics, political science, and political communications. Through its programme of research, debate, training, and dissemination of results, the CMPF works with academics, policy makers, regulators, market stakeholders, journalists, and others interested in the debate.

The Florence School of Banking and Finance (FBF)

The Florence School of Banking and Finance (FBF) was established in 2016 and designed as a European platform bringing together practitioners and academics from the banking and finance sector to develop a common culture of regulation and supervision in the European Union.

Finally, the Schuman Centre is also home to a number of Chairs named after renowned experts in their respective disciplines: the Pierre Werner Chair, the Ernst B. Haas Chair, the Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Chair and the Loyola de Palacio Chair.

Historical Archives of the EU

Fonds from the HAEU being moved.

The Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) was established following the 1983 decision of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the 1983 regulation by the Council of the European Communities to open their historical archives to the public.

A 1984 agreement between the Commission of the European Communities and the European University Institute located the Archives in Florence, at the EUI, and in 1986 the HAEU opened its doors to the public. It is the single, official archival repository of the institutions, bodies, and agencies of the European Union, and also holds more than 160 private archives of European personalities, politicians, movements, and associations that played an important role in European integration. It has been in its current seat, in Villa Salviati, since 2012. Users may consult the Archives' online database for descriptions of the documents, audiovisual materials, and artefacts in its deposits. Archival materials may be consulted in the HAEU reading room according to the thirty-years rule, or online where possible. The HAEU supports research on European integration through the administration of several grant programmes.

Doctoral and Master's Programmes

Doctoral Programme

The EUI offers fully funded structured doctoral programmes in the field of economics, history and civilisation, law, and political and social sciences. Around 130 research grants are awarded annually by the EU Member States and other European national authorities to successful candidates. A PhD from the European University Institute is an internationally recognised qualification.

The doctoral programmes prepare candidates for outstanding career prospects within academia, international organisations, and the public and private sectors. The Institute is characterised by its thriving intellectual climate, rich in seminars, conferences, and events, hosting leading academics and policymakers from around the world. Notably, researchers have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including an extensive research library and the Historical Archives of the European Union.

In addition, the EUI provides workshops and training designed to foster academic and professional development, opportunities for international exchange programmes and placements, support for wellbeing, and many extra-curricular activities. In 2022, the completion rate remained high in the doctoral programmes, with 88.5% of candidates admitted in cohorts 2011 to 2015 completing the doctorate.

Grants and fees

There are funding options available to doctoral researchers, with the majority of EU member states offering grants that cover living costs and tuition fees. There are additional agreements with non-EU member states, while the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EUI itself provide grants pertaining to several other countries. Academics not covered by grants must seek funding from a foundation or public body, pay €15,000 each year in tuition fees, and be able to guarantee at least €1,380 monthly to cover living costs, although fees may be reduced or waived under specific conditions.

PhD grants are determined (and generally paid) directly by the Member States. Whilst the EUI Convention's Declaration says that States should aim for grants to be 'comparable', there is wide variation in grants. This is in addition to wide variation in conditions (such as healthcare, parental leave, and other grants). Additionally, whilst the EUI pays the same grant to all fourth-year PhD researchers (€1,505 the amount it estimates as necessary to live in Florence), several States top this up.

As of 2023/24, the basic grant/salaries (and top-ups) stand as follows:

Master's Programme

LLM Programme in Comparative, European and International Laws

Since 1984 the European University Institute has offered law students a one-year programme leading to the degree of Master in Comparative, European and International Law (LL.M. degree level).

The LLM Programme in Comparative, European and International Laws is a one-year programme. It is predominantly research-based and focusses on the acquisition and practice of research skills and on the preparation of a dissertation. It addresses candidates who wish to advance their legal knowledge and their ability to develop and express scholarly analyses, in a stimulating international and interdisciplinary environment.

Master of Research in Economics

The Master of Research in Economics is a one-year programme with a strong emphasis on research skill development. It attracts students from around the world, who are meticulously selected based on highly competitive admission criteria. Students benefit from the opportunity to engage with leading international scholars through weekly seminars and have access to esteemed visiting professors and postdoctoral fellows.

Master of Transnational Governance

The Master in Transnational Governance (MTnG) is a prestigious two-year graduate programme offered by the Florence School of Transnational Governance, aimed at equipping students with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complexities of governance beyond the state. This programme encourages students to break away from conventional perspectives and fosters their ability to design innovative and ethical solutions in the field of governance at local, regional, national, and international levels. As part of the programme's commitment to offering a global perspective, students can participate in the Student Mobility Programme. This allows them to spend a semester studying abroad at partner institutions around the world, gaining exposure to diverse international perspectives and deepening their understanding of transnational governance on a global scale. Students do internships at prestigious institutions, organisations, and companies, ranging from the European Parliament to the World Bank.

The Global Executive Master

The Florence School of Transnational Governance offers the Global Executive Master (GEM), a two-year programme designed to empower professionals to become catalysts for transformative change within their respective domains. Open to individuals from the public sector, private sector, and civil society, the programme accommodates working professionals, allowing them to further their education while remaining active in their careers. The programme features four specialised tracks: Energy and Climate, Economy and Finance, Tech and Governance, and Geopolitics and Security.

Languages

Most students and professors are multilingual; all are required to have a good knowledge of English, although French and Italian are also regular working languages. The Institute is committed to accommodating other languages where possible.

The EUI's Centre for Academic Literacies and Languages (CALL) provides language training in oral and written academic communication skills and facilitates social interaction in academic environments. Part of the Academic Service, the CALL offers language and academic skills courses in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish throughout the academic year, and helps organise courses in other languages upon demand.

Postdoctoral fellowships

The EUI has several post-doctoral fellowships in the social sciences

Max Weber Fellowships

The Max Weber Programme is Europe's largest structured postdoctoral programme in the social sciences and is funded by the European Commission.

Max Weber Fellowships are designed for junior post-docs who would like to pursue an academic career, concentrate on their own research, and enhance their academic practice in a multidisciplinary environment. Max Weber Fellowships are for one or two years and are open to candidates who have received a doctorate in the social sciences (economics, law, political science, sociology, history, and related fields) within the last five years.

Jean Monnet Fellowships

Through its Jean Monnet Fellowship Programme, the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies offers fellowships to mid- and late-career scholars. During their stay at the RSC, fellows work on a research topic that fits well in the overall research profile of the RSC and participate in the academic life of the centre and of the EUI. Jean Monnet Fellowships have a duration of one or two years and are open to candidates who have received a doctorate more than five years prior.

Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowships

Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowships provide a framework for established academics with an international reputation to pursue their research at the EUI. Fellowships last for up to ten months in one of the EUI's four Departments which in turn invite fellows to participate in departmental activities (seminars, workshops, colloquia, etc.).

Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships

The EUI (the Departments and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies) acts as a host institution for Marie Curie Fellowships, which are awarded by the European Commission. The EUI organises a pre-selection of candidates interested in applying for these fellowships with the EUI as a host institution.

Policy Leader Fellowship (PLF)

The Policy Leader Fellowship (PLF) is a residential programme tailored for mid-career policy professionals representing various sectors, including politics, civil service, media, non-governmental organisations, and more. During their five to ten-month tenure at the Florence School of Transnational Governance, Policy Leader Fellows collaborate on policy recommendations and practical solutions to address pressing transnational issues, drawing inspiration from their extensive work experience. The PLF programme welcomes 20 to 30 fellows annually, who have a minimum of 10 years of professional experience.

Starting in September (for five or ten months) or February (for five months), the programme offers benefits and expects fellows to autonomously complete their workplan during the fellowship time and present their progress and results during the programme.

Young African Leaders Programme (YALP)

The Young African Leaders Programme (YALP) funded by the European Commission, is an annual three-month fellowship and training initiative geared towards catalysing transformative changes in line with the objectives of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the AU-EU Partnership. This programme offers a unique opportunity for policy experts hailing from across the African continent to enhance their policy work, professional competencies, and leadership skills.

The programme targets mid-career professionals, diplomats, and policymakers working in various sectors, encompassing national and local authorities, regional and international organisations, civil society, academia, media, and the private sector. It is open to professionals of African nationality residing in Africa, up to the age of 35. Women and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The programme is conducted primarily in English, with efforts to integrate French where possible. It is a rigorous full-time and fully-funded fellowship scheme, supported by the Directorate-General for International Partnerships of the European Commission.

The short film "African Renaissance: Young African Leaders in Florence" provides an extract of the vision, objectives, participants, and activities of the fellowship. The short film won a gold award at the Hamburg World Media Festival in 2022 and a special award at the Montecatini International Short Film Festival in the same year.

Major events

The State of the Union

The State of the Union is an annual forum for high level reflection on the European Union organised by the EUI since 2011. The conference acts as a bridge between academia and policy making at the highest level in Europe, bringing together heads of state, EU representatives, academics, policy-makers, business and opinion leaders and civil society representatives to discuss and debate the key challenges and opportunities facing Europe and Europeans each year. Presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, as well as presidents of the European Commission and European Parliament have taken part in the event over the years.

Rankings

The EUI is one of the leading social science research institutions in Europe, and with around 1,000 researchers at various levels in their careers, it is also one of the largest graduate schools with around 90 international partners in research, exchange, and educational initiatives.

In 2024, the EUI was ranked 31st in the world for Politics and International Studies, 51st in the world for History, and 89th in the world for Law in the QS World University Rankings.

The EUI Political and Social Science department was ranked 1st in Europe and 5th worldwide in the Hix ranking of such departments (which was published in 2004 and covered the period 1998–2002). In November 2009, the same department was included in the Die Zeit 'CHE Excellence Ranking' for political science.

Since 2021, the EUI's Department of Economics was ranked 14^th for the publication success of its graduates.

Campus

Badia Bell Tower

The European University Institute is seated in Fiesole on the Tuscan hillside overlooking Florence. The headquarters are at the Badia Fiesolana.

The campus is spread across 12 villas in the area, many of which date back to the Renaissance period and have been restored along with their landscaped gardens. The EUI campus also includes Palazzo Buontalenti in the historic centre of Florence at the Casino Mediceo di San Marco, which has been home to the STG since 2021.

Organisation

The main governance bodies are the High Council (composed of the Member State delegates) and the Academic Council. The president of the institute is Professor Patrizia Nanz, who is assisted in his duties by the institute's secretary general, Marco Del Panta.

Institutional and research publications

Corporate publications produced by the EUI include:

• EUI Activity Report
• Annual Directory of EUI Academic Publications

The EUI Research Repository (Cadmus, EUI Research Repository) contains the academic publications by the members of the EUI, with open-access, full text-versions of publications (working papers, books, contributions to books, e-Books, articles, and theses).

EUI and CIVICA Alliance

The European University Institute (EUI) is a member of CIVICA, a prominent alliance of ten leading European higher education institutions. With a combined enrolment of 72,000 students and PhD candidates, CIVICA represents a dynamic force in European academia. Selected by the European Commission in 2019 as one of the pioneering alliances under the European Universities Initiative, CIVICA completed its pilot phase in 2022, embarking on a new four-year journey.

In 2022, over 50% of EUI PhD researchers engaged in events or activities organised by other European universities, with one-third of these interactions occurring within the CIVICA alliance. Additionally, more than 600 early-stage researchers from outside the EUI benefited from the Institute's offerings, including those facilitated by CIVICA.

EUI scholars have actively contributed to the CIVICA Research Excellence Tours, offering lectures on topics such as biodiversity governance and voter bias against politicians of immigrant origin. In 2022, the EUI played a significant role in the CIVICA Open Science Initiative. Under the auspices of CIVICA Research, the Digital Trade Integration Project achieved a major milestone with the publication of an Open Access database covering regulatory policies related to the digital economy across 100 countries.

EUI and the European Research Council

During 2022, the EUI was host to no less than 13 European Research Council (ERC) grants, of all types, including two partners in a Synergy project.

The funded projects touch on fundamental social science and humanities themes such as identity, and the nature of tolerance, inclusion, and solidarity; key histories of capitalism, globalisation, financial risk and economic thought; challenges at the top of policy agendas today, such as digitalisation, migration and democracy, risk and crisis management, and the provision of social welfare.

EUI and the widening countries

The European University Institute has a comprehensive training programme aimed at equalising academic excellence and research capabilities across Europe. This initiative includes various capacity-building activities, support for early-stage to mid-career researchers, and a focus on closing knowledge gaps and fostering international collaboration in the widening countries.

Alumni

Many researchers who have taken doctorates at the EUI are employed as professors or lecturers in leading universities, officials in European Institutions and international organisations, or hold positions in government administration.

More than 30% of all EUI alumni now occupy senior positions in their chosen career paths; 69% of EUI graduates go on to careers in academia or research (universities and research centres); 19% develop their careers in the private sector and in national public authorities; and 12% play a role in the international arena by joining European institutions and other international organisations

Former presidents

Notable former faculty

Notable alumni