The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “EU in Global Dialogue” (CEDI)

CEDI was designated in July 2015 by the European Commission to support an ambitious programme of research, teaching and outreach activities.

The Centre is directed by Jean Monnet Professor Dr. Michèle Knodt (TU Darmstadt) and co-directed by Jean Monnet Professor Dr. Arne Niemann (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) and thus contributes to the Strategic Partnership between the two Universities.

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence is a focal point of competence and knowledge on European Union issues. It gathers the expertise and competences of high-level experts and aims at developing synergies between the various disciplines and resources in European studies, as well as at creating joint transnational activities and structural links with academic institutions in other countries. It also ensures openness to civil society. Moreover, the Center will play a major role in reaching out to students from faculties that do not typically deal with the European Union such as Engineers as well as to policy makers, civil servants, organised civil society and the general public at large.

Director and ad personam Jean Monnet Professor Michèle Knodt explained: “We are delighted that we have been awarded this status, especially since international competition for the Jean Monnet Centres has been particularly intense this year. I am convinced that CEDI will act as a real stimulus to cooperation across TU Darmstadt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in teaching and research and enable us to contribute better to informed public debate on the European Union in Global Dialogue and establish a regional hub of expertise on the EU’s external relations.”

CEDI activities consist of: Teaching, Annual Conferences, Workshop Series, European Lounge Talks, Annual Lecture Series, Jean Monnet Award for EU in Global Dialogue, School meets EU Studies, Junior Campus EU+, research projects, exchanges with Cuba to establish EU Studies as well as the establishment of a blog.

Funding institution: EU | Erasmus+

Funding period: 01.09.2015 – 31.08.2018

Funding budget: 100.000,00