European Union Democracy and Security

ongoing

The European Union Democracy and Security (EUDS) Jean Monnet Center of Excellence at the University of Washington will promote student learning, faculty research, teaching, and outreach with a focus on liberal democracy, the importance of democracy in security, illiberal challenges, and democratic resilience in the EU. The EU's goal of public diplomacy is also a core objective of the University of Washington, which aims to engage over the long term with citizens, government, and potential partners locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, building mutual understanding and catalyzing cooperation in tackling shared challenges. The UW’s Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) and its Center for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (CEREAS) emphasize deep area knowledge and public-facing scholarship, and are well positioned to leverage UW resources in advancing this application for the EU Jean Monnet Center of Excellence (JMCE). The proposed JMCE program of European Union Democracy and Security will deepen knowledge about the EU as a leader in the advancement and defence of democratic institutions both domestically and worldwide. With this grant, we will provide venues where we expose students, researchers, and wider audiences to cutting-edge research and transatlantic dialogue in new policy areas that address pressing topics, namely the democratic institutions of EU governance and hard security, as well as the EU's democratic values of rule-based governance, multilateralism, and individual rights and responsibilities. CEREAS is a regional anchor for EU studies, supporting critical educational programming on EU subjects at universities and high schools in the northwestern U.S. JMCE will leverage this strong foundation in collaboration with numerous programs at UW as well as educational institutions, civil servants, civil society actors, and journalists, locally, regionally and nationwide. JMCE will thus strengthen ties between the U.S. and the EU.