Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe’s Digital Age

ongoing

The DEMCONEX Jean Monnet Centre for Excellence for Freedom of Expression and Democratic Resilience in Europe’s Digital Age will examine how freedom of expression and its regulation supports the ability of citizens to participate in political processes and contribute to Europe’s democratic project and will provide a wider umbrella for promoting EU Studies at TCD. The JMCE has 3 complementary, integrated strands - Research: The JMCE will facilitate interdisciplinary research including the production of: a monograph examining the development of freedom of expression and its association with political participation; articles and book chapters on topics such as participatory democracy, de-platforming, regulation of social media platforms, and EU law in national constitutional courts; and conference papers and participation. Teaching: The JMCE will lead an ambitious expansion of teaching and the promotion of excellence in EU studies teaching. It will deliver two new modules on freedom of expression and democratic participation, integrate materials on freedom of expression, constitutionalism and democratic theory into existing modules and deliver seminars to students in universities outside the EU. Events: The JMCE will host events including an annual Public Lecture series, two interdisciplinary seminar series and a multi-day international conference. Connecting theory and practice, the events will reach students and key stakeholders including government and civil society. The JMCE represents a consolidation and an ambitious expansion in events, teaching and research on EU Studies at TCD, and will lay the groundwork for future ERASMUS+ activities. It will also provide support to capitalise on the ‘competitive advantage’ that Dublin now enjoys as a centre for EU studies as a result of its position as the capital city of the only English-speaking Member State, and the jurisdiction where many digital undertakings central to this research are located and regulated.