The University of Graz is the only institution in Austria to be awarded a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence funded by the European Commission. Led by political scientist and historian Florian Bieber and coordinated by Hrvoje Paić and Dorian Jano, the centre is researching the process of Europeanisation in South-Eastern Europe. At the same time, it will serve as a platform for disseminating information, teaching materials and policy recommendations to the public.
“We want to promote dialogue between researchers, opinion leaders and the general public, and foster an understanding of EU enlargement. We view this, on the one hand, as a political process and, on the other, as a matter of legitimacy, communication, identity and democratic participation,” explain Paić and Jano.
In addition to its research work, the centre will make available, amongst other things, policy recommendations, teaching materials, academic publications and multilingual information via an online hub. Regular forums will bring together researchers with decision-makers, media representatives and members of the public. There will also be international masterclasses and training courses for early-career researchers. “EuDiSEE will significantly strengthen EU studies at the University of Graz, support young doctoral candidates and raise the profile of academic work from South-Eastern Europe,” summarise Jano and Paić.
The centre will commence its work on 15 October 2026 and will run for three years.
