European Studies

Founded in 1972, European Studies at UW–Madison connects students and faculty across disciplines to explore European history, languages, cultures, and the European Union as a global power. European Studies is a consortium of three externally funded research centers, including the Center for German & European Studies (CGES, a DAAD Center of Excellence), the Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence, and the Center for European Studies, all based in the International Division. The Center for European Studies—a unit of the International Division—is one of only six comprehensive Title VI National Resource Centers on Western Europe in the United States. Delving deep into Europe’s history, languages, and cultures, European Studies offers a comprehensive curriculum with over 700 courses annually and 16 European languages.

Academic opportunities

European Studies (ES) caters to students who want significant international expertise for their careers. By pursuing a Certificate in European Studies, undergraduate students from diverse majors can cultivate a deep understanding of the region, its institutions, and languages. For those seeking careers with a European dimension, the certificate showcases a broad and interdisciplinary understanding of European affairs. ES undergraduates come from history, political science, legal studies, Spanish, and a wide variety of other majors. In addition to the courses and the Certificate in European Studies, ES also offers Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the Title VI program, esteemed FLAS fellowships help undergraduate and graduate students increase their expertise in area studies while developing advanced language skills. European Studies provides funding to students who intend to study, or are currently engaged in the study of, the following European languages:

Arabic
Dutch
Icelandic
Modern Greek
Norwegian
Swedish

Danish
Finnish
Italian
Modern Irish
Portuguese
Turkish

Outreach activities

European Studies plans symposia, teacher trainings, conferences, and guest lectures on a wide variety of topics, which are presented on campus, throughout the state and the U.S., and internationally. Below are just a few of the ways European Studies provides important outreach to the local community and the world: Local: European Studies hosts presentations designed for K-16 educators in the Midwest. Past events include teacher workshops on topics such as Irish and Ukrainian comparative famines for instructors from schools such as Madison East High, Delavan School for the Deaf, Green Bay, and Reedsburg. Statewide: ES offers workshops and resources for K-16 educators and designs content for major business and professional groups, such as the Madison International Trade Association and American Council on Germany. Prior events include presentations on major economic challenges to international trade such as inflation, comparative migration, and differing perceptions of identical election results. Pedagogical workshops cover major topics such as refugee status, designed specifically to help Wisconsin teachers comply with Wisconsin Act 30. International: European Studies actively collaborates with other departments and international organizations to facilitate international scholarly exchange. Major research activities are undertaken with university counterparts in Europe and the U.S. in a variety of formats, including virtual lecture series, on-site symposia, and exchanges. Recent collaborations have explored timely topics like the historical and contemporary impact of Brexit, the Ukraine War, climate change, populism, and the interconnectedness of regional issues such as sustainability and immigration. These activities nearly always result in published books, articles, or public policy documents.

Fellowships and grants

In conjunction with other departments, European Studies provides a wide range of highly competitive fellowships and grants, including but not limited to: FLAS Fellowships: The U.S. Department of Education FLAS fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students provide funding opportunities for UW-Madison students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Research Assistantships: Center for German & European Studies (CGES) CGES offers competitive 12-month research fellowships to graduate students whose mentors work under the topical themes of the CGES-DAAD biennial funding source. These topics include organizations beyond nation-state boundaries (U.N., the Vatican), comparative immigration and refugee literature, German and European Union politics, etc. The Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence for Populism and the Global Economy also offers two 12-month Research Assistantships for qualified graduate students on topics related to the European Union, such as high finance and risk management, during each competitive grant cycle.

Research

With over 180 affiliated faculty conducting research across campus, European Studies leverages strong partnerships to secure competitive research grants for faculty, including: CGES (DAAD, or the “German Academic Exchange Service”) A testament to UW–Madison’s preeminence in European scholarship, European Studies is among a select group of only four Centers in North America for German and European Studies funded by the prestigious German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This grant fosters groundbreaking research through faculty collaboration across disciplines, advancing our understanding of Europe’s complex role in the globalized world. UW–Madison Professor Sonja Klocke’s 2024-2025 CGES renewal award exemplifies this commitment. Established in 1998, CGES ensures continued support for innovative European research initiatives in the humanities and social sciences. Jean Monnet European Union Center of Excellence for Populism and the Global Economy European Studies has won major competitive research grants from the European Union since 1998. The latest is the 2022-2025 Jean Monnet EUCE for Populism and the Global Economy, which features 12 political scientists, economists, historians, and anthropologists on campus who study the international role of the European Union and its complicated relationships with member state governments, other global regions, and the world at large. This grant features faculty research and teaching, as well as major outreach activities hosting diplomats, ambassadors, and European Commission officials. There are only 10 such centers funded in the U.S. in the early 2020’s. Currently, Professor of Political Science and Public Affairs Mark Copelovitch is center director and Jean Monnet Chair. Interested in learning more? Contact European Studies below and follow them on their social media to stay up to date on the latest news and events! European Studies 213 Ingraham Hall Email: europe@international.wisc.edu Phone: 608-265-8040 Address: 1155 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706 Web: europe.wisc.edu LinkedIn | X | Instagram

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