European University Institute

What is the European University Institute? The European University Institute (EUI) is an international postgraduate teaching and research institute located in Florence, Italy. Founded in 1972 as an international organisation by the six founding member states of the European Communities, the EUI has been offering advanced academic training since 1976 in the social sciences and humanities, and is a research hub for an array of European issues. Today, it hosts an international community of around 1,300 people and has 23 contracting states. Full members of the EUI must be EU member states. The EUI’s commitment to academic excellence is unwavering, demonstrated by the 36 European Research Council (ERC) projects hosted at the EUI since the ERC’s establishment in 2007, including the 14 projects hosted at present.

VISION | A social sciences and humanities hub connecting academic excellence and research capabilities across Europe and to the world of policy and practice, for the betterment of society.

A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT | The uniqueness of the EUI’s international and multinational environment, in which no single nationality dominates, sets it apart from other higher education institutions. With more than 100 nationalities represented, the EUI hosts a vibrant international community that possesses a true European spirit and outlook. Academic staff come from all around the world, while researchers are from the EU member states or hold international grants. The administrative staff is from across the EU member states.

The EUI environment, providing an innovative mixture of policy-relevant research, doctoral and post-doctoral studies, and executive education, alongside close cooperation with the European institutions, promotes the acquisition of essential skills and knowledge on the principles and practices of EU decision-making. The goal is to strengthen the EU decision-making processes and the democratic participation linked to it.

Moreover, the EUI is committed to reinforcing ties between Europe and the rest of the world in academia, as well as in the training of local practitioners. Among its institutional priorities is the desire to contribute to capacity-building across Europe, especially in the Western Balkan Region. Thanks to its European mission and its character as a hub for world-class research, the EUI is uniquely placed to play an active role in academic capacity-building in EU candidate counties.