Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Launch: Centre for Britain & Europe

Webinar

The University of Surrey's Centre for Britain and Europe (CBE) has recently been awarded the prestigious Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Funding. Launched in 2019, the CBE's purpose is to provide high-quality analysis that informs and develops scholarly and public debate on issues affecting the UK and Europe, both now and in the future.

The timing of this funding could not be more crucial. With the UK reframing its relationship with the EU, and Europe more widely, the CBE's designation as a Centre of Excellence will further strengthen its ability to operate at the intersection of academia, think tanks, government, private sector and the media, as a key forum for research analysis and debate.

Entitled 'Open Doors and Building Bridges', the CBE's Jean Monnet funding package entails a 3-year programme of teaching, research analysis and engagement designed to "keep the conversation going" across the university community in Guildford, Surrey, and the UK itself.

Five key themes will allow the CBE to draw together its cutting-edge research on Europe and Britain, as well as building on the strong track record of the Department of Politics in engaging with key EU-UK politics:

gender and identity
electoral behaviour
European and British security and defence
de-Europeanisation/re-Europeanisation
cross-thematic outputs - designed to ensure that the CBE's outputs reach as wide an audience as possible.

Event Programme

10:30-12:00 - Roundtable: Re-framing UK-EU Relations

Chair: Dr Jamie Shea, Visiting Professor, University of Surrey

Professor Simon Usherwood and Dr Theofanis Exadaktylos: framing ‘De/ReEuropeanisation’
Dr Laura Chappell: Gender and Identity: key approaches
Dr Alia Middleton and Dr Roula Nezi: Electoral Behaviour: UK, US and Europe compared
Professor Amelia Hadfield: European & UK security and defence

Discussant: Paul Adamson, Encompass Europe

12:30-13:30 - Keynote: Re-engaging Britain and Europe

Chair: Professor Simon Usherwood, Department of Politics, University of Surrey

Guest Speaker: Katya Adler, BBC Europe Editor

13:30-15:00 - CBE Local Engagement Showcase

Chair: Dr Florence Guab, Institute for Security Studies, Brussels