EUI Activity Report on 2020
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EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE EUI ACTIVITY REPORT 2020 Report on calendar year 2020 Published in May 2021 by the European University Institute © European University Institute, 2021 The European Commission supports the EUI through the European Union budget. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. CONTENTS Introduction ......................................................................... 5 Highlights from 2020 ........................................................... 6 EUI in Numbers ................................................................... 8 Training Early Stage Researchers .........................................10 Excellence in Research ........................................................ 13 Training of Current and Future Policy Makers ..................... 16 Engaging Globally .............................................................. 18 Support Services: Key Contributions .................................. 21 Budget Figures .................................................................... 23 Leadership, Faculty and Governance ................................. 27 Online Resources ................................................................ 32 INTRODUCTION The year 2020 was a year like no other for the Insti- strating an ability to formulate timely and informed tute. One key element in the EUI’s identity is its truly responses to pertinent and unexpected challenges unique international nature and thus, the COVID-19 in world politics and society. pandemic struck the institution at its heart. The In- stitute also relies on social interaction to cultivate Throughout the year, the EUI continued to work the interdisciplinary research and the policy dia- towards the priorities set forth in its strategic ob- logue that are two of its hallmarks. Nevertheless, jectives, with notable achievements on several the EUI showed a very high level of resilience and priorities. Important steps have been made in the adaptability, which enabled it to fulfil its missions development of the CIVICA European university and objectives. It was able to reach pragmatic solu- alliance, a key element in our networking strategy. tions to maintain continuity and meet the needs of 2020 saw a consolidation of our global outreach ef- the academic community in a volatile environment. forts, as well as the activation of four interdisciplin- In turn, members of the academic community had ary research clusters, one of the priorities among to rethink their methodologies, planning and out- our strategic objectives. Each of the clusters is cen- puts to reach their research objectives in the shifting tred around a societal interest that is broad enough circumstances. to allow diversity between and within disciplines and carries substantial policy relevance. Throughout the year, a set of campus policies was designed to correspond to Italy’s changing risk lev- The EUI also carried out a reflection on the els. Campus access, security and the use of facilities organisation of the administration to align it with were heavily regulated and sanitisation procedures strategic priorities. were implemented in line with national regulations. Thanks to this, the EUI could welcome in Septem- In sum, despite the adverse environment created by ber 2020 its largest cohort ever of fellows, research- the pandemic, 2020 has seen a tangible strength- ers and students. Digital communication tools and ening of the EUI’s three pillars of activity. These learning platforms were optimised or newly imple- developments are analysed in further detail in the mented and provisions were introduced to be able following pages. to work remotely whenever needed. Brexit was a second challenge for the Institute throughout 2020 as the political scenario at the Eu- ropean level continued to generate instability for the EUI. Brexit has not only affected the Institute in financial terms given the possible reduction in the contracting-state funding stream, but has also cre- ated a climate of uncertainty. In spite of this, 2020 was an important year for the development of the Institute. It saw spectacular success in our ERC campaign, and the arrival of a new director for the School of Transnational Gover- nance (STG), Professor Alexander Stubb. The STG also welcomed its first full-time faculty members, and launched its new Masters programme. The EUI mobilised its interdisciplinary resources to fo- cus on supporting and disseminating research and information on the COVID pandemic, also demon- ACTIVITY REPORT ON 2020 5 HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2020 1 2 1 2 January February • Glenda Sluga becomes Professor of International His- • Nicolas Petit joins the EUI as Joint Chair in tory and Capitalism in HEC and RSC. Competition Law in LAW and the RSC. • Jeffrey T. Checkel takes up the SPS Chair in Interna- • EUI leads CIVICA’s launch of training activities for early tional Politics. stage researchers. • EUI in Brussels: The Middle East Directions Programme • The EUI Ethics Committee with the departments offer addresses policy makers on the MENA region. Research Ethics and Transparency training course to • The EU Institute for Security Studies and the STG early stage researchers. co-organise the European Cyber Diplomacy Dialogue in Florence. • EUI launches four interdisciplinary research clusters: Technological Change and Society; Inequality, Welfare and Social Justice; Crisis of Expert Knowledge and Authority; and Democracy in the 21st Century. 5 6 May June • Benno Gammerl joins EUI as Professor of History of • EUI dissertation prizes awarded to Christian Meyer and Gender and Sexuality. Alessandro Ferrari in ECO, Ríán Derrig and Lamin • Alexander Stubb becomes Director of the School of Khadar in LAW, Déborah Dubald and Catherine Gib- Transnational Governance. son in HEC and Björn Bremer in SPS. • Historical Archives launches online exhibition Europe • EUI and the European Investment Bank establish the and Europeans 1950>2020: 70th anniversary of the EIB Climate Chair. Schuman Declaration. • EUI funds 17 internal projects related to COVID-19. • A special online edition of The State of the Union Con- • European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) starts ference addresses COVID’s impact on public health, activities. the economy and global cooperation. • EUI and the University of Florence launch the online discussion series La società che verrà. Conversazioni allo schermo. 9 10 September October • EUI welcomes new and returning members of the • The European Commission uses the Media Pluralism academic community back to campus for the 2020/21 Monitor 2020 in its Rule of Law Report. academic year. • Historical Archives announces the new oral history • STG launches its two-year master’s programme in programme The European Commission 1986-2000. Transnational Governance and welcomes its first cohort Memories of an institution. of 35 students. • FSR Energy launches four new online series: FSR Talks; • RSC Director Brigid Laffan welcomes 40 new fellows to Insights; Conversations; and Debates. the RSC and delivers the Yves Mény Annual Lecture. • The EUI’s research repository Cadmus reaches 25,000 • Eight new full-time faculty members join the EUI: records. Zeinab Aboutalebi, Daniele Caramani, Edouard Challe, Nicolas Guilhot, Sarah Nouwen, Claudio Radaelli, Diane Stone and Maarten Vink. • Jos Delbeke appointed as the first EIB Climate Chair at the STG. 6 EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE 3 4 March April • With Italy in full-lockdown, the EUI goes online for all • RSC launches the website for the Horizon2020 project academic and administrative activities. Differentiation: Clustering Excellence (DiCE). • ERC awards five Advanced Grants to EUI faculty • The COVID Knowledge Hub is put online. members Youssef Cassis (RSC), Laura Lee Downs • The researcher organisation ‘Thoughts for Europe’ (HEC), Anton Hemerijck (SPS), Liesbet Hooghe (RSC) takes its activities online with a zoom conference on and Glenda Sluga (HEC & RSC). ‘Constitutional orders in times of crisis – The responses • EUI conducts around 300 video interviews with candi- of European countries to COVID-19’. dates for the 2020/21 doctoral programme. 7 8 July August • RSC’s Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom • Economics researchers lead the return for the 2020/21 releases the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM2020). academic year, arriving on campus for the department’s • STG joins the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Advanced Courses. Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict and other distin- guished institutions to launch The Digital Dialogue Series: Conversations on national accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. 11 12 November December • The Academic Careers Observatory holds annual con- • The Historical Archives and the European Space Agency ference on European Research Funding. sign a deposit agreement. • A Schuman Conversation on ‘The Biden Presidency: • With the support of the Library, Law researchers Niall Resetting Transatlantic Relations’ with former Ambas- Coghlan and Marc Steiert publish The Charter of Fun- sadors Anthony Gardner and David O’Sullivan. damental Rights of the European Union: the travaux • Former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton préparatoires and selected documents. inaugurated the academic year for the School of Trans- • The European Commission’s Directorate-General for In- national Governance with a speech and Q&A session. ternational Partnership announces support for the