The interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence “Challenges of European Integration”, funded by the EU Commission as part of the Jean Monnet Program, began its work at the Salzburg Centre of European Union Studies (SCEUS).

November 1st of last year marked the official start of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence “Challenges of European Integration”, which SCEUS had successfully applied for funding from the EU Commission the previous February. After work began before Christmas with a kick-off meeting, a workshop and two evening events for the wider public on the topics of populism and EU enlargement, the new year will see this work gather further momentum.

The Centre of Excellence, which brings together scholars from the Departments of Political Science, International Law, European Law and Foundations of Law as well as Economics at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), will address some of the most important current issues and problems of European integration through a combination of research, teaching and third mission activities until the winter semester 2026/27: With the present and future of economic and monetary union in the eurozone, the problems, risks and opportunities of ongoing migration to Europe and with the defense of the rule of law in the EU and its member states.

With the ultimate aim of helping to make the EU more resilient – to use a recently frequently used buzzword – in dealing with current and future crises by analyzing past and current crises, the Centre of Excellence will offer numerous teaching and third mission activities in parallel and in addition to the research work carried out at the SCEUS and elsewhere by the PLUS. These will not only address researchers and students from the relevant academic disciplines such as law, political science, economics, etc., but will also offer students from other areas of the PLUS the opportunity to deal with EU-specific content in their studies through specific crash courses, summer schools, etc.

In addition to this, in the coming years there will be a differentiated program not only of scientific events such as workshops and conferences on relevant issues, but also numerous evening events – three are planned per semester – which, in cooperation with local media, will offer a wider public the opportunity to enter into an exchange with PLUS scientists on current pressing issues of European integration:The large number of listeners who have already attended such events in the winter semester on the topics of populism, EU enlargement and European environmental policy in order to participate in the discussion is an encouraging signal that a new path is being taken here to bring the work of “their” university closer to the citizens of the city and region.These third-mission activities are rounded off by the use of digital communication channels such as blog posts and social media, which will also keep the public outside the city and province of Salzburg up to date on the work of the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence “Challenges of European Integration”.