The European Institute's commitment to studying Europe in its globalised context
The European Institute has been committed to advancing the study of Europe since 1991, and is now one of the largest centres for the study of Europe in the world.
The EI continues to conduct world-leading research on Europe through its focus on European politics and policy, economics, culture and society, and migration, while continuing to critically engage with Europe’s global positioning and encouring a non-Eurocentric approach to the study of Europe. Studying Europe as part of a wider, global context leads to a greater understanding of our continent and its position in the world.
Our motto is 'Study Europe. Understand the World.' because the issues we face are not unique to our continent. We are not bound by a Eurocentric approach to our work. On the contrary; through a critical approach to studying Europe, we can better understand the world around us.
Looking at a Europe in ruins after the First World War, the French poet and essayist Paul Valéry reflected on how far it had fallen: from once "appearing" to itself as "the elect portion of the terrestrial globe, the pearl of the sphere, the brain of a vast body" it was fast-becoming provincialized, no more to its "reality" than a "little promontory on the continent of Asia". If the old Eurocentric appearance was disappearing in 1919, it has today largely evaporated altogether.
Understanding Europe requires going beyond Eurocentrism. And yet studies of Europe may still retain the traces of Eurocentric assumptions and prejudices. Our activities listed below aim to explore how the shape and shaping of Europe – its political-economy, its political policy making, or its political culture – needs to be rethought in a time of the exhaustion of Eurocentrism.
Research at the European Institute often goes 'beyond Eurocentrism' in its approach and focus. This can be through understanding Europe from a global perspective, taking a critical approach towards Eurocentric assumptions and engaging with other perspectives, and recognising the historic patterns of power and inequality between Europe and the non-European world.
Our event series aims to explore how the shape and shaping of Europe – its political-economy, its political policy making, or its political culture – needs to be rethought in a time of the exhaustion of Eurocentrism.
We are continuously announcing new events throughout the term. For more information, you can revisit this page or sign up to our newsletter.
Understanding solidarity support for reparations: Memory production and public meaning-making after mass violence
Tuesday 3 December, 12.00pm to 1:30pm GMT
Speaker: Dr Elke Evrard, Human Rights Centre of the Faculty of Law and Criminology of Ghent University
Chair: Denisa Kostovicova, Professor in Global Politics and Director of LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe
Speakers: Nadine El-Enany, University of Kent; Emmanuel Achiri, ENAR; Janine Silga, Dublin City University; Tarsis Brito, LSE; Hope Barker; Arshad Isakjee, University of Liverpool; Thom Davies, University of Nottingham; Jelena Obradovic-Wolchnik, Aston University; Magda El Ghamari, Collegium Civitas; Eva Polonska, LSE; Patrick Kimunguyi, LSE; Martina Tazzioli, University of Bologna
Chair: Eva Polonska, LSE.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
Venue:In-person and online public event (LSE Campus)
After Exit: Assessing the Consequences of United Nations Peacekeeping Withdrawal
Tuesday 14 November, 12.45pm to 2.00pm
Speakers: John Gledhill, Associate Professor of Global Governance, Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Richard Caplan, Professor of International Relations and an Official Fellow of Linacre College, and Andrea Ruggeri, Professor of Political Science and International Relations and Director of the Centre for International Studies at the University of Oxford.
Chair: Denisa Kostovicova, Professor in Global Politics and Director of LSEE Research on South Eastern Europe.
Co-hosted by the European Institute and the Beyond Eurocentrism programme
Venue:In-person and online event (Parish Hall, PAR.2.03, LSE)
Black feminism in Europe
Monday 30 October, 6.30pm to 8.00pm BST
Speakers: Mame-Fatou Niang, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Carnegie Mellon University; SM Rodriguez, Assistant Professor, Department of Gender Studies, LSE.
Chair: Joanna Lewis, Director, LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the LSE Centre for Women, Peace and Security
Venue: In-person and online public event (Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE)
Eurowhiteness: culture, empire and race in the European project
Tuesday 3 October, 6.30pm to 8.00pm BST
Speakers: Gurminder K. Bhambra, Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies in the School of Global Studies, University of Sussex; Hans Kundnani, Associate Fellow and former Europe Programme Director, Chatham House; Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy, University of Cambridge; Mike Wilkinson, Professor of Law, LSE
Chair: Simon Glendinning, Head of the European Institute and Professor in European Philosophy, LSE
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the LSE Law School
Venue:In-person and online public event (Sheikh Zayed Theatre, Cheng Kin Ku Building, LSE)
Speakers: Dr Paris Chronakis, Lecturer in Modern Greek History, Royal Holloway, University of London; Professor Meena Dhanda, Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Politics, University of Wolverhampton; Professor James Mark, Department of History, University of Exeter.
Chair: Professor Simon Glendinning, Professor in European Philosophy and Head of the LSE European Institute.
This event will explore the seemingly paradoxical relationship between sexuality and Europeanness. Challenging the binary of tolerant West and intolerant others, the panel explore will discuss how both homophobia and homonationalism are intertwined with nationalist projects across the continent.
Speakers: Professor Fatima El-Tayeb, Abeera Khan, Professor Richard Mole, Dr Alyosxa Tudor.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and Department of Gender Studies.
Six years after the beginning of Europe’s so called refugee or migration 'crisis', we ask what has happened since and (how) has Europe changed? This event explores Europe’s ‘refugee’ or ‘migration’ crisis, asking whether Europe has changed since, and what happened to the people who arrived and the policies that governed their arrival.
Speakers: Professor Heaven Crawley, Dr Lucy Mayblin, Masooma Torfa, Catherine Woollard.
Hosted by the LSE European Institute and the 89 Initiative.
The event examined how, in the form of white privilege, ‘colour-blindness’ and supremacy, whiteness shapes individual lives and European societies alike.
Speakers: Dr Jean Beaman, Dr Neema Begum, Professor David Theo Goldberg.
In the wake of global protests against racism and police brutality, European publics at large have been called to reckon with the role of race on the continent. This panel discussed how racism has deeply shaped both European past and present and how young people today can determine how it’ll shape Europe’s future.
Speakers: Dr Manmit Bhambra, Hiba Latreche, Magid Magid, Dr. Emilia Zenzile Roig.
The speakers discuss 'The Mayors Dialogue on Growth and Solidarity', explore the challenges facing cities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the opportunities offered by the new dialogue.
Speakers: Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Marta Foresti, Mayor Giuseppe Sala, Professor Ricky Burdett.
