The European Institute
A centre of excellence for the study of Europe
Study Europe. Understand the world.
The European Institute (EI) at LSE stands as a leading global hub for the study of Europe – not in isolation, but in dynamic interaction with the wider world. Since its founding in 1991, the EI has grown into one of the largest and most influential centres for European studies globally, renowned for its world-class teaching, cutting-edge research, and vibrant public engagement.
Our tagline – ‘Study Europe. Understand the World.’ – reflects our core belief: that Europe is not just a region to be studied, but a gateway to understanding global processes. We explore how Europe shapes and is shaped by international forces—political, economic, cultural, and social—offering students a rich, interdisciplinary education that equips them to think critically and act globally. Europe becomes a laboratory for examining broader patterns of globalisation, governance, and societal change. The insights gained here are not confined to Europe—they are applicable across regions and sectors, preparing our graduates to work and lead anywhere in the world.
With eight interdisciplinary master’s programmes and a thriving doctoral community, our academic focus spans four key themes: Political Economy, Politics & Policy, Culture & Society, and Migration. These themes reflect the complexity of Europe’s internal dynamics and its external relationships, offering students a rich, comparative lens through which to explore pressing global challenges.
The European Institute invites students not just to study Europe, but to engage critically with the world through Europe. In an era of rapid change, our mission is clear: to equip future leaders, thinkers, and changemakers with the tools to navigate and shape the global landscape.
At the European Institute we study Europe’s deepest internal and external connections, investigate what derives from them, and explore what puts them in question.
Our core activities
Research
The work of the European Institute's faculty, research staff, and our highly active doctoral community focuses on our four key research themes: Political Economy, Politics & Policy, Culture & Society, and Migration.
Education
We have one of the largest cohorts students researching Europe anywhere in the world with over 240 master's students and 20 doctoral students from over 46 countries. As an outward-looking institution, we also have a number of international partners, including Sciences Po (Paris), Bocconi University (Milan), Fudan University (Shanghai), and Columbia University (New York) with whom we have double degree master's programmes.
Explore our postgraduate degree programmes
Public engagement
One of the hallmarks of the European Institute is our strong external profile. We host dozens of events a year, with an outstanding cast list of high-level speakers from politics, public administration and EU institutions, including presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, finance ministers, distinguished scholars and influential commentators.