The History of the European Institute
Since its founding in 1991, the European Institute has been the UK's leading centre for the study of Europe.
The European Institute was established as a dedicated centre for the interdisciplinary study of processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. Navigating pivotal moments from the Maastricht Treaty and the formation of the single currency to the Eurozone crisis and Brexit, the European Institute encapsulates more than three decades of dynamic growth. Against the backdrop of geopolitical shifts shaping Britain’s role in Europe and Europe’s global standing, the European Institute’s influence remains unparalleled.
1991: The European Institute is founded within the Department of Government
1996: Founding of the Hellenic Observatory, and the creation of the Eleftherios Venizelos Chair of Contemporary Greek Studies
1996: Founding of the Forum for European Philosophy
1996: Founding of the Canada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies.
2005: Founding of the Contemporary Turkish Studies programme, including the creation of an eponymous Chair
2007: European Institute researchers come first in European Studies in the UK’s Research Assessment Exercise (RAE)
2008: Launch of the European Institute’s partnership with Science Po in Paris, France, with a Double Degree in European Studies
2008: The EI begins its yearly visit to Cumberland Lodge, a 17th-century Grade II listed country house in Windsor Great Park which now hosts educational retreats for students
2009: Founding of LSE Research on South Eastern Europe (LSEE)
2014: European Institute researchers come first in Area Studies in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF)
2015: The European Institute begins the year-long LSE Commission on the Future of Britain in Europe, an in-depth assessment of the benefits and risks of Brexit. The report recommends that considering the potential consequences of the vote, the least risky choice would be for the UK to remain in the EU.
2016: Launch of the 5-year LSE Programme on Brexit, which includes a high-profile public lecture series, briefings for members of the civil service, closed discussions with policy makers, and research activities with the School.
2018: Launch of the European Institute’s partnership with Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, with a Double Degree in European and International Public Policy & Politics
2019: Launch of the European Institute’s partnership with Fudan University in Shanghai, China, with a Double Degree in the Global Political Economy of China and Europe
2021: The European Institute celebrates its 30th anniversary with a series of EI30 events, a photography competition, interviews with academics and students alike, and more.
In 2021/22, the European Institute celebrated 30 years since its foundation.
Marking the occasion, the EI held a series of EI30 events, a photography competition, interviews with academics and students alike, and more. Explore our collection below.
Celebrating 30 Years of the European Institute: An Introduction
by Professor Simon Glendinning, Professor Nicholas Barr, and Professor Kevin Featherstone
The Birth of the European Institute at LSE: A Tale of Two Histories
by Professor Simon Glendinning
The European Institute’s First Decade
by Professor Nicholas Barr
Reflections on the Development of the European Institute at LSE
by Professor Kevin Featherstone
Professor Nicholas Barr
Professor of Public Economics"What excites me about the future of the EI is our unique position as ‘inside outsiders’ to the EU. We can act as observers and analysts sitting just outside the borders of the EU with the knowledge and understanding that comes from over 40 years of membership."
Carl-Ludwig Campbell
European Institute Manager"I always say that we are a community from the moment that you accept your offer to study with us or work for us, and that never ends – alumni and staff who have moved on are always a part of our community."
Dr Eray Çaylı
Visiting Fellow, former Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow"I feel our provision has diversified to reflect the many transformations taking place not only in our own institution but also in the world outside."
Professor Paul De Grauwe
John Paulson Chair in European Political Economy"The seminars are great. They allow me to discover how students think these days. I also discover how bright they are. I think they are brighter than when I was a student."
Virginia Crespi de Valldaura
PhD Candidate"The difference between my first and second year has been astonishing. Having started at the height of Covid, seeing the EI come to life this year –with in-person seminars and events, and students and academics everywhere – has been a delight."
Stephanie Finney
Former Deputy Institute Manager at the European Institute"The diverse backgrounds of our academic staff and the interesting research going on in the department makes it a deeply interesting place to work. I also love how our academic colleagues warmly welcome our students into the department as young scholars."
Sarah Gerwens
PhD Candidate"I was nervous, but stepping inside the department, I felt like I had never been gone – and I knew for sure I wanted to come back. I did not even apply to another PhD programme; not because I was sure I would get in, but because I knew I did not want to go somewhere else."
Professor Simon Glendinning
Head of the European Institute and Professor of European Philosophy"What gives me the greatest satisfaction is the transformation of my teaching activity while I have been here – from offering courses in European Philosophy to courses in Philosophy of Europe."
Dr Bob Hancké
Visiting Senior Fellow, Former Associate Professor in Political Economy"If the words ‘permanent revolution’ mean anything, they should probably apply to the EI. We seem to be – in a good way – reinventing ourselves every few years."
Dr Abby Innes
Associate Professor in Political Economy"In thirty years the EI has managed to be a place that is predominantly kind, enthusiastic and careful of the welfare of its staff and students."
Daniela Movileanu
PhD Candidate"I like watching London’s skyline from the upper floors of the Centre Building. It calms me down after a long day grappling with research-related problems. It is also where the EI offices and the PhD working space are located, so a perfect spot for casual chats and encounters."
Professor Waltraud Schelkle
Former Professor in Political Economy at the European Institute"Older colleagues consult younger colleagues about teaching innovations, like simulation games. And academics with discernible roots in their disciplines co-supervise doctoral students, which is greatly rewarding."
Federico Trastulli
Alumnus"To me it was and still is my second home. The perfect place where to land, grow and be looked after as a 21-year old bird who had never left his nest in Central Italy yet, but wanted to learn and get to know more of the world."
Dr Martin Westlake
Visiting Professor in Practice"Undoubtedly, my favourite thing is, in normal times, working closely with the professional service staff (without whom we’d be lost) and bumping into the academic and teaching staff, though we’ll have to wait until the pandemic is well and truly over before we can once again nip over the road to the George for a post-seminar drink and a chat!"
As part of the European Institute's anniversary celebrations in 2021-2022, we held a photography competition with the aim of sharing thoughtful, beautiful and exciting photographic moments.
The theme of our competition was ‘Focus on Europe’. As the hub for European research and teaching at LSE, we want to celebrate images that exemplify what Europe means to our students, staff and alumni: whether these are inspired by their studies, their home and culture, or their experience of living and studying in London.
The way forward for Europe: a union of solidarity and differentiation?
September 2015With Emmanuel Macron, then French Minister for the Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs
Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals: a new partnership between state and private sector
October 2015With Sir Suma Chakrabarti, then President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Britain and the EU: a view from the European Parliament
February 2016With Martin Schulz, then President of the European Parliament
LSE Referendum Night 2016
June 2016On Thursday 23 June 2016, the UK went to the polls to vote in the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU. The LSE European Institute, in partnership with The UK in a Changing Europe, organised a Referendum Night event at LSE. The evening included commentaries and debates between LSE academics and external experts as the first results were reported from across the nation.
Can national politics still support international integration? The case of the EU
September 2017With Mario Monti, then President of Bocconi University and former Prime Minister of Italy
The future of Europe post-Brexit
September 2017With Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium (1999-2008)
Is a rules-based, open, globalisation still worth fighting for?
October 2018With Pascal Lamy, former General Director of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
A life in politics
November 2017With Gordon Brown, then United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Perspectives for the European Common Security and Defence Policy
February 2018With Ursula von der Leyen, then German Minister of Defence
Securing freedom in the age of connectivity: toward a a deeper German-British partnership?
January 2020With Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, then German Minister of Defence & Leader of the CDU
Brexit: third time lucky?
January 2020With Catherine Barnard (then Professor of European Union and Labour Law at Trinity College, University of Cambridge); Anand Menon (then Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London, and Director of The UK in a Changing Europe); John Mills (founder and Chairman of JML, Labour Councillor in Camden for over 30 years); Vicky Pryce (then Chief Economic Advisor, Centre for Economics and Business Research and former Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service); and Ivan Rogers (former UK Permanent Representative to the EU).
Growth and solidarity: cities reimagining human mobility in Africa and Europe
October 2020With Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE (then Mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone); Giuseppe Sala (then Mayor of Milan, Italy); Marta Foresti (then Director of ODI Europe and leader of the Human Mobility Initiative); and Ricky Burdett (then Professor of Urban Studies at LSE and Director of the Urban Age and LSE Cities).
Young people and (anti-) Racism: whose lives matter in Europe?
October 2020With Manmit Bhambra (then Research Officer of the Religion and Global Society research unit); Hiba Latreche (former General Secretary of the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO)); Magid Magid (Somali-British activist, writer and a former Green Party MEP representing Yorkshire & the Humber at the European Parliament); and Emilia Zenzile Roig (Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Intersectional Justice (CIJ)).
The response of major cities to the challenges of the 21st century
October 2020With Ada Colau, then Mayor of Barcelona.
Germany after Merkel: end of an era or more of the same?
September 2021With Ulrike Franke (then Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR); Christian Odendahl (then Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform); Mujtaba Rahman (then Managing Director, Europe, at the Eurasia Group); and Daniela Schwarzer (then Executive Director for Europe and Eurasia at the Open Society Foundations).
The Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy
As part of the European Institute's 30th Anniversary celebrations, we announced that one of the longest-serving members of the European Institute, Professor Nicholas Barr, would be the namesake of the Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy.
The Ralf Dahrendorf Professor of European Politics and Society
The European Institute's newest named professorial post was also announced as the Ralf Dahrendorf Professor of European Politics and Society.
Baroness Minouche Shafik, former Director of LSE, said, "Happy 30th anniversary to the European Institute! For 30 years it has been the leading centre for research on Europe in the UK, with 30 years of impact in Europe, and for Europe in the world. I look forward to decades more of training outstanding students who want to study Europe and produce world-class research about Europe."
Professor Simon Glendinning, Head of the European Institute, commented, "From our very small beginnings to now, with four of our own degrees and now with Double Degrees, the European Institute has really flourished in this period, and it's an extraordinary achievement."
Carl-Ludwig Campbell, European Institute Manager, added, "After 30 years, the EI continues to build on its strengths and connections throughout Europe and around the world – our extended community of current and former students, alumni, academics, researchers, professional services staff, and visiting staff is truly global."
The European Institute has really flourished in this period, and it's an extraordinary achievement.
Other key moments at the European Institute...
10 Years of EU in Practice
In October 2021, the European Institute celebrated the 10th anniversary of its hallmark seminar series, The European Union in Practice: Politics and Power in the Brussels System.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II : A message from Professor Simon Glendinning
In honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022, our Head of the European Institute, Professor Simon Glendinning, reflected on the Queen's reign and her relationship with the European Union - up to the state opening of parliament in June 2017, where she laid out the government’s intention to deliver the eight bills necessary for Brexit wearing a hat that bore a strong resemblance to, of all things, the European Union flag.
Celebrating Professor Kevin Featherstone
In September 2024, after 22 years at the LSE European Institute, Professor Kevin Featherstone, Emeritus Professor in the European Institute and then Director of the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus, retired from his position as Chair in the European Institute.
Professor Featherstone served as Head of the European Institute across three separate terms (2004–2007, 2011–2012, and 2015–2017), totalling seven years of influential leadership. In addition to this, he held the prestigious Eleftherios Venizelos Chair in Contemporary Greek Studies from 2002 to 2022. Kevin currently serves as Chair of the Anglo-Hellenic League, a historic organisation established in 1913 to further relations between Britain and Greece.
Discover our "60 second interview" with Professor Kevin Featherstone
Read our Head of the European Institute's Speech to Kevin
Moreover, in June 2025, Professor Kevin Featherstone, now Professorial Research Fellow at the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus, was awarded the honour of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to academia and UK–Greece relations in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025.