The Center for European Studies (CES), housed within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) at the University of Florida, is a multidisciplinary area and language studies center focused on expanding awareness, interest and training in European studies across campus and the broader community. The Center facilitates the training of scholars and experts in European studies by providing a wide range of area studies courses in disciplines including, history, sociology, political science, film studies, law, education, business, musicology, and many more. The Center promotes the learning of European less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) through language programs in Czech, Hungarian, modern Greek, Polish, and Turkish, and supports the other European language programs on campus through funding opportunities and outreach activities.
CES was created in 2003, and is a comprehensive Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) and FLAS provider and houses the Erasmus + Jean Monnet Center of Excellence, and the UF Jean Monnet Chair (ad personam). UF CES was the first Jean Monnet Center of Excellence in the United States. Our grant activities allow the Center to provide direct support for teaching and research to faculty and students, as well as host public talks, academic workshops, and a variety of community events serving the general public, K-12 teachers and students, local, state, and national government, and business leaders in Florida and the southeast region. The Center serves as not only a resource for European Studies, but also as a regional knowledge hub for the European Union, providing one of the largest selections of courses on the EU in the country, spanning EU institutions to EU-China relations and from European law to EU cultural policy.
By providing a wide range of courses and outreach activities, the Center aims to highlight the distinct cultural, political, and historical perspectives that make up Europe. Students pursuing CES supported academic programs (courses and degrees) and participants at CES events gain a better understanding of Europe’s history, current reality, and future impact across a wide array of topics and perspectives, enabling them to become better informed and more engaged citizens.