The Berlin Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence has been conducting research in the field of European economic policy-making, European integration, and policy studies since 1998. Directed by Prof. Dr. Michael Bolle, its research and teaching staff - including a Jean Monnet Chair - possesses wide ranging expertise in economics and political science together with practical policy-making experience. The JMC enjoys strong relationships with leading educational, governmental and civil society institutions in Europe, the USA, the Middle East and North Africa. These partners participate in joint conferences, ventures, projects and exchanges. The Centre hosts the Jean Monnet Lecture series, in which academic, political, commercial, and diplomatic experts give public lectures on various EU integration related topics. These networks and events are essential aspects of the JMC's teaching activities, and its role as a conduit between policymakers, scholars, students and the wider community. The Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence are awarded by the European Union as part of a Europe-wide network of currently 101 selected research institutions. The Berlin Centre is part of the Otto-Suhr-Institute at the Freie UniversitÄat of Berlin, one of the leading political science locations in Europe.
Research at the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence focuses on the processes associated with both integration and decision-making in the EU. The methodological foundation is that of positive analysis, generally based on rational choice approaches. Current research projects include the following fields:
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (www.go-euromed.org)
GO-EuroMed is the latest research project of the Jean-Monnet Centre of Excellence. It assembles a team of economics and political science institutes from EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries, together reflecting the diversity of a dynamic region. The project will evaluate growth strategies in the light of key political and social challenges facing the region, in order to produce economically desirable and politically feasible institutional solutions capable of furthering the Barcelona Process' goals in the Mediterranean Basin.
Eastward Enlargement of the Eurozone (www.ezoneplus.org)
Prior to GO-EuroMed, the JMC's most recent research project focused on the Eastward Enlargement of the Eurozone . This project was funded by the European Union's Fifth Framework Programme. The Centre acted as project co-ordinator; partners include institutions and universities from Estonia, Finland, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia. The project was granted one of the ten outstanding research project of the FP5 programme.
Monetary Politics in the Balkan: A Technical Assistance Project
Between 2004 and 2006, Prof. Michael Bolle has advised the Bank of Albania (BoA) to facilitate the Bank's rapprochement with the European System of Central Banks. To this end, a number of technical assistance activities have been undertaken, such as a Twinning light-project and the training of the Bank's staff through regular workshops, lectures and seminars at home and abroad. In this context the BoA could establish working links with other European Central Banks, procuring expertise to support the BoA in creating an efficient management structure and adopting best international practices.
Freie Universität Berlin
Department of Political and Social Sciences
Otto-Suhr-Institute
Ihnestrasse 56, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 838 54966
Fax: +49 30 838 52357
Email: offce@jmc-berlin.org
www.jmc-berlin.org
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