ABOUT THE CENTER

Fernand Braudel Center for International and European Studies (CIES) was created as a scientific body of the World History and International Relations Department at Irkutsk State University (ISU) with the assistance of the House of the Sciences of Man under supervision of Professor Gennady N. Novikov in March 2004. Now the staff of the Center includes professors of several History faculty departments. Fernand Braudel Center carries out European Studies program at ISU and realizes individual and joint research projects on European integration, European social and foreign policy, Italian and UK studies. Professors of the Center teach a range of courses on various aspects of European integration: History and theory of European integration, Social Europe and EU social policy, EU common foreign and security policy, EU-Russia relations, European identity. The Center provides students and faculty staff with information on European research and education programs, fosters academic mobility, organizes open lectures for wider public on EU-related topics.

The Department of World History and International Relations and Fernand Braudel Center have gained considerable experience inthe field of European Studies. In 2003 the Department has become a participant of Siberian network of EU Studies Centers (Tempus/Tacis MP_JEP 23068-2002). In 2007-2008 it took part in Tempus project "Double Master Degree in EU Studies" (Tempus/Tacis SM_SCM-T083B06-2006 (DMDEUS). The projects resulted in the introduction of EU Studies program at History faculty of Irkutsk State University. Since 2010 Fernand Braudel Center was involved in "EU Center in Siberia" (EUCES) program. EUCES was established at Tomsk State University and was supported by the grant of the European Union. Irkutsk State University together with other Siberian Universities (Altai, Kemerovo and NovosibirskTechnical University) acted as a partner organization in the project. The network of Siberian Universities was created in order to implement joint educational and research schemes. A series of events - conferences, summer schools, public lectures, presentations and discussions related to the problems of European integration and Russia-EU relations was organized on the basis of partner universities. Currently, the developmentof European Studies in the Center is supported Jean Monnet Program (2015-2018).