European Union - Delegation of the European Commission to Japan

NEW: Jean Monnet Programme - Call for proposals 2009

The Jean Monnet Action is a European Commission initiative launched in 1990 to promote knowledge/studies on European integration.

It has three main components:

• stimulating academic excellence in the field of European integration studies through the support for new teaching, research and debate activities at university level;
• fostering academic reflection on current policy priorities in the field of European integration via centralised high-level conferences and thematic groups (bringing together Jean Monnet professors, policy-makers and civil society in Brussels) and support for decentralised reflection activities all over the world.
• supporting major institutions active in the study of European integration.

The European Commission's support measures for European integration studies are open to the world. They provide a response to the need for knowledge about European integration and aim to prepare the new generation of European affairs specialists. In universities throughout the world, the goal is to give greater visibility, at both international and national levels, to scientific resources and academic activities in the field of European integration and European Union developments.

In the framework of the Jean Monnet Action, the term European integration studies is taken to mean the study of the construction of the European Community which led to the European Union and the institutional, legal, political, economic and social developments related to this process.

One type of the Jean Monnet action is the support for teaching activities at universities through the creation of "Jean Monnet Chairs".

"A Jean Monnet Chair" is a full-time teaching post in the field of European integration studies. Holders of Jean Monnet Chairs are selected by the university authorities and must devote 100% of their teaching time to European integration issues. They are then proposed to Brussels for approval (annual procedure).

The European Commission then concludes grant agreements with the universities.

Since its launch, 650 Jean Monnet Chairs in the world have been funded.

In Japan, the following four professors are the holders of a Jean Monnet Chair (all in Tokyo):

Prof. Soko Tanaka,ChuoUniversity(2001)
Prof. Katsuhiro Shoji,KeioUniversity(2002)
Prof. Toshiro Tanaka,KeioUniversity(2003)
Prof. Kumiko Haba, Hosei University (2005)

For more information on this programme and call for proposals:
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/ajm/index_en.html

Higher education institutions can also apply for "Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence".
These centres are a clearly labelled institutes or structures pooling scientific, human and documentary resources for European integration studies and research within one or more universities. Each Centre must work under the direction of a Jean Monnet Chair. As the first Jean Monnet COE among Japanese higher education institutions, Keio University in Tokyo signed the formal Agreement on 4 October 2007 which entered into force on the same day. 

For more information on Jean Monnet COE:
http://www.jean-monnet-coe.keio.ac.jp/index-en.html

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/jm/more/excellence_en.html

Jean Monnet Programme - Call for proposals 2009
Until February 13
- Stimulating EU studies at universities world-wide (PDF)
- Complete Information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/ajm/2009/index_en.htm