DCU Brexit Institute represented the Jean Monnet Network BRIDGE (Brexit Research and Interchange on Differentiated Governance in Europe) at the Kick-Off meeting for 2019 Jean Monnet Activities (JMA). The event was organised by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium on 18-19 November 2019.
The BRIDGE Network is led by the Brexit Institute of Dublin City University and also involves the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, the University of Copenhagen and Central European University (CEU).
The BRIDGE Network is one of the 285 projects selected for funding under the Jean Monnet Erasmus+ Programme in 2019. With a total of 1315 applications received in the year, the success rate for this call for funding was 22%.
The BRIDGE Network received from the Jean Monnet Erasmus+ programme the maximum grant of 300 000€. This effectively makes BRIDGE Network one of the Jean Monnet projects which received the greatest funding in 2019.
As 2019 celebrates 30 years of Jean Monnet Activities, the European Commission gathered JMA grantees in Brussels for a two-day conference, to launch the 2019 cycle of activities and close the 30-year anniversary celebrations.
The event allowed for JMA grantees to learn about one another projects, network and find synergies and common ground for cooperation. The conference closed with in-depth talks on EU studies in the digital age. DCU prof. Deirdre Butler gave a vivid and inspiring keynote speech on Education in the Digital Age.
The Jean Monnet Programme launched in 1989. It aims to support academic research and teaching in the field of European integration studies. Jean Monnet Actions gather a global community of researchers, policy-makers, learners and citizens from 90 countries. The Programme supported a total of 5000 projects and counting. It reaches 300 000 students each year.
Jean Monnet Programme is more than just funding, it is a scholarly community to debate European integration, address its challenges and opportunities”
– Stefaan Hermans Director Director for Policy Strategy and Evaluation of the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
With talks on tripling the budget for Erasmus+ programme, the Jean Monnet Programme is now looking at widening its actions beyond higher education. They could now directly support secondary education institutions, fulfilling even more the mission to bringing awareness on European affairs to pupils.