The University Institute for European Studies, founded on 30 July 1952 with the aim of carrying out research and teaching in the fields concerning Europe and the preparation of experts and cadres for international life, is today a point of reference for European and international cooperation and the dissemination of social, ethical and cultural values as instruments of peace and development.
Our history
Education
The Institute has always combined in its training activities an excellence that stems from the synergy between university knowledge and the experiences of civil society. Since its inception in 1952, there has been a fruitful collaboration between the academic world and territorial institutions exemplified by the founders, namely the University of Turin, in the figures of professors Prof. Paolo Greco and the Rector Prof. Mario Allara, the Province of Turin, represented by prof. Giuseppe Grosso in his dual role also as President of the Province, and the City of Turin, with Mayor Amedeo Peyron, together with the first honorary president of the Court of Cassation Domenico Riccardo Peretti-Griva, Arrigo Olivetti, of the European Federalist Movement, and Gustavo Malan, one of the protagonists of the liberation struggle during the Resistance. Among the activities of the University Institute of European Studies are the provision of higher education courses such as the International Trade Law Post-graduate Course, presented in October 1990 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, preparation courses for diplomatic careers and competitions for access to the institutions of the European Union and international organisations, where the Institute is in fact one of the Italian bodies recognised by the Farnesina for preparation for EPSO competitions, or courses dedicated to in-depth study of specific European programmes or to design and structural funds. Thanks to the extensive network of alumni who hold top positions in multinationals and large law firms, international organisations and European institutions, the Institute is able to provide specific training for the world of business and affairs through specialisation courses and summer schools specifically dedicated to partnerships with companies and institutions.
Applied research and dissemination
The Institute conducts research in the field of European studies with a specific focus on four macro-areas: issues of coherence and effectiveness of the EU Acquis, standardisation and human skills enhancement in the European context, cultural and trade diplomacy, as well as the impact assessment of European policies. Thanks to the observatories and the in-house publishing house, the Institute also covers the most topical issues and deals with emerging challenges in the European context, with the publication of volumes, working papers and scientific articles. From the earliest years of the Institute’s existence, particular care has been taken to collect and classify documents published by the European institutions, boasting a Documentation Centre that is one of the few in Italy to possess all official documents of the European Communities. In fact, the Documentation Centre on International Organisations, and in particular the European Documentation Centre, preserves an important cultural heritage, an expression of the concrete role that the Institute has never ceased to play, since its foundation. Since 2021, the Institute has been part of the ‘The European Union in Piedmont’ network, a service in synergy between the different EU information networks in the Piedmont region in collaboration with the European Commission’s DG Communication, providing the territory with a coordinated service of activities and information on EU opportunities, policies and priorities.
Project Design & Management
Thanks to a network of public and private entities and a constant dialogue with European institutions, the Institute participates as project leader and partner in European projects on sectoral policies, legal reforms or political-economic relations between Europe and non-EU countries. Since 2015, the Institute has been the seat of the Italian Hub of the European Law Institute and received the ‘certificate of Excellence 2019’. Through its office in Brussels, it develops activities of interest representation and cordate building for the realisation of projects generating effects at the economic, cultural and social level.
Territorial development programming
The Institute accompanies territories on development paths, carrying out socio-economic analysis processes to identify flagship assets and, around these, build growth processes thanks to a team of researchers and professionals. The Institute collaborates with exponential bodies and municipal, regional and supra-regional realities for territorial development, following the successful model of the ‘Europa Piemonte Sviluppo’ programme, designed by the University Institute of European Studies in collaboration with ANCI Piemonte in 2020 and now exported to other territorial contexts. Europa Piemonte Sviluppo is dedicated to promoting the opportunities that Europe makes available to territories and local communities through new support actions for Piedmont’s municipalities, aimed at the use of direct and indirect EU funding, including the PNRR.