The new Centre for European Studies (CES) at UBC has officially launched.
Formerly known as the Institute for European Studies and housed in the Department of Political Science, the Centre moved into the Department of Central, Eastern and Northern European Studies (CENES) in the fall, and took on a new mandate to become a multidisciplinary home for the critical study of Europe.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated that area studies, in this case European Studies, are necessary and indeed more needed than ever,” said the Centre’s inaugural director, Dr. Katherine Bowers.
“Broad regional understanding that considers knowledge from multiple disciplines is invaluable,” she added. “The events that the Centre has organized, hosted, and sponsored in response to the war in Ukraine demonstrate the importance of a multifaceted, multidisciplinary approach.”
The Centre has already been active in organizing, hosting, and coordinating events for the UBC community and broader public about Ukraine, including a moderated interactive discussion event on March 7, 2022 with Dr. Tamara Krawchenko and Dr. Serhy Yekelchyk of the University of Victoria, “Ukraine: Past, Present, Persistence”.
The Centre also co-sponsored and supported the screening and discussion of Bad Roads (2020) hosted by the Department of Theatre and Film, the panel discussion on geopolitical and humanitarian aspects of the invasion hosted by the Department of Political Science, and the flash teach-in on Ukraine hosted by the Eurasia Research Cluster and the CENES Department.
This spring, and moving forward, the Centre will host regular events. A series of research colloquia by current affiliates will highlight UBC research related to Europe and provide a space for open discussion. A speaker series planned for each fall and spring will focus on one specific theme, facilitating a deeper, sustained conversation around that theme. The first thematic speaker series will be “Eurasian Environments” in late April, engaging with questions of environmental change and climate catastrophe in Eurasia.
The Centre’s move into CENES is the result of work by Dr. Brett Eaton, Dr. David Gramling, Dr. Kyle Frackman, and Dr. Bowers, with support from outgoing Institute for European Studies Director Dr. Ellermann and Head of the Department of Political Science Dr. Richard Price. The Centre is supported through funding from the UBC Faculty of Arts and the Departments of Anthropology, Art History and Visual Arts, English Language and Literatures, Geography, History, Political Science, and CENES.
The Centre includes an extensive roster of faculty affiliates, representing both new members from multiple departments, many of them humanities departments, and continuing affiliates from the old Institute. Faculty researchers at UBC whose research relates to Europe in any way are welcome to join the Centre. Plans for graduate affiliates are also in progress.
Leadership and administration
Director: Dr. Katherine Bowers (CENES)
Senior Program Assistant: Elizabeth Nolan
Advisory Board
- Dr. Antje Ellermann (Political Science)
- Dr. Merje Kuus (Geography)
- Dr. Bernard Perley (Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies)
- Dr. Heidi Tworek (History and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs)
- Dr. Gaoheng Zhang (French, Hispanic and Italian Studies).
