The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence STRATEGO aims to teach, study and disseminate knowledge on the dynamics, causes and effects of trust between the actors and institutions involved in EU multi-level governance of sustainable development.
Given the current tenuous state of trust between institutions and actors at different levels in the EU governance system, the STRATEGO Centre aims to teach, study and disseminate knowledge on the dynamics, causes and effects of trust between the actors and institutions involved in EU multi-level governance of sustainable development, with a focus on business and entrepreneurship, climate and biodiversity, and health policies. It does so through an interdisciplinary approach, developing synergies between research groups in law, political science, public administration, economics, biology and health sciences. In doing so, STRATEGO will contribute to academic, practitioner and societal knowledge on the vital issue of trust and sustainability in the current EU governance system.
We see STRATEGO as an excellent vehicle to support EU-focused teaching, research and outreach objectives of its constituent partners in the faculties of Social Sciences, Law, Business and Economics, Science, and Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Antwerp. STRATEGO will make the European context of the university more visible on campus, further strengthening the European profile of UAntwerp, fully in line with its European University status via the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE).
In terms of teaching, STRATEGO will function as a hub for EU-related teaching in UAntwerp’s bachelor, master and post-graduate programmes of the listed faculties. As such, it will not only reach higher education students of European Union Studies, but also students who are not immersed in EU studies (at the faculties of Science, and Medicine and Health Sciences). In terms of research, STRATEGO will facilitate and support the development of joint research, the joint organisation of PhD training and the networking among early career academics. By leading research activities, the Centre will promote excellence in EU-related research as well as generate knowledge and insights that can support EU policymaking and strengthen the role of the EU in a globalised world. In terms of outreach, STRATEGO will organise a series of events for targeted groups (policymakers, civil servants, civil society) and the public at large, not only disseminating academic knowledge about the EU, but also reaching out to practitioners and various groups in the general public, including schools, about EU events as they unfold. STRATEGO will organise outreach and dissemination activities ranging from digital outlets to onsite events, ensuring that the Centre’s expertise reaches national and international audiences, with full respect for open science principles. Enlarging the audience will allow the participating faculties to increase their dialogue between the academic world and society.