Studying Europe” “

The Europe of peoples and cultures and not just that of the Euro and the economies. The Europe that is born from the study and understanding of the identities that compose it. That’s the project that the “Centros de estudios europeos” (Centre of European Studies) of the Spanish University of Navarre, but with its seat in Pamplona, has been carrying forward for years. It’s a commitment that has led the Centre’s Director, Enrique Banùs Irusta, being awarded the ‘ad personam’ Jean Monnet chair of European Studies by the European Commission. The Centre offers students a range of courses on Europe, holds conferences and seminars, and monitors how people live in Europe. Within the Centre there is also a well-equipped data bank containing all the documents of the European institutions. Enrique Banùs Irusta , interviewed by SIR, has explained that the idea is to promote “the European dimension” in all university studies and courses. For further information on the Centre: www.unav.es/cee Why all this attention to the European identity and cultural action instead of the economic and political aspects? “Simply because we want to recall once again that Europe is not just a monetary, economic and political project. Europe, it needs to be stressed, is first and foremost a continent inhabited by people whose roots lie in many cultures, but who have many common denominators, testifying to centuries of dialogue, meetings and exchanges”. Many countries that form part of enlargement fear, once they have joined the EU, they will lose their own religious and cultural identity in contact with so-called Western secularism. Do you share these fears? “Either fear or hope: that is the alternative. These countries ought to be inspired more by the hope of transmitting something than by the fear of losing something. If their identity is strong and sure, they must be conscious of the fact that they have so much to give: enlargement is a source of hope for a Western Europe that is somewhat jaded, somewhat senile. I also think that secularism won’t influence them either more or less that it already does today. Everything will depend on their inner strength in tackling problems, in expressing their great potential and in making good possible shortcomings”. How do you image the Europe of 25? “A welcoming and free environment for all citizens, whether they were born in the Old Continent or not. A space for dialogue and dialogues, an important factor for peace at the international level, a land with personality, creativity, joie de vivre, and the joy of giving life. A continent rich in hope and poor in egoism!”. What contribution is your Centre making to this ‘dream’? “First of all, study. In the Centre we offer two courses of the University of Navarre that can be integrated with any other faculty. The first course leads to a ‘Certificate in European Studies’. The second course is reserved for journalists and leads to a “Certificate in Community Information’; it’s also intended for those preparing to enter this profession”. Why all this focus on information? “We believe that information on the reality of Europe, in the form it takes today, reveals serious shortcomings that need to be rectified by study and training. Knowledge of the European project, in fact, must form part of the professional equipment of a communicator as well as of the general culture of a university”. How do you try to foster European integration in the Centre? “The presence of students from other European countries is very important for the European dimension and European integration. It is one of the priorities of our university. But that in itself is not enough. Some graduate courses already comprise in their curriculum subjects linked to European themes. Three courses that provide an introduction to the history of European construction, its institutions and law are provided for all our students. Ample coverage is also devoted to EU policies”.