The back of a female walking towards St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, Hungary

Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES)

The Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES) is among the world’s leaders for the academic study of the member countries of the European Union, central and eastern Europe, Russia, the Transcaucasus, and Central Asia.

Drawing upon the expertise of more than ten departments and dozens of faculty members, CEES hosts an undergraduate degree program in European Affairs and a Master of Arts degree program in European and Eurasian Studies. Housed at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, CEES is a hub for scholars and practitioners that stands at the forefront of research, debate, and policymaking.

Every year it organizes regionally focused conferences and seminars and hosts a dozen visiting scholars. CEES supports the exchange of ideas and scholars through its close relations with the institutions of the European Union, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and institutions of higher learning across Europe, Eurasia, and North America.

CERES Name-Change Announcement

The region that we study is changing rapidly and dramatically. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now over two years old. The annexation of Crimea is more than ten years old. The referendum on Brexit occurred nearly 8 years ago. Germany has again become a significant foreign policy actor. There is both unprecedented unity of purpose within most of Europe and an equally unprecedented question-mark looming about US support for NATO. Much of this was unthinkable when CERES came into being in 2006. But, here we are in 2024, and the unthinkable is happening before our very eyes. This cannot help but shift how we conduct research about, teach about, and learn about Europe and Eurasia.

As most of you are aware, over the past years such “real-world” changes have given rise to informal conversations about the Centre’s mission and its name. Gradually, informal conversations became more formal, with a faculty retreat, a series of surveys, and consultations with students, faculty, staff, and alumni, both within CERES and across the university. A proposal to change the Centre’s name emerged, and that proposal was discussed thoroughly and extensively before being subjected to a full governance process. Although the full-scale invasion of Ukraine undoubtedly accelerated these discussions, consideration of new names for our centre began well before February 2022. As a result of these processes, beginning July 1, 2024, our Centre will have a new name: the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies. Correspondingly, our thriving MA program will have a new degree name: MA in European and Eurasian Studies. Our new name aligns with the practices of other regional studies centres around the university, referencing a geographic region rather than highlighting single countries.

A Statement From CEES Director, Ed Schatz

Our community at CEES has been acutely affected by this war. Some staff and faculty members hail originally from Ukraine. Many of our faculty have conducted research in Ukraine, and many of our students have gone to Ukraine on exchange or served as interns in Ukrainian NGO’s. We have welcomed students from Ukraine at the BA, MA, and PhD levels into our academic community. Our Petro Jacyk Program (PJP) for the Study of Ukraine has run over 50 webinars, with hundreds and hundreds of viewers. PJP has mounted an innovative non-residential fellowship program, allowing dozens of scholars based in Ukraine to continue their scholarly activities while building community with fellow scholars in Ukraine and Canada...

Master of Arts in European and Eurasian Studies

CEES offers a multidisciplinary graduate experience rooted in rigorous scholarship, hands-on international opportunities, and critical engagement with leaders across many fields. Our graduates go on to pursue an equally broad variety of careers, including positions in government, diplomacy, not-for-profit organizations, academia, research, education, cybersecurity, cultural and heritage services, and communications.

Four signposts pointing in different directions against a sunset

CEES Graduate Student Conference

The Centre for European and Eurasian Studies’ (CEES) Graduate Student Union is pleased to announce its annual International Graduate Student Conference at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy. 

View the keynote lecture for the 2023 conference - Security, Culture, & Technology in Times of Global Uncertainty: From Germany & Wider Europe to Central Asia

Regional Initiatives at CEES

CEES is home to several regional initiatives, centres and programs, including the Joint Initiative in German and European Studies (JIGES), the Centre for the Study of France and the Francophone World (CEFMF), the Hellenic Studies Program, the Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine and the Eurasia Initiative.

CEES News

Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES)
November 18, 2024
Milana Sribniak
Petro Jacyk Program for the Study of Ukraine
November 15, 2024
Peter Solomon
Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES)
November 6, 2024
Project Creators: Lilia Topouzova, Julian Chehirian, Krasimira Butseva
Centre for European and Eurasian Studies (CEES)
October 29, 2024

Upcoming events at CEES

27 Jan
28 Feb
Online & in-person
 | 
February 28, 2025 | 5:00PM - 8:00PM
Photo of the back of heads of a crowd of people sitting in rows of chairs in a blue light

Never miss an event! Subscribe to the CEES newsletter