Activity Report

    • The IES 2008 Activity Report: 2008 has been a sparkling year for the IES, with new challenges in research, education and services. In other words: in all fields of the IES competence. If the IES claimed to be at cruising speed in 2007, the Institute shifted gears to accelerate even faster in 2008. The benchmarks, set out in the strategic plan issued in 2006, were all met and the IES was even able to obtain more funding from external resources than initially planned.
    • The IES 2007 Activity Report: The Institute for European Studies sailed the waves of 2007 on full cruising speed. Almost all of the benchmarks set out in the strategic plan issued in 2006 were met, and nearly all of the foreseen research functions filled. Significantly, the research capacity of the Institute - and with that its overall capacity - improved further as all Senior Research Fellow posts were filled. In addition, 2007 marked the start of a new cluster within the Institute: with one additional Senior Fellow for Training and E-learning, the IES ventured into a new field that had thus far remained under explored.
    • The IES 2006 Activity Report: After a turbulent 2005 where a lot of changes in premises and structure took place, 2006 was a time for enhancement of the IES Research pillar. With seven new researchers in 2006, the Institute continued its expansion and its deepening of its research clusters that were put in place in the previous years. The IES also wrote a new strategic plan for 2006-2010 in which it outlined the benchmarks for research, education and services. All of the benchmarks laid down in this plan were met in 2006.
    • The IES 2005 Activity Report: 2005 was a turning point for the Institute. The IES implemented a new research strategy, moved to new premises, received larger autonomy from university, created a new government structure, appointed a new Board, welcomed a new academic director and renewed its agreement with the Flemish Government. All this was done while research and teaching continued, and while the Institute organised as many activities as before.
    • The IES 2004 Activity Report: 2004 was an extremely important year for the IES. After all, in the autumn the Institute was subjected to the critical quality assurance provided for in the Management Agreement that was the precondition for the discussions on its renewal in 2005.
    • The IES 2003 Activity Report: After two years, our institute is now up to speed and can already pride itself on a wide base of events, publications and initiatives in the areas of education and research. For example, the IES has embarked upon two series of lectures, each covering a topical theme at the very heart of European Studies. In 2003, we covered the themes of “Globalisation” and “European Security”, and, in the future, we will be looking at “Environment” and “Sustainable Development”. Although these lectures tie in with the Programme on International Legal Cooperation, their impact will extend beyond it.
    • The IES 2002 Activity Report: Europe lives. The European Union and its institutions face a turning point at the eve of their 50th anniversary. Merely a few years after the introduction of the Euro, new challenges await the Union: the creation of a constitution and the enlargement to 25 countries are but two of the most prominent examples. The endeavours of the Union, its decision-making bodies and its citizens concern everybody. It thus comes as no surprise that the Vrije Universiteit Brussel chose to create an institute for European Studies when the Flemish Government gave it the opportunity through Article 169quater of its university decree.