IES Strategic Plan 2006-2010

On 21 November, the Board of the IES unanimously approved the IES strategic Plan for the coming five years. This plan, requested by the Flemish Ministry for Education, outlines the major goals to be achieved, ie further establishment of the IES as a core excellence centre for European Studies at the VUB and internationally; substantive focus on the EU in an international context; enhancement of the IES’ role as a key player in core fields of the IES Research Strategy; further establishment of the IES as the focal point for European Studies at the VUB, with a coordinating role for all relevant MA programmes in European Studies; establishment of the IES as a training centre in European Studies; and maximising synergy between education, research, and academic services. The full plan can be downloaded from this website (see below).

1. Principles and overall objectives

Since 2001, the Institute for European Studies (IES) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has successfully established itself as an internationally recognized centre of excellence in education/teaching, research and academic services. Its further consolidation and development in the period 2006-2010 will in particular be guided by the following principles and overall objectives:

• Further establishment of the IES as a core excellence centre for European Studies at the VUB and internationally;
• Substantive focus on the EU in an international context;
• Enhancement of the IES’ role as a key European and international player in core fields of the IES Research Strategy;
• Further establishment of the IES as the focal point for European Studies at the VUB, with a coordinating role for all relevant Master programmes in European Studies;
• Establishment of the IES as a training centre in European Studies; and
• Maximising synergy between education, research, and academic services. 
  

2. Targets and deliverables

In order to implement these general principles and objectives in the period 2006-2010, the IES will in particular aim to achieve the following more specific targets and deliverables:

Research:

• Successful completion of 7-8 PhD projects by the end of 2010 (an average of 2 per year as of 2007);
• Strengthening the IES involvement in national and international research networks with a view to playing a leading role in the initiation of relevant research projects (e.g. 7th EU Framework Programme for Research, Belgian Science Policy, European Science Foundation);
• Strengthening and expansion of research capacity by three additional researchers to be funded by external projects (network or individual projects);
• Implementation of guidelines for IES PhD students (advisory committees/supervision, regular review, publications);
• Doubling of external funding (for research projects and scientific services).

Education: Master Programmes

• Programme on International Legal Cooperation (PILC): Issuance of a minimum of 30 diplomas per year, on average (as required by Government Agreement), achieving re-accreditation in 2007 and ensuring financial viability/sustainability;
• Establishment of the IES as the umbrella for all VUB Master programmes relating to European Studies: obtain coordinating capacity from the VUB for the Euromaster programme equal to that of PILC;

Education: training and e-learning:

• Recruitment of part-time ZAP for appropriate academic oversight for training and e-learning;
• Organisation of two regular e-learning courses per year on European Law and European Institutions as of 2007;
• Elaboration of medium-term plan for training and e-learning activities and development of short-term training modules targeted at specialized audiences;
• Enhancing the financial viability of the training and e-learning activities (achieving partial re-financing);

Organization of events:

• Summer School on the European Decision-Making Process (in cooperation with Vienna University and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna) (annually);
• 1-2 IES Lecture Series per year;
• 4-5 IES Policy Forums for an informed and constructive public debate on topical issues of European policy and law per year;
• IES Research Colloquium (approximately 10-12 sessions per year);
• Convening regular coordination meetings with suitable partner institutions in Brussels and Belgium to strengthen regional and national academic cooperation (1-2 per year);
• Launching of a major international scientific conference on The EU in International Affairs (2007/08; possibly to be convened regularly thereafter);

Publications (on average):

• 12-15 articles in recognized international journals or major book publications per year;
• 2-3 volumes in the IES book series per year;
• 3 IES Working Papers per year (as of 2007);
• 4 IES Newsletters per year;

Attachment	Size
strategic-plan-lr.pdf	1.61 MB