Welcome

You will be joining us at an exciting time as the European Studies programme, which was established in 1992, has now become the Department of European & International Studies with new staff broadening our expertise in areas relating to European policy-making and international political economy. We hope that you will enjoy the new academic year and take full advantage of what the department, the School and the College have to offer. As part of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Law and Governance, we will be hosting a range of events, including the Jean Monnet Seminar series, lectures by eminent speakers and the European Week organised traditionally by undergraduate students in European Studies. Further events in the area of European and international affairs are regularly hosted by the Centre for European Law, the Department of War Studies, and the Department of Political Economy. We have launched a facebook site to better keep you up-to-date with topical events.

Europe is unique in concentrating such a wealth of linguistic, cultural and political diversity in a small geographic space. This diversity has been both a stimulus to the emergence of new ideas, ways of life and politics, but also a source of violent conflict with tragic consequences for people within and far beyond the small continent. Europe is much more than European Union treaties, regulations, and institutions – important as they are. Your fellow students come from all over the continent and beyond. Some have lived in several different countries and many speak two and more languages. So take the time to discover your own meaning of Europe through your life at King’s, discussing topical issues over lunch or when discovering the other ‘Europes’ during your year or semester abroad.
 

Studying in London gives you also the unique opportunity to experience a Global City, which has benefited from many European influences, but cannot be accused of being Eurocentric. Make sure to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities London has to offer for experiencing both European and non-European culture in its various manifestations: in art, music, cinema, literature, food and politics. You will find there are many events at King’s and in other institutions, which will enrich your experience far beyond the curriculum. Art Galleries are close at hand: the Courtauld is literally next door, the National Gallery is at the other end of the Strand, and just across the river is the new Tate Modern. You can see European and international films every day at the Ciné Lumière in Kensington and other cinemas such as the Renoir, the Everyman, the Rio... to say nothing of the British Film Institute at the Southbank and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, which are both within walking distance of the College.
Do make the most of the opportunities that studying at King’s can offer.

Dr Christoph Meyer
Head of Department