Launching EUFutures

EUFutures logo

Bologna, [01/04/2026] – Following the formal start of its activities, EUFutures | Fostering New Economic Strategies for a Sustainable, Inclusive and Resilient Europe, is now entering its operational phase. The new Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, officially launches its web portal and communication channels. This marks the beginning of a strategic phase aimed at engaging citizens and policymakers to reshape the economic future of the Union. 

The project, funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme and hosted by the Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS), is coordinated by Professor Manuela Moschella, who chairs the Steering Committee alongside Professors Chiara Benassi and Arianna Tassinari. The initiative also involves numerous UNIBO members — including faculty, researchers, and administrative staff — who contribute their multidisciplinary expertise to support the Centre’s research, teaching, and outreach activities. 

The EUFutures Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence will operate until 2028 as a laboratory for research and pedagogical innovation, analyzing the roots of the EU's growth challenges and developing innovative, sustainable, and inclusive economic pathways. By engaging academics, students, policymakers, business leaders, and civil society, the Centre will promote an interdisciplinary approach to EU economic policymaking. In line with the Union's core values, EUFutures aims to contribute to building a fairer and more inclusive Europe. 

May 2026: Inaugural Events 

The Centre makes its public debut with three high-level events held at Palazzo Hercolani: 

• May 11 (5:00 PM, Aula Poeti): Inaugural Lecture. Professor Grace Ballor (Bocconi University) will deliver the keynote lecture "Enterprise and Integration. Big Business and the Making of the European Single Market". The event will explore the historical and political foundations of European growth, launching the public lecture series "EU Growth Under Stress". 
• May 12 (1:00 PM, Aula Romei): Dr. Donato Di Carlo (London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE) will give the second lecture of the "EU Growth Under Stress" series, titled "Beyond the Regulatory State: Inside Europe's Quest to Transform Itself for the Geopolitical Age." 
• May 13: 1st Policy Development Lab. The first in a series of innovative workshops reserved for Master’s students in Public Affairs. Under the guidance of Dr. Donato Di Carlo (LSE) and Professors Benassi and Tassinari, students will work on concrete policy recommendations regarding skills strategies within the framework of the green and digital transitions. 

"EUFutures is not just a research project; it is an open space for dialogue," says Director Manuela Moschella. "Through our activities, we aim to connect academic analysis of European political economies with the needs of decision-makers and the aspirations of students, who will be the protagonists of the Union's future." 

A Bridge Between Research, Teaching, and Policy 

EUFutures will pursue three key objectives: 

• Advancing Excellence in EU Studies through an interdisciplinary research agenda focused on: a) unpacking the foundations of EU growth; b) learning from other countries’ experiences; and c) imagining EU growth futures, formulating forward-looking strategies that address the major transformative challenges of our time, from the green and digital transitions to the management of geopolitical competition. 
• Promoting Excellence in Teaching EU Studies by incorporating research into new teaching modules, a policy design lab, and a public lecture series at the University of Bologna. 
• Fostering Dialogue between Academia and Society through knowledge co-production workshops and high-level policy exchange dialogues. 

With the launch of its new website, LinkedIn and YouTube channels, and a quarterly newsletter, EUFutures aims to become a benchmark for the public debate on European integration, promoting a vision of a resilient and globally competitive Europe. 

Contact Information: 

EUFutures Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence  
c/o Department of Political and Social Sciences 
University of Bologna  
Palazzo Hercolani, Strada Maggiore 45, 40125 Bologna, Italy  
Tel: +39 051 209 2500 - 2735  
E-mail: sps.eufutures@unibo.it  
Website: https://site.unibo.it/eufutures/en