The Executive Agency organises every year a Cluster Meeting in the context of its monitoring strategy, thus providing a forum for beneficiaries of the Jean Monnet Programme working in a shared area and allowing a dialogue with the European Commission and the Executive Agency. While the past meetings grouped together beneficiaries active in the same types of Jean Monnet action (Centres of Excellence, Chairs, Associations), the Executive Agency has chosen in 2012 to focus on a given discipline and hold a Cluster Meeting on European Integration History Studies.

Prof. univ. dr. Nicolae Paun participated in Session 2 – Teaching and research in European Integration History at national level, chaired by Prof. Franz Knipping, Bergische Universität Wuppertal.

Nicolae Paun focused on the various collaborations his faculty has set up with the universities of Milano, Münster, Nottingham or Strasbourg, awarding double degrees both at undergraduate and at postgraduate level as well as joint supervision schemes for PhDs. Furthermore, his faculty supports two high school classes with the aim for pupils to better understand European Integration History and make the EU closer to its citizens,
and cooperates with the Europe Direct Relay centre. He also emphasised the importance of the interdisciplinary approach chosen by his faculty, where all students follow  European Integration History courses as part of their curriculum, and the use of several foreign languages. Nevertheless, European Studies in Romania still are in their starting phase and he noted an inconsistent perception of the transition which needs to be changed. More generally, History plays an important role in the European integration process and needs to be reinforced.

More information on: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/events/2012/documents/jm_cluster/cluster_meeting_history_2012_synthesis_outcomes.pdf