Nanovic Institute for European Studies

Warm greetings from the Nanovic Institute for European Studies!

For 30 years, the Nanovic Institute has built bridges between Europe and Notre Dame. As an interdisciplinary hub for European studies, we are driven by a transformative vision: turning hearts and minds to Europe to create artisans of a new humanity.

This mission has been at the center of our work in the months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Nanovic has been Notre Dame’s platform not only for informed analysis and discussion of this unfolding atrocity but also for the voices and experiences of our friends in Ukraine. The institute has enjoyed a nearly two-decades-long relationship with Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), a member of the Catholic Universities Partnership, and so for Nanovic, this war has a human face. Through public events, commemorations, and deep engagement with UCU faculty and students, the institute works to ensure that dialogue around the ongoing crisis in Ukraine is kept alive for the Notre Dame community, as we, echoing the words of Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., “continue to stand in solidarity with all peace-loving people in praying for an end to this unjust war.”

The Nanovic Institute’s mission is to promote European studies at Notre Dame, transform its undergraduates, professionalize its graduate students, foster faculty research, and coordinate an international network in the spirit of respectful listening. Our programming connects all branches of the Notre Dame community through a rich public events calendar, dynamic and responsive student programming, and robust support for original research.

An important focus of our research interests are “peripheries.” Following Pope Francis’ exhortation to leave comfort zones, we are particularly interested in processes of peripheralization, the margins, marginalized people, traditions, cultures, and regions.

The Nanovic Institute is part of the Keough School of Global Affairs with its defining value of “integral human development.” That is why the institute is also building a strategic emphasis on research themes such as human dignity, and big questions about Europe and humanity. Our Decolonizing Scholarship series features scholars at the top of their field from various academic disciplines — including history, theology, and ethnic studies — and has laid the groundwork for future events and publications.

Fostering student education, in ways that align with the Nanovic research program, is at the heart of the Institute’s mission. Enrollments in the Minor in European Studies continue to grow each year and our students engage in a diverse range of EURO class offerings, the Diplomacy Scholars Program, service learning in Europe, and direct involvement with original and public-facing research.

Please explore the links below which highlight Nanovic’s rich interdisciplinary work and visit our website for more information on upcoming programming and events.

Clemens Sedmak
Director, Nanovic Institute for European Studies
Professor of Social Ethics, Keough School of Global Affairs
University of Notre Dame