2006 Media Releases
Monday, 31 July 2006
Leadership role for La Trobe in new Europe Centres
The Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Australia and New Zealand, H E Mr Bruno Julien, today officially launched three Europe Centres at a reception in Melbourne.
One of the new Centres is led jointly by La Trobe University in Victoria and Macquarie University in NSW. Part of a collaborative effort encompassing all members of the Innovative Research Universities network – La Trobe (Vic), Macquarie (NSW), Newcastle (NSW), Murdoch (WA), Flinders (SA) and Griffith (Qld) – it is to be known as the IUEU Centre.
The Europe Centres are attached to universities and their main objective is to promote a better understanding of the European Union and to raise awareness of the EU-Australia relationship.
La Trobe University was represented at the official launch – at 12 noon at the BMW Edge Theatre, Federation Square – by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian Stoddart, who is also Chair of the IUEU Board, and Dr Philip Bull, the Melbourne-based Director of the new IUEU Centre.
The launch of the three centres will be followed by a reception for Ambassador Julien on La Trobe University’s main Melbourne campus at Bundoora (4.30 pm today, Monday 31 July, Level 2, Humanities 3 Building) where he will open the La Trobe IUEU Centre facilities and present this year’s EU student prizes to two winners, Heidi Werner and Ella Bourke.
(For additional details about La Trobe University’s role in the new Centre please see http://www.latrobe.edu.au/bulletin/archive/0306/news5.html and
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/bulletin/news5.html)
The other two Centres launched today were the National Europe Centre (NEC) at the Australian National University and one at Monash University.
The European Union Delegation to Australia and New Zealand says the Europe Centres aim to increase the depth and breadth of EU studies, by targeted outreach activities, seminars, workshops and structured dialogue on particular aspects of EU policy and how this might impact on EU-Australia relations and, more generally, by expanding and strengthening academic links.
The Centres are co-funded by the EU and the host institutions. The EU contributes up to 75% of the eligible expenses of the project which in Australia amounted to just over €2 million ($A3.4 million).
The Centres are seen as key components of the EU’s Lisbon Agenda in encouraging education and science as building blocks for national economies and societies. The Europe Centres will address their activities not just to the academic and research community but also to decision makers and opinion leaders, the media and the broad public.
The three Europe Centres in Australia, and one at Canterbury University in Christchurch, New Zealand, are among 22 that have been set up around the world since 2001.
For further information:
La Trobe University: Dr Philip Bull, Melbourne-based Director of the IUEU, Tel: (03) 9479 2440 or Email: p.j.bull@latrobe.edu.au
European Union Delegation to Australia and New Zealand: Roger Camilleri, Senior Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Tel: (02) 6271 2744, Mobile 0412 14 21 28