Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies

The Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies is an interdisciplinary research centre of the Humanities and Social Sciences at KULeuven, Belgium. Its carries out research on topics related to globalization, global governance and multilateralism. The Centre is located in the historical de Dorlodot house next to the Sint-Donaas Park in the centre of Leuven.

History and Activities

The Centre was set up in 2007 as an interdisciplinary research institute of KULeuven, one of the largest universities of Belgium and the low countries, located near Brussels.

In its mission statement, it is put that the Centre “was set up to promote, support, and carry out high-quality international, innovative and interdisciplinary research on global governance”, and to offer “innovative policy advice and solutions to policy-makers on multilateral governance and global public policy issues.” Its research focuses on the following areas: (i) trade and sustainable development, (ii) peace and security, (iii) human rights, democracy and rule of law, and (iv) the European Union and global multilateral governance.

In 2010, the Centre has been recognized as a K.U.Leuven Centre of Excellence on the basis of a research project about ‘Global Governance and Democratic Government’. This project brings together professors, postdoctoral and doctoral researchers from the fields of law, political science, philosophy and economics for an interdisciplinary study of how global governance arrangements can be democratized. Particular attention is being paid to the notion of representation and its role in elaborating transnational forms of democracy.

The Centre also hosts the InBev-Baillet Latour EU-China Chair, which engages in interdisciplinary research and education on EU-China relations in close synergy with the InBev-Baillet Latour EU-China Chair at the Université catholique de Louvain, and the Leuven India Focus, which aims at developing knowledge and expertise on India and South Asia by organizing conferences, lectures and seminars and interdisciplinary research.

Since March 2011, the Centre is located in the historical house de Dorlodot near the Centre of Leuven. The house is named after Henry de Dorlodot, a Belgian theologian and paleontologist (1855-1929).

People/researchers

The Centre hosts more than 60 researchers. It is directed by Jan Wouters, Professor of International Law and the Law of International Organizations and Jean Monnet Chair ad personam EU and Global Governance at Kuleuven. Other members of the board are Hans Bruyninckx, Bart Kerremans, Patrick Develtere, Stephan Keukeleire, Filip Abraham, Emmanuel Gerard, Katrien Verhelst, Katlijn Malfliet, Stephan Parmentier, Jo Swinnen.

Other senior members of the Centre are Toon Braeckman, Dominic Coppens, Christophe Crombez, Geert de Baere, Filip de Beule, Bart De Meester, Helder De Schutter, Edit Drieskens, Idesbald Goddeeris, Tim Heysse, Matthias Lievens, Miet Maertens, Ching Lin Pang, Kolja Raube, Cedric Ryngaert, Simon Schunz, Geert Van Calster, Jan Van Hove, Dimitri Vanoverbeke.

The International Advisory Board is composed of José E. Alvarez, André Bergen, Bernard Bot, Günter Burghardt, Luc Cortebeeck, Herman Daems, Bert De Graeve, Jan Egeland, Gareth Evans, Mark Eyskens, Jan Grauls, Beate Kohler Koch, Thomas Leysen, Edward Luck, Juan Méndez, Woo-Sik Moon, Hugo Paemen, Yasmin Sooka, Strobe Talbott, Frans van Daele, Walter van Gerven, Youquiang Wang, Thomas Weiss.

Events

The Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies organizes many public events, such as conferences, workshops, lectures and seminars. In January 2008, Arjun Sengupta gave a lecture on ‘Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.’ In April 2008, Michael Walzer spoke at the Centre about ‘Justice from a European and from an American Perspective’. In July 2008, Edward Luck, special Advisory to the UN gave a keynote speech in a debate on ‘The Responsibility to Protect: Where does the EU stand?’ In November 2008, José Manuel Barroso (president of the EU Commission) gave a keynote speech during an international conference on Challenges for Multilateralism. In October 2009, the Inbev-Baillet Latour EU-China Chair was opened with a lecture by Jean-Luc Dehaene, former Belgian prime minister. In 2009 the Centre also hosted the International Francqui Chair, which was granted to Petros C. Mavroidis. From 18 October until 6 November, Kenneth Abbot (Arizona State University) was a visiting Professor at the Centre. In December 2009, the Centre organized a Transatlantic Strategy forum, a two-day conference on the EU, US and global governance, funded by the European Commission, DG Relex. Keynote addresses were given by, among others, Ronald Asmus, Thomas Weiss, Michael Smith, Christopher Murray, Jan Egeland. In March 2011, the Centre organized a lecture by Steven Van Ackere (Belgian foreign minister). From February to May 2011, the Centre organized its first Spring Lecture Series, with lectures by Jan Aart Scholte, Andreas Kalyvas, Jan Wouters and Andreas Follesdal.

External links

-Official website of the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies

-Website of the Global Governance and Democratic Government research project

-Website of the Inbev-Baillet Latour EU-China Chair

-Website of the Leuven India Focus

-Website of The International Prosecutor

-Website of Managing biosafety and biodiversity in a global world: EU, US, California and comparative perspectives -Website of Changing multilateralism. The EU as a global-regional actor in peace and security