College of Europe in Natolin
The College of Europe was founded in 1949, first in Bruges, Belgium, whilst the College of Europe in Natolin was established in 1992 in Warsaw, Poland in the wake of historical changes in Central and Eastern Europe, the fall of communism and the reintegration of the European continent. By anchoring its educational activity in the Eastern ‘lung’ of Europe, the College was prepared for the anticipated enlargement of the then European Communities, as the College of Europe in Natolin contributed to educating future Central and Eastern European policymakers, leaders and administrators on all aspects related to the European integration process. At the same time and to bridge the East-West divide, equally crucial was educating their partners from the original EU-15 Member states on the history, political systems, economies and concerns specific to Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2024/2025, the College of Europe in Natolin with 126 students representing 35 nationalities stands as a well-established and renowned centre of academic excellence on EU, EU Enlargement, and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) related affairs.
Specifically, by witnessing the legal and political developments vis-à-vis the EU’s neighbouring countries and within these states themselves, the College of Europe in Natolin has been developing and fostering an EU enlargement, ENP and neighbourhood-oriented teaching, research and educational programme which was established in 2008 thanks to a European Commission pilot project. The main aim of such activities remains to advance the knowledge and understanding of the ENP and neighbourhood-related matters by students, researchers, and public-opinion makers, but also to act as bridge-builders between the EU, and the countries from EU’s neighbourhood.
Today, the College of Europe in Natolin continues to operate through innovative approaches, exploring diverse areas of interest such as security challenges in the EU’s neighbourhood, energy and the climate transition, migration, digital media and knowledge-based journalism, how politics and technology interact, religion and politics.
The College of Europe in Natolin pursues these goals through its Advanced Master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies, supported by two flagship academic Chairs – the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair, and the European Civilization Chair – founded by the European Parliament and financed by the European Commission.