Mark Dawson appointed leader of CIVICA’s “Europe Revisited” focus area

Mark Dawson, Hertie School Professor of European Law and Governance, has been appointed theme leader for the CIVICA university alliance’s research focus area Europe Revisited, succeeding the European University Institute’s Bruno De Witte. In his new role, Dawson will coordinate multidisciplinary teams of professors and researchers from six member schools across the CIVICA network to examine key issues of EU governance from a social science perspective.

“I am excited about building on CIVICA’s excellent research and education through our joint activities, working on the best way to deliver hackathons, research exchanges and other events,” says Dawson of his new role. “The group brings together both those who have worked together collaboratively prior to the foundation of CIVICA Research and those who have started to integrate their research and teaching as a result of the CIVICA alliance. It is a diverse group but one bound together through a common interest in Europe and its economic, legal and political systems,” he adds.

Europe Revisited is one of four CIVICA Research thematic groups that provide opportunities for the CIVICA community to connect and exchange ideas. In the past, Europe Revisited focus group members have organised and taught two summer schools for PhD researchers.

“Offering opportunities to visit and exchange with other CIVICA institutions is a major added value - we will supplement this in the coming months with new opportunities for researcher and faculty exchange and for study groups in different thematic areas,” says Dawson.

Already an active member in the Europe Revisited group since its early days, Dawson has led the CIVICA Research project "Contesting the Court: Examining Judicial Politics in the European Union", funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, together with predecessor Bruno de Witte. The 18-month project brought together the CIVICA network’s leading lawyers and political scientists to explore the judicial branch’s role in protecting the core principles of the EU political order.

CIVICA – The European University of Social Sciences brings together ten leading European higher education institutions in the social sciences, humanities, business management and public policy, with a total of 72,000 students and 13,000 faculty members across the universities. CIVICA’s primary goal is to imbue meaning into its vision of shaping the European University of the future by 2030.