
COLLEGE OF EUROPE – Natolin Campus
The College of Europe was the world’s first university institute of postgraduate studies and training in European affairs, and remains unique and innovative to this day. Its origins date back to 1948, before the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community. At the Hague Congress, Salvador de Madariaga, a Spanish statesman, thinker and writer in exile, proposed the establishment of a College where university graduates from many different countries could study and live together.
In 1949, the first campus of the College of Europe was established in the city of Bruges, in Belgium. After the fall of communism, and in the wake of the changes in Central and Eastern Europe, the College of Europe campus at Natolin (Warsaw, Poland) was founded in 1992 with the support of the European Commission and the Polish government. The College now operates as “One College – Two Campuses”.
Today, the Natolin campus is at the cutting edge of academic study of new developments in the EU and Europe’s Neighbourhood. Its European Interdisciplinary Studies programme, including courses in EU institutions, Law, Economics, Politics and Policies, attracts students from all over Europe and ENP countries who are seeking a truly multicultural experience and an international career.
The Natolin campus is also home to two academic Chairs: the ENP Chair and the European Civilisation Chair, both established by the European Parliament and funded by the European Commission. The Chairs carry out research and academic activities in their respective fields, thus further enriching the available academic knowledge that the students can benefit from in the course of their studies at Natolin.
Located in the largest central European Member State of the EU, close to its Eastern border, Natolin’s programme allows students to become familiar with the political and socio-economic developments of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as with the new policies developed by the EU to shape its relationship with its neighbouring countries and regions. Over the course of almost 25 years of operation, the Natolin campus has grown to be a recognised centre of excellence specialising in ENP issues.
The Natolin campus is part of a 120-hectare historical park and nature reserve – formerly the Royal hunting palace of Natolin – situated in the southern part of Warsaw. Warsaw, a thriving and fast-developing metropolis of 1.7 million inhabitants, boasts a wealth of history and culture, as well as intense commercial and political activity, as befits a nation of nearly 40 million people.