EUCAM was established in at FRIDE in 2008 to monitor the implementation of the EU-Central Asia strategy of 2007. Over the years it developed into the ‘go-to’ knowledge hub on Europe-Central Asia. In 2016 the EUCAM programme was transferred to the management of CESS. We seek to:
- critically, though constructively, scrutinize European policies towards Central Asia;
- enhance knowledge of European engagement with Central Asia through top-quality research;
- raise awareness on the importance of Central Asia and Europe’s engagement, as well as discuss European policies among Central Asian communities;
- expand the network of experts and institutions from Europe and Central Asia and provide a forum for debate.
EUCAM has published over a 100 working papers, policy briefs, and commentaries and has organised over 30 roundtables and conferences in Central Asia, Europe and the United States. With the support of the Open Society Foundations, EUCAM had the opportunity to also start a fellowship programme in 2018.
Each semester CESS hosts a group of three EUCAM fellows for periods of 12 weeks. The fellows are young professionals from Central Asia who are active in civil society. The fellowships are meant to:
- Increase knowledge on the European Union
- Practice policy-oriented research and writing
- Improve speaking in public and academic debating
- Engage in active outreach towards the European policy community
- Learn basic training techniques
The fellowships include a ‘research week’ and a ‘debating week’ in Brussels; a visit to Dutch institutions in The Hague as well as roundtables with several universities.
EUCAM closely liaises with its partners: the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) in Brussels, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and the Central Asia Program (CAP) at the George Washington University. For more information, see www.eucentralasia.eu.
