Over the last five years, the Dahrendorf Programme at the European Studies Centre has systematically explored perspectives on Europe and the EU. This includes views from within the 27-member bloc, particularly among young Europeans (Europe’s Stories project), as well as external perceptions through the Europe in a Changing World project. The latter has focused on understanding how five key global players—China, India, Turkey, Russia, and the United States (CITRUS)—view and relate to Europe.
This work has been supported by a global network of leading universities and think tanks and has already produced significant outputs, including the widely publicised reports Living in an à la carte World: What European Policymakers Should Learn from Global Public Opinion and United West, Divided from the Rest.
Europe in a Changing World: The Next Phase
From July 2024 to September 2026, the project enters a new phase, building on previous insights to offer policy-relevant conclusions for a new European strategy in an evolving global environment. This phase will examine how Europe’s engagement with the world—politically, geo-economically, geo-strategically, and culturally—must adapt to an increasingly non-European and post-Western order, with a continued focus on the CITRUS countries.
With great power competition, climate change, technological innovation, and public health crises reshaping the international stage, Europe faces both challenges and opportunities that will define its role in the 21st century. While much attention is given to external pressures, Europe’s own transformation is equally significant. The EU is grappling with internal changes that affect how it is perceived globally, from its position as a regulatory superpower to its ambitions as a leader in the green transition. At the same time, recent events—such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine—have underscored Europe’s ability to consolidate internally and respond to external shocks.
Europe in a Changing World explores these dynamics, asking critical questions:
- How do key global players (CITRUS) view Europe today, and what drives these perceptions?
- How can Europe navigate the challenges of great power competition while addressing shared global issues?
- What strategies can the EU adopt to remain a relevant and effective force in international relations?
The Europe in a Changing World project aims to combine the intellectual depth of a leading university with its extensive network that spans both think tanks and elite policymaking circles to explore, develop, and promote policy-relevant conclusions for Europe’s engagement with the outside world across a variety of dimensions. The thematic areas of interest include, among others, security, economy and trade, the impact of historical legacies (including European colonialism), cultural encounters, and people-to-people relations. The project will also cover issues such as the green transition and the evolution of Europe’s strategic culture which touch on many aspects of the EU’s and its member states’ role on the global stage. An important theme that will run like a red thread through our work is the changing character of Europe itself – in other words, not only is the outside world changing, but so is Europe: both in terms of its demography, regional composition, and political ideology.