The European Studies Program was launched in 1998. It pools faculty with expertise on European affairs. Its teaching and research activities are multidisciplinary, drawing on its faculty’s expertise in economics, politics, security, history, and culture. It was initially formed as part of a European Commission project, begun two years earlier, to bring together Philippine academics who could teach and do research on Europe and the EU. To date, it is the only academic department in the Philippines that has received a Jean Monnet grant from the European Commission. The grant is awarded to institutions that demonstrate high levels of specialized expertise in EU affairs.