During the 2004-2005 Academic Year, the Center for European Studies at the University of Florida conducted a series of events aimed at promoting knowledge about the New Face of Europe among government officials, business leaders, K-12 teachers and the general public in the state of Florida. Despite EU’s importance in world affairs in general and for the US in particular, knowledge of and interest in the EU are surprisingly low among these groups. The workshop which took place on Feb 9, 2005 was tailored to state leaders and Florida scholars and was the first of its kind organized by the CES. It brought representatives of six European consulates and companies based in Florida to the state capital Tallahassee to meet with elected state representatives and their staffers. It provided an introduction to EU institutions and policies, pointing out the EU’s significance for Florida, transatlantic relations, and world politics, as well as offering specific recommendations of how to expand the relations between Florida and the EU. Our outreach to the business community consisted of two workshops, one in Jacksonville and one in Tampa in cooperation with Center for International Regulatory Assistance (CITRA) at Duquesne University and the respective Chambers of Commerce. The workshop for K-12 teachers focused on providing the education community with the tools necessary to incorporate the EU in their classes. The CES provided information and readings on such topics as the history and current developments of the EU and living in a monetary union. The last and our largest event so far was a Festival of European Cultures which took place in late Summer 2005 on the University of Florida campus. The festival introduced European cultures, languages and foods to the general public and was organized in collaboration with the numerous international student organizations and foreign language departments at UF. The links below provide more information about each of these events and the materials prepared in conjunction with them.
