Jean Monnet Chair

A Jean Monnet Chair is a three-year teaching and research post with a specialization in European Union studies for university professors. Jean Monnet Chairs are awarded through a competitive process by the European Commission of the European Union through its Erasmus + program which includes Jean Monnet Actions. They are named for French diplomat Jean Monnet (1888-1979), a key figure in the founding of the European Union.  

Dr. Deborah Reed-Danahay, Professor of Anthropology, holds the Jean Monnet Chair at the University at Buffalo (2015-2018). 

Funding provided by the European Commission supports activities carried out by Dr. Reed-Danahay in the areas of teaching about Europe, organizing lectures and events related to migration in Europe (as well as transatlantic perspectives on migration), conducting research and publishing on issues of citizenship and mobility in the EU, and travel to conferences to present her teaching and research activities to a broader audience. The Jean Monnet Chair activities also include mentoring students and junior faculty regarding research on Europe, and creating resources for incorporating anthropological studies in teaching about the European Union.

Dr. Reed-Danahay founded the Center for European Studies (CEUS) at UB and was Director until recently stepping down in order to devote more time specifically to the Jean Monnet activities. She is a recent (2010-2012) past-President of the Society for the Anthropology of Europe (SAE), and currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Council for European Studies (CES). Dr. Reed-Danahay is author or editor of five books. As Jean Monnet Chair, Dr. Reed-Danahay participates in the the EU Jean Monnet Network in the USA.  

Spring 2017: Anthropology senior, Brenna K Simmons