f ****************************************************************************************** * Projev profesorky Lenky Rovné na slavnostním zahájení projektu BRIDGE ****************************************************************************************** Charles University in Prague was awarded the title Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in Eur for the first time in 1999 as the first centre in Central and Eastern Europe. At that time pages application on an old type writer, which my father exchanged for a package of cigare German soldiers leaving Prague in revolutionary days in May 1945. The success of the appli important role as an encouragement of the development of European studies at Charles Unive time we got an award in 2006. In the meantime our Jean Monnet Centre of European studies b partner for other European or International Universities in research and teaching. We part participate in numerous research project of 5th, 6th and 7th Framework Program. We are a p other European projects: to name some EULEIT financed by Volkswagen Foundation examining E GO EAST – researching and teaching European studies in the countries of Eastern Partnershi Visegrad foundation, EXACT – a joint PhD program together with Cologne University and Edin financed by Maria Curie program. Jean Monnet Centre at Charles University is a partner in EUROMASTERS and Transatlantic Masters. In September we were officially opening here in Pat a joint specialization of Vaclav Havel “European Politics and Society” under the auspices the association of oldest European Universities with Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne, Leiden Uni Oxford University. We are just about to start preparing the full-fledged joint degree with Sorbonne. The European Union is also funding the project Pegasus aiming to establish a joi with several respected Universities such as Maastricht University, Cologne University or C Advanced Studies in Vienna. I do not want to overload you with more information. I just wa some examples of our activities, which were encouraged by the label Jean Monnet Centre of The last award of Jean Monnet Centre - we got this year - was a result of the work of seve from the Institute of International Studies and the Institute of Economic Studies at the F Sciences as well as our international partners for several weeks. These were not 4 but 77 The project was highly evaluated as to the content of research. We lost some points due to quote “we were awarded by too many European projects”. Fortunately additional funds were f The project BRIDGE  - we are officially launching today - is concentrated on the transform democratization and Europeanization processes in the four Visegrad countries in comparativ The project is using experiences of four Jean Monnet Centers of Excellence and this is a p welcome here their representatives  - all Jean Monnet Chairs: Professor Sylvia Mihalikova University Bratislava, Professor Helena Wlasczyuk Tendera from University of Economics in Professor Tibor Palankai from Corvinus University in Budapest. Our colleagues and partners University in Kiev - represented here by Maksym - will test a possible usage of experience countries on the countries of Eastern Partnership. Renowned Professor, mentor and friend f Jacques Rupnik from prestigious Science Po in Paris leads the Advisory Board fro the proje