European Studies Program

The confederation of nations that is Europe plays an increasingly visible role in world affairs and contemporary culture. The European presence on the world stage is significant in domains as diverse as diplomacy, popular culture, the economy, the environment, the arts, and sports. In Australia, many European nations have in recent history contributed to our identity, and those nations themselves have a rich and ancient linguistic and cultural history.

European Studies was established in 1993 with the very broad aim of promoting research and teaching in European-related areas of study. In 2006 the European Studies program was changed to reflect the realities of cross-cultural and politico-economic influences, as well as the increasingly inter-disciplinary nature of research and teaching. Today the program includes subjects in European Studies (with optional units in Middle Eastern Studies) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The University of Sydney offers more subjects in the area of European and Middle Eastern Studies than any other university in New South Wales. Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Spanish, and Yiddish are taught, and there are programs in European Studies in the departments of History, Fine Arts, Government, Philosophy, and relevant courses are also taught in Peace and Conflict Studies, Sociology, Economics, Law, Archaeology, Classics, English, Film Studies, Gender Studies, Medieval Studies, Music, Studies in Religion, and Performance Studies.