Prof Brigid Laffan

Born in Cahirciveen Co. Kerry in 1955, Brigid Laffan is Professor and Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy, a position she has held since 2013. Following her graduation from the University of Limerick (then NIHE Limerick) with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1976, Brigid began her academic career at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium where she worked as a Research Co-ordinator on a project on regional integration. She then returned to her alma mater in Limerick as a lecturer from 1978 to 1986. Following three years at the Institute of Public of Administration (IPA) in Dublin, Brigid was awarded a Newman Fellowship at University College Dublin (UCD). At UCD, Brigid held the post of Jean Monnet Professor of European Politics and Director of the Dublin European Institute (DEI). She was appointed a Vice-President of UCD in 2005 and acted as College Principal of the newly formed College of Human Sciences. 

A recipient of numerous awards, Brigid received the Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Graduates, University of Limerick in 1991. In 2005, she was elected Member of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) and in 2010 received the Ordre nationale du Mérite from the President of the French Republic. Her scholarship has been recognised by the award as a Senior Fellow in the Social Sciences by the Government of Ireland (2002), the THESEUS Award for Outstanding Research on European Integration in 2012, and the Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to the development of European Studies in 2014 by the UK Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES). Brigid was also awarded a Doctorate honoris causa by the National University of Ireland (NUI) in 2015 and the University of Edinburgh in 2017. 

Visiting fellowships have been held by Brigid at the Freie Universität Berlin, Harvard University Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, European University Institute (EUI), Peking University, University of Edinburgh, the University of Leiden and she has undertaken lecture tours in Japan and Australia. 

In terms of research, Brigid has successfully competed for numerous EU funded projects, raising well over one million in funding prior to her arrival at the EUI. She also was central to PRTLI bids at UCD that raised approximately 4 million. The Schuman Centre under her leadership raises approximately 8 million a year in external funding. In July of this year, Brigid led a successful consortium for a 3 million euro research project on Differentiated Integration (to commence in January 2019). Her research focuses on the dynamic of European integration and she has published 10 books, over 35 journal articles and 65 book chapters in leading international academic presses. Among her most important books are: Integration and Co-operation in Europe (1992), The Finances of the Union (1997), Europe's Experimental Union - Re-thinking Integration (2000, co-authored), Renovation or Revolution: new territorial politics in Ireland and the United Kingdom (2005, co-edited), Ireland and the European Union (2008, co-authored), Core-periphery Relations in the European Union (2016, co-edited) and Europe’s Union in Crisis: Tested and Contested - West European Politics (Special Issue 2016). 

Brigid has contributed to debate in Ireland on European affairs by chairing the Irish Alliance for Europe during the Nice II referendum and Ireland for Europe during the second Lisbon referendum. Following the defeat of the Nice and Lisbon referendums in Ireland, Brigid and a small group of others established campaigning organisations to engage in public debate on the key issues facing Ireland and the EU. Starting from scratch and with no resources, they mobilised formidable campaigning organisations. Brigid continues to contribute to Irish and International media on EU affairs and has appeared on RTÉ, BBC, ITV, and many continental European channels. 

In Ireland, Brigid has served on the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), the Government’s Asia-Strategy Group and was a founder member of the Institute for International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin. She has also served as a Director and Board member of the Mary Robinson Foundation-Climate Justice (MRFCJ), the founding Board of the Undergraduate Awards and the Advisory Board of ‘We the Citizens’. 

Happily married for 40 years to Michael (whom she met at the University of Limerick while both were fellow students), the couple they have three children, Diarmuid, Kate and Roisin. In 2012, both Brigid and Michael – along with all their classmates from the first class of students admitted to NIHE Limerick back in 1972 – were honoured by their alma mater with Honorary Master Degrees as part of ‘UL40’ celebrations.