Dr Manuel R Enverga III awarded Philippines’ first Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies

Dr Manuel R Enverga III, Director of Ateneo de Manila University’s European Studies Program, is the first Philippine academic to have been conferred the prestigious Jean Monnet Chair in European Studies by the European Union. The distinction is awarded to academics who have made recognizable contributions to research and teaching in the field of European Studies. Dr Enverga is the first Filipino to have received a Jean Monnet Chair, and is only the fourth in Southeast Asia since the title was awarded over 30 years ago. During his three-year term as Chair holder, Dr Enverga will be working to expand European Studies in the Philippines through visiting lectures, organization of events, teaching courses, publishing research, and producing episodes for his online show, The Eurospeak Podcast. 

The Jean Monnet Chair is the latest in a series of awards given by the EU to Ateneo de Manila. Since 2016, the university’s European Studies Program has consistently received Module and Project grants under the Jean Monnet scheme. Unlike other EU grants, such as the Erasmus Mundus, the Jean Monnet awards are given to individuals and academic units that demonstrate high levels of competence in the field of European Studies. To date, Ateneo de Manila University is the only Philippine higher education institution to have received any Jean Monnet awards. 

Dr Enverga completed a Doctor of Social Science degree from the University of Leicester, in the United Kingdom. His research and teaching have focused on topics, such as EU integration, digital diplomacy, and global flows. His publications have appeared in prominent specialist journals, such as the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, the International Journal of Cultural Policy, and Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. Outside of his work in the university, Dr Enverga also shares his expertise by writing articles for mainstream media, providing insights on television news, or conducting workshops, seminars, or lectures for international organizations, diplomats, multinational corporations, or agencies of the Philippine government. 

The receipt of a Chair award is a significant milestone for Ateneo de Manila’s European Studies Program, and it looks forward to continuing in its vision of being a leading academic hub of multidisciplinary expertise on Europe’s global role and exchanges and interactions with the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific.