Units

REPI Recherche et Études en Politique Internationale

REPI is a research unit, mainly dedicated to research and studies in international politics at the Université libre de Bruxelles. It is linked to the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences. REPI fosters fundamental research in the field of international relations and aims at providing a high quality framework for the research in this field (PhD dissertations, publications, conferences...). Depending on available resources, members of REPI can also provide specific expertise for national and international institutions. Furthermore, the research centre encourages the dissemination of knowledge in international relations to a larger audience and represents a convenient space for discussing the teaching of international relations within the university.  REPI also organises seminars and summer schools for professionals and young scholars.

Director : Christian Olsson

Projetcs

European policies and post-colonial studies

The current research of Véronique Dimier explores the role of former colonial officials in designing the institution of the European Economic Community (EEC) responsible for implementing development aid programs in African countries (Directorate General 8 of the European Commission) as well as their long term influence over this institution. Borrowing hypotheses from sociological, neo-institutionalist approaches and from the emerging research agenda on international organizations as bureaucratic entities, it analyses the creation of a multinational institution, as well as its maintenance and evolution over forty years. It focuses not only on patterns of creation, evolving social structure and organizational changes of said structure; but also on the way these elements affect its missions, policies, and types of public action. Through its interdisciplinary approach, this research seeks to break with the tradition of the 'disciplinary empires' of history, political science and sociology, and in so doing, bridges the gap between fields which rarely meet: European policies and post-colonial studies.

The Campaign for Democratic Control of Foreign Policy in the 20th Century

This research project examines the history of democratic control of foreign policy during the twentieth century across Europe and the United States. By drawing on personal papers, institutional records, and state archives, it traces the campaign for foreign policy control from the First World War to the end of the Cold War. Specifically, it looks at groups such as the Central Organisation for a Durable Peace to explore the arguments and reforms that have shaped our diplomatic apparatus. By examining key moments of twentieth century history as case studies, it sheds light on the increasing internationalisation and professionalisation of foreign politics, while critically examining the democratic defects that have persisted until today.