Through its programming, CES offers a wide array of ideas, discussions, and perspectives on Europe. A rich assortment of topics draws audiences of scholars, students, and members of the public to hear leading voices from the worlds of academia, policy, and culture and to discover the latest scholarship on and from the region. The effect is to create a dynamic meeting ground at the Center, where lively debates have occurred for over thirty years and lasting bonds of community have been formed.

This year's program of conferences, seminars, speakers series, study groups, movies, and informal discussions is designed to appeal to multiple interests and audiences. Within the broad framework of the activities planned for 2006-2007, several common themes emerge that will be addressed by events throughout the year.

The role of Islam in Europe and its transnational dimension is a theme of one of the Center's conferences, which seeks to bring a comparative focus to the understanding of Muslims in Europe and the US. A number of study groups will also host events that address the question of Islam, particularly its relationship to the state, citizenship, gender, and migration.

Another focus is understanding the reintegration of Eastern Europe into the West. A major conference planned for May takes up the question of how new approaches to Eastern and Central European history challenge and enrich a broader European history, while a number of study groups will explore issues such as the impact of accession on cultural production, on urban life and planning, and on prospects for growth and democratic governance.

The role of Europe in the world and the steps it takes to ensure its future are key concerns of many of the policy makers and scholars who take part in this year's program. Questions that will be addressed by speakers and study groups include: What is Europe's international role between a dominant US and a rising Asia? What is the future of the European welfare state, and is it possible or desirable to reform it? Can Europe's institutions dedicated to science, higher education, and research maintain the competitiveness of the continent in the face of the challenges posed by a globalized world?

Film plays an important role this year in the CES program. The Center's Undergraduate Board is sponsoring a film series that will feature screenings introduced by Harvard faculty members. A new study group on Contemporary European Documentary will invite filmmakers who are considered visual ethnographers to screen and discuss their work that attempts to both document and interpret the changing face of Europe.

CES has always welcomed members of the Harvard community and the wider public to its events. This year the Center is pleased to make parts of our program available to a much wider audience by offering audio downloads of selected talks and interviews on the CES website. To find out more about these and all the events taking place at the Center, and to join the CES mailing list to receive a complete list of all the Center has to offer, we encourage you to visit the CES website at www.ces.fas.harvard.edu.