Speech by H.E. Ambassador David Daly,

Head of Delegation of the European Union to Australia

At the re-launch of the Monash University European and EU Centre, Melbourne,
22 April 2010

Mr Vice-Chancellor and Mr President, Prof. Ed Byrne

Professors, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be with you here at Monash University for the re-launch of the European and EU Centre.

The European Commission is very pleased to fund this centre with its €1m contribution representing around 62% of the total costs, in partnership with Monash university. The need to educate people about the European project is great.

Monash has come through a tough competitive process to attract this funding from the European Commission. This pays tribute to the ideas, the people and the supportive structure which Monash brought to its project proposal.

All funding proposals are engaged in a battle between very good ideas and even better ones. The EU Masters degree course, the branching out to schools and think tanks and the new units on the EU as electives in other degrees are among the bright ideas which won through for Monash.

As well as bright ideas you also need people who can and will deliver; Professor Winand and her colleagues have shown this.

Bright ideas and excellent people still need the support of their university structure. I was impressed on a previous visit how Professor Winand had sought and received the help of her colleagues from other faculties to integrate them in her EU work. Long may that continue.

In addition, I am sure that the European and EU Centre will continue to have the full support of the Monash University top management – I take it from the high level presence here this evening that this is indeed the case.

I'm glad to see you all made it back from the Madrid meeting where you met with other Europe Centre colleagues from around the world. I hope that it was stimulating and productive.

I wish the Centre and all who work in it the very best.

This page updated April 27, 2010