Justyna Zając, a Professor of Practice in European Security Studies jointly appointed within the College of Arts and Sciences’ Political Science department and the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) at Indiana University Bloomington, has been awarded a European Union Jean Monnet Chair (JMC) in European Security Studies for 2024 through 2027.
The Jean Monnet Chair is an initiative of Erasmus+, a European Commission-sponsored program that supports education, training, and youth throughout Europe. Jean Monnet Chairs are leading experts in their fields, and their charge is to expand teaching and outreach of EU Studies at their respective institutions.
IU’s Institute for European Studies (EURO), which is housing Professor Zając’s grant, has long been a hub for the EU’s Jean Monnet grants and is currently designated as a Jean Monnet European Union Centre of Excellence. In collaboration with EURO and other HLS and College units, Professor Zając will utilize the grant to strengthen studies in European/EU military and non-military security at IU, and to expand knowledge in these areas in the Indiana University community.
In addition, she will also work to develop a speaker series on topics related to European security and hybrid threats, and thus contribute to the broader undergraduate curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences and HLS, while supporting outreach at IU.
Zając’s research interests are in transatlantic and European security, with a focus on Poland’s foreign and security policy. She served on several executive bodies of the Polish government, including the National Strategic Review Committee appointed by the President of the Republic of Poland and the Council of Young Scientists of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, where she served as chairperson.
She teaches courses on European Union politics; contemporary security in Europe; security, diplomacy and global governance; and theories of international politics. In 2024, IU President Pamela Whitten recognized Professor Zając’s innovative work with students on the project “Hybrid Threats in Europe,” prepared for the U.S. State Department. Since fall 2021, Zając has directed the IU Polish Studies Center, an academic unit that for almost five decades has been providing intellectual leadership at institutional and national levels, supporting Polish-related research around the world.
About the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington
The College of Arts and Sciences is the beating heart of Indiana University Bloomington and traces its roots to IU’s founding in 1820. Part of a leading R1 (Research 1) university, the College has more than 70 academic departments offering undergraduate and graduate degrees within and across the natural and mathematical sciences, the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences. In addition, the College is home to the Media School, the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design.
College faculty are groundbreaking researchers and dedicated teachers and mentors to students. With an array of options, opportunities, and experiences to choose from, students are able to prepare for fulfilling work as well as a meaningful life. More than 90 percent of our undergraduates report a successful career outcome six months after graduation. Learn more at college.indiana.edu.
