The aim of this project is twofold. First, it intends to foster the analysis of the historical circumstances surrounding the birth of the European Union, focusing in particular on the interplay between theories and concepts of regional integration, on one hand, and the political, institutional, and economic forces that underpinned the process, on the other. Secondly, it will use this knowledge in a comparative analysis of other recent experiences of integration, attempting to illuminate how strategies that share the same rationale can lead to widely diverging results due to the different socio-institutional contexts in which they are applied – thus alerting to the dangers of a hasty adoption of imported models.Building on teaching and research activities that are already in place within the Bachelor Program in International Economic Relations offered by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), our aim is to broaden the reach of the courses offered, making them available to the whole student population of the university (approximately 50,000 students). At the same time, we intend to provide greater thematic coherence to the courses by structuring them as a minor on European Studies, available to all UFMG students and sponsored by our Center for European Studies. Additionally, we aim to organize seminars and workshops with leading scholars in the field, as a way of systematically exposing our students and faculty to current research on European integration. The main outputs envisaged include working papers, a book on comparative experiences of integration, an online platform for discussion of related themes, and a general increase of awareness about European studies among the academic community and the civil society.