1990
The roots of the Institute of European Studies can be traced back to 1990, when the government of the Federal Republic of Germany chose the University of California as one of the original three "Centers of Excellence" in the United States, along with Harvard and Georgetown, with the mission to enhance America's understanding of contemporary developments in Europe, and particularly in Germany.
UC Berkeley became the site of the "University of California Center for German and European Studies" (CGES), inaugurated in the presence of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The establishment of CGES was accompanied by a generous ten-year grant from the German government, with the contractual agreement that the Center would later continue in its structure and mission with the support of the University.
