Big Give 2025

February 4, 2025

Make Berkeley Moments Possible

Big Give, our annual fundraising blitz, has been online since 2014, inspiring the Cal community to make Berkeley moments possible. On March 13, 2025, we invite all members of the IES community including; UC Berkeley alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends like you to join in support of our ongoing mission. The funds raised during the Big Give assist graduate students with crucial expenses needed for their research abroad, and help undergraduate students develop their future research plans. 

For more than 30 years, the Institute of European Studies has been fostering dialogue and cooperation with Europe on the Berkeley campus. From travel grants to funding for the study of less commonly taught languages, IES offers an array of giving opportunities to help our students thrive.

If you believe in our mission, we hope you'll show your support for IES during this year's BIG GIVE. Learn more about how you can support our Institute, and help us foster innovative international learning and research, then come back on March 13th to amplify the impact and positive experience of our incredible students, faculty, and research for years to come.

Give to IES

Student Testimonials

Hear what our students have to say about the impact of your gift!

Jes Heppler
IES gave me the opportunity to drastically improve my French with a six-week language immersion program in Montpellier, France. This opportunity changed what was possible both for my dissertation and for my subsequent fellowship in France the following semester. I’m so grateful to IES for this invaluable learning.
Jes Heppler (Philosophy)
Atiana Novikoff
During my time at IES I have made meaningful connections with scholars and students from around the world, learned about topics concerning Europe that I would have never thought of myself, and developed my professional skills in writing and communication.
Atiana Novikoff (URAP student)
Caitlin Belem Brown Romtvedt
Receiving a FLAS fellowship to study Euskara (the Basque language) as a part of my Ethnomusicology dissertation research on Basque music and dance has been invaluable. Without the FLAS fellowship, I would not have been able to spend the time here in the Basque Country doing the language study that is making my research possible.
Caitlin Belem Brown Romtvedt (Music)
Nikesha Renae Medard
The FLAS Fellowship has greatly aided me in ways I could not have imagined at Cal. I am extremely grateful for the award and the opportunity to learn.
Nikesha Renae Medard (City Planning)

Your Donation Makes a Difference

Your gift supports various initiatives at IES, from research to travel grants to foreign language learning.

Center for Portuguese Studies Awards

Center for Portuguese Studies Research and Language Study Awards support student research in Portugal and attendance at language and culture institute summer programs.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships provide funding to students to encourage the study of critical and less commonly taught foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies or international aspects of professional studies.

Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) Students

URAP students participate in bi-weekly conversations with an impressive array of European academics, providing an invaluable opportunity for undergraduates to make personal connections with professionals in their field of interest, and to discover new career and academic avenues.

Support our Centers

IES houses a number of centers that support area- and country-specific research and exchange programs.

Austrian Studies

France-Berkeley Fund

Nordic Studies

Center for British Studies

BENELUX Program

Spanish Studies

Center for Portuguese Studies

Center of Excellence in French and Francophone Studies

Irish Studies

Program for the Study of Italy