The European University Institute (EUI) is an international institution created by the Member States of the founding European Communities in 1972. Its main objective is to provide advanced academic training to PhD students and to promote research at the highest level. It is a major doctoral and postdoctoral academic institution and carries out research in a European perspective in history, law, economics, political and social science. The Institute has developed interdisciplinary research programmes on the major issues confronting contemporary European society, including matters relating to the construction of Europe. Many specific programmes and projects are funded through a variety of resources, private and public donors and mainly the European Community: the EUI is involved in research projects covering the various legal, political, social, and economic dimensions of the Europeanization processes. Most of these projects are run in cooperation with European and non-European universities.