欧洲研究在北京大学具有优良传统，自60年代以来，在欧洲语言、文学、历史、哲学、法律、经济等研究领域，北大就在全国科研机构中处于领先地位。1978年中国实行对外开放的改革政策之后，北大同欧洲大学和学术机构的交流和联系稳步发展，从事欧洲研究的学者迅速增加，日益成熟。现今北大人文社科领域的教研人员中，200多位学者曾在欧洲学习或访问过，数十人获得了欧洲大学的博士学位。在中国所有大学和学术机构中，从欧洲获得博士学位归国的学者人数，北大高居榜首。目前，有100多位学者从事同欧洲研究相关的教学和科研活动，为本科生和研究生提供了200多门相关课程。北大这些经验丰富、学术素养和学术能力强的欧洲研究学者，已经承担起许多科研项目，其中很多为国家项目。今年来，还出版了40多部关于欧洲研究的专著。基于北大良好的欧洲研究传统，在欧洲一体化进程稳步推进，欧洲研究重要性日益凸显的背景下，为进一步推进北大的欧洲研究活动，北京大学于1996年12月成立了北京大学欧洲研究中心。中心成员包括北京大学社会科学各专业欧洲问题教学与科研的骨干力量。中心的宗旨是组织与协调各学科对欧洲问题的教学与研究，通过和国内相关学者的联系及与欧洲学术界的交流，加强北大欧洲研究的教学与科研，培养欧洲研究的人才。
The Centre for European Studies (CES) of Peking University was founded in December 1996. Since its establishment, the Centre has been evolving along interdisciplinary lines. It dedicated to the spread and promotion of European studies inside and outside of the university. Our missions are: to establish the Centre as the leading Centre in training high-level specialists on European studies, particularly at the postgraduate levels - the Centre will strive to be the primary institution in training the future academic leaders of European studies in China, it will also strive to be one of the primary institutions in training leaders in administrative and business fields on European related affairs; to pursue interdisciplinary researches on European studies - with its strong disciplinary and methodological background, the Centre aims to strengthen its leading position in academic research and become the primary research centre in China; to exert an impact on policy-making process in China by making great efforts on policy related research, based on its strong capacity and the privileged position in China.
