Gilles Grin has been Director of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe in Lausanne since 1 July 2012. He is also a lecturer at the University of Lausanne, where he teaches European integration. In 2023, he joined the Royal Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences of Spain (RACEF), one of the ten Academies of the Institute of Spain, as corresponding academician for Switzerland. He is also a committee member of the Swiss Foreign Policy Association (APG/ASPE).
From 2006 to 2012, he was vice-director of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe, responsible for scientific activities, administration and finance. From 2002 to 2006, he worked as a scientific adviser in the Swiss federal administration (Federal Office for Education and Science, then State Secretariat for Education and Research), after having worked as an administrative trainee and then as a consultant in the European Commission. From 2007 to 2017, he was a specialist officer, with the rank of captain, on the operational training staff of the Swiss Army.
Gilles Grin holds a doctorate in international relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (The Geneva Graduate Institute). He also holds a Master’s degree in management from the Faculté des hautes études commerciales (HEC) at the University of Lausanne, a Master of Arts in history from Yale University in the United States and a Master of Science in European studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
He is the author of around 80 publications devoted largely to European issues (books, book chapters, articles and reviews). In 2022, he was awarded the “Mieux comprendre l’Europe” book prize for his book entitled “Construction européenne: la révolution d’un continent”.
Read the press release from February 22, 2012 (in French only)
See Gilles Grin’s resume
See Gilles Grin’s publications (since 2003)
Find out more about the Book Prize « Mieux comprendre l’Europe » received in 2022
Find out more about the election to the Spanish Royal Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences (Institut d’Espagne)
Gilles Grin on his admission to the Spanish Royal Academy of Economic and Financial Sciences (RACEF)
Former directors of the Foundation
Patrick Piffaretti, who was one of the Foundation’s Vice-Presidents from July 2012 to June 2015, was in charge of the Foundation from June 2006 to June 2012. Patrick Piffaretti was Director of the Swiss Office for Space Affairs (SSO) and President of the Eutelsat IGO Assembly in Paris.
Professor Alexander Bergmann, former Dean of the HEC School of Lausanne University, was Director of the Foundation from January to May 2006.