Prof. Dr. J. Orbie is the Director of the Centre for EU Studies. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science at Ghent University in Belgium, where he lectures several courses in the Master for EU Studies at Ghent University, including Theories of European Integration, European External Policies, and EU Trade Politics. His research focuses on the international policies of the EU, in particular EU trade and development policies. He is the author of numerous chapters, articles and edited books on EU trade politics and development, the EU’s global social policy, and EU democracy promotion. He is also supervising several research projects in the field of EU external relations. Prof. Jan Orbie is Erasmus coordinator of the Department of Political Science, and a member of the Research Council of Ghent University.