Overview and Objectives
Each year, the EUNMUTE Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence awards two Fausta Deshormes La Valle Prizes to the best student research papers on the theme of “Un-muting Europe.”
The prize is named in honour of Fausta Deshormes La Valle, an Italian journalist who joined the European Commission in 1961. Throughout her career in the Press and Information Service, she was committed to raising awareness and mobilising young people and women in favour of European integration. She was a pioneer who worked tirelessly to give a voice to the voiceless.
The prize recognises outstanding academic work related to the EU’s capacity to amplify unheard voices (“un-muting power”) while also promoting the development of professional skills among students.
Framework and Organisation
The prize is embedded in a collaborative academic framework. Research topics are selected and supervised by academic members of the EUNMUTE team.
Once the papers are completed, a selection process is conducted to identify the best submissions aligned with the EUNMUTE project’s core themes. To ensure fairness, the evaluation is carried out by EUNMUTE team members who were not involved in the supervision of the nominated papers.
Selected students are invited to present their work during a public ceremony hosted by the Institute for European Studies. This event serves as a space for academic exchange and formal recognition of the students’ work.
The entire process reflects the Centre’s commitment to excellence, cooperation, and student engagement in EU studies.
Developing Professional Skills
Beyond academic recognition, the Fausta Deshormes La Valle Prize plays a key role in fostering students’ professional development:
- Research skills: Students demonstrate their ability to conduct rigorous research, analyse complex issues, and engage critically with theories and data.
- Writing and organisational skills: Preparing a high-quality paper sharpens their writing, time management, and overall project planning.
- Ethical awareness: The process encourages responsible and ethical research conduct.
- Public speaking and communication: Finalists present their work in front of an audience of faculty, students, staff, and family members—an invaluable opportunity to build public speaking confidence.
Winning papers are also published on the EUNMUTE website, ensuring long-term visibility and formal recognition of students’ academic achievements. The prize can be included on CVs, showcasing excellence and motivation.
The prize supports the acquisition of transferable skills that are highly valued in academia, public institutions, NGOs, and the private sector.
Practical Information
Award
Each winner receives €500, and the awarded papers are published online on the EUNMUTE project website.
Eligibility
- Open to students enrolled in a Master’s programme at the Institute for European Studies or in Bachelor’s programmes organised by other USL-B faculties.
- Papers must address themes related to the EUNMUTE project, particularly challenges linked to EU legitimacy.
- Only student-authored papers are eligible. Joint submissions by students are accepted, but papers co-authored with faculty or previously published will not be considered.
- Each paper must be an original analysis and the student’s own work.
Nomination and Selection
- Nominations are made by academic staff from the relevant BA and MA programmes.
- The nomination must include:
- a brief support letter outlining the paper’s merits,
- the research paper in electronic format.
The EUNMUTE Steering Committee acts as the selection jury for the award.