The research themes range from sustainability to promoting economic growth, and from migration and integration to privacy and supervision. ACES also addresses current issues related to the dynamics and direction of contemporary Europe, such as the emergence of populism, Euroscepticism and identity politics, the future of the eurozone and the challenges that illiberal democracies pose to the constitutional state. 

ACES is open to UvA researchers who are studying contemporary Europe and the EU. The Centre is a joint partnership between the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities.