The Brexit Institute was established at Dublin City University in June 2016, in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit referendum, under the founding directorship of Prof. Federico Fabbrini. Its purpose has been to examine, from a research and policy perspective, the causes and consequences of Brexit for the United Kingdom, the island of Ireland, and the future of the European Union. As Ireland’s only centre — and Europe’s first — dedicated specifically to analysing the law and politics of Brexit, the Institute quickly became an internationally recognised forum and a trusted partner to governments, business, and civil society, steadily expanding its remit and initiatives.

Building on this track record, the Dublin European Law Institute (DELI) was established at DCU in June 2024, again under the founding directorship of Prof. Fabbrini, bringing together the Brexit Institute’s research and policy work on European affairs under a single roof. Like its predecessor, DELI is more than a think tank, given its strong academic grounding, yet more than a standard academic department, given its outward-facing profile and institutional engagement. It has quickly established itself as a leading centre for the study of EU institutional matters, economic governance and competitiveness, AI and technology, human rights and migration, and the rule of law.

The Brexit Institute and DELI have hosted multiple EU-funded projects, including the Jean Monnet Network BRIDGE, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence REBUILD, the Jean Monnet Network PROSPER, and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence COMPETE. We have also partnered on Horizon Europe projects and, since 2019, have received funding from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs under the Communicating Europe Initiative. The Brexit Institute and DELI are currently partners of the Irish Government’s 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union.