2018 is the year In which the Journal of European Integration celebrated its 40th anniversary, an occasion that we marked with the first JEI Annual Lecture, given by Nathalie Tocci in the context of the EUIA Conference in Brussels in May, and published in this issue of the journal. While this was a proud moment for the whole editorial team, 2018 also brought us great sorrow: on 5 September our friend, colleague and long-time executive editor Simon Duke unexpectedly passed away. With Simon we have lost a great scholar who had been instrumental in bringing about the success that JEI has experienced over the past decade.
Simon worked at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) at the rank of Professor and was also a Senior Research Fellow at Maastricht University. After obtaining his PhD at Oxford University, Simon held positions at several leading institutions in Europe and the United States, including at SIPRI, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, at the Mershon Centre at Ohio State University, at Pennsylvania University and at the Central European University. He was also NATO Fellow and served as adjunct faculty at the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Simon was one of the leading scholars in the field of EU external action, including European security and defence policy. He was the author of several monographs on European and transatlantic foreign and security issues, including most recently The EU as a Stronger Global Actor: Challenges and Strategic Responses (Palgrave Macmillan 2017) and Will Brexit Damage Our Security and Defence? (Palgrave Macmillan 2018). He also published on related topics in many international journals and contributed to numerous academic workshops and conferences. Simon managed this successful academic career in the context of a demanding role training large numbers of officials and diplomats from the European institutions, the EU member states and third countries. In the past years, he has been very much involved in the training of staff of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the recently established EU diplomatic service.
Simon had joined me as executive editor in 2007, and for the past eleven years I had the privilege of working closely with him. Our close cooperation in editing the journal, and other collaborations along the way, provided countless opportunities to learn from him. Simon was an example of scholarly integrity, a wise counsel in difficult situations and a constant source of valuable insights on all aspects of European integration. Under Simon’s co-editorship, and thanks also to his ceaseless efforts, the journal experienced a period of remarkable growth during this period, increasing its frequency from four to seven issues annually, being admitted into the SSCI and establishing itself as one of the leading journals in the field.
We in the editorial team will deeply miss Simon – his vast knowledge, his generosity in giving time and advice, but also his wit and unmistakable humour. His passing constitutes a tragic loss not only for JEI but for the scholarly community at large. We will remember the contribution that he made, we will continue the work for the journal in this spirit, and we will honour his legacy in years to come.