Born in 1952 thanks to the collaboration between the University of Turin, the Municipality and the Province, the IUSE is a non-profit association. Its main objectives are research and teaching in fields concerning Europe as a whole and, through them, the preparation of experts and cadres of international life. IUSE is recognised by the Italian Foreign MInistry as official training insitutte for EU recruitment competitions (EPSO). 
In particular, as official Documentation Center of the European Union, it carries out an important specialized information activity aimed at public and private entities.
The Institute also deals with the evaluation of European policies and the measurement of the performance of Community actions, including European. The University Institute of European Studies is the only recognized Italian hub of the European Law. The IUSE is included in the Transparency Register of the European Commission. The data relating to activities and accounting data are updated annually.