The Centre for Romà Studies was created from the need to scientifically analyse the situation of exclusion the Romà encounter and the factors that contribute to overcoming it. To this end, an interdisciplinary team of people from the Romaní community, in collaboration with people from other communities, are carrying out research projects at the University of Barcelona that address the key elements that underlie this community's process of social transformation. The rigour of CEG's work does not only have tremendous repercussions in the European scientific community – given its solid theoretical foundation and the emancipatory alternatives it proposes - but it is also applied in the practical social reality of the Romaní community. This application is made through educational intervention, socio-economic and cultural programmes in which CEG is promoter in some cases, coordinator and advisor in others, and without which its work would lack a raison d'être.

Relationship of the CEG (Centre for Gypsy Studies) with gypsy organisations There are some gypsy organisations which have worked for years and decades to overcome the inequalities which the gypsy population faces. Some of these organisations are: The Gypsy General Secretariat Foundation, The Romani Union, The Autonomous Federation of Gypsy Associations (FAGIC, FAGEX, FAGA), the Calí Federation, Presència Gitana, Kamira, Drom Kotar Mestipen, ERIO, IRWN, ERRC, ERTF and a great deal more. The CEG is open to collaboration with all these organisations due to the fact that the task it undertakes has a specifically academic approach: scientific research and training for researchers. The Centre for Gypsy Studies was founded due to the need to scientifically analyse the exclusionary situation which the gypsy population is experiencing, and the factors which contribute towards overcoming it. For the achievement of these ends, in the University of Barcelona an interdisciplinary group of gypsy and non-gypsy people -on an equal footing- is developing research projects which tackle the key elements which promote the transformation process for the gypsy population. The rigorousness of the work which the CEG carries out, does not only have a great impact on the scientific community on a European level- given their solid theory base and the alternative emancipations which it researches- but it also deals with the application of the social reality that the gypsy population faces in practice. This application is carried out through research projects in order to create intervention which will transform situations of inequalities in an educational, cultural and socio-economic context, on some occasions CEG simply promotes this, and at other times it is a coordinator or on other occasions an advisor, and without this opportunity for transformation the work which CEG carries out would be pointless. CEG Work and research programme. Gypsy people currently make up a population of around 500.000 or 600.000 people within Spain. For more than 500 years they have been subject to social policies, and educational and community policies which have placed them in situations of social inequality, which is highly visible in work and educational contexts. On the other hand, in wide sectors of society there is a deep rejection of the gypsy population, an attitude which is based on negative social stereotypes and misinformation, which the majority of people receive. Faced with this exclusionary situation, the CEG is researching real alternatives for social transformation, using the skills which the gypsy population has as a starting point, and has as its objective the promotion of their identity as gypsy people within different areas of society; such as education, culture, and the labour market etc. From the scientific knowledge obtained from the different contexts of the gypsy population, the following lines of research have been established, and they are the backbone of the projects carried out by the CEG: 1. Laying down the foundation for theoretical development and intercultural research. 2. Researching the ways in which to develop economic potential for the gypsy population. 3. Studying the different cultural identities of the gypsy population and the role that they have in the social structure. 4. Researching the emancipation of gypsy women and their participation in various areas of society. 5. Promoting training as a tool for overcoming exclusion. 6. Creating an advisory board within CEG for gypsy people. 7. Monitoring and analysing the rise of racism in Europe. 8. Analysing the recognition processes of the gypsy population.   We highlight the project: WORKALO. The Creation of New Occupational Patterns for Cultural Minorties: The Gypsy Cas . RTD. FP5. DG XII. Improving the Socio-economic Knowledge Base. (2001-2004). We highlight the publication: Gómez, J.; Vargas, J. (2003): Why Romà do not like mainstream schools: voices of a people without territory . Harvard Educational Review. v. 73, pp. 559-590. The passing of a bill of law for the official acknowledgement of the Romaní population by a unanimous vote of the parliamentary members (319 votes in favour, 0 abstentions, 0 votes against).