This inaugural newsletter marks the beginning of the activities of the Jean Monnet Network »Developing the European Studies in the Caucasus« (DESCnet). Originally conceived of by the University of Graz‘ Russian East European & Eurasian Studies Centre (REEES), it is now under the direction of the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu. We are happy that our consortium embraces a dedicated group of scholars from the region who share their enthusiasm for developing European Studies. We hope that once the actual »Association of European Studies for the Caucasus« (AESC) is in place, we will have an increasing regional ownership and a widening of the membership basis to include many more universities as well as interested students and scholars.