CIVICA, the European University of Social Sciences, invites applicants to the fourth edition of the CIVICA Summer School. Previously held in Florence, Italy at the European University Institute, the 2025 Summer School will be held in Bucharest, Romania at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA). The 4th edition aims at bringing together early-stage researchers (ESRs) to foster an interdisciplinary reflection on the future of the European project and democracy in general in the context of the increased digitalisation and the surge of the AI across social, political, cultural life and beyond.
The Summer School will be organised with a mix of guest lectures and doctoral researchers’ presentations and discussions. The overall aim of the Summer School is to create a fruitful environment with occasions for both formal and informal fora to discuss and exchange ideas, so as to advance interdisciplinary debate and enrich participants’ perspectives.
The Summer School is aimed at scholars from across the social sciences (including political science, international relations, sociology, economics, etc.) and the humanities (including law, history, philosophy, etc.) in the CIVICA network.
Thematic lectures
- “The Political and Social Effects of Facebook: Evidence from Deactivation Experiments” – Discussant: Professor Kevin Arceneaux (Sciences Po)
- “Is democracy compatible with the structure of twenty-first-century information networks?” – Discussant: Professor Alina Bârgăoanu (SNSPA)
- “Europe Union and Grand Strategy: An oxymoron?” – Discussant: Professor Marina Henke (Hertie School)
- “The political economy of EU polity formation” – Discussant: Professor Waltraud Schelkle(EUI)
- “Media capture and access to independent political news: Experimental evidence from Hungary” – Discussant: Associate ProfessorGabor Simonovits(Central European University)
Format
The Summer School will offer the opportunity to selected researchers to present their work and receive feedback from academics throughout the network, as well as to attend the lectures. Participation in all sessions is mandatory, and researchers will receive a certificate of attendance upon completion of the Summer School.
Funding
The Summer School is free of charge for participants. The costs for participants’ accommodation and meals are covered by SNSPA, and their travel by their respective university, as part of the CIVICA agreement.
Application
The Summer School is open to 25 selected participants in total: 20 PhD researchers and 5 final-year master students who intend to apply for a PhD the following year. Candidates from all CIVICA partner universities are eligible.
Applications are invited from ESRs across the social sciences and humanities who are members of CIVICA universities. Applicants must be current doctoral researchers. Applications are also open for terminal year master students who intend to apply for a PhD the following year. Applicants are asked to provide a short CV (max. two pages) and a 200-word letter of motivation to attend the Summer School. If applicants wish to present a paper, they should indicate so and provide a very brief summary (300 words) of the ideas they would like to develop. A statement of support from the supervisor must be provided for doctoral researchers. Master students are required to provide a statement of support from one of the PhD supervisors of their university.
Applications have to be submitted by 10 December 2024, by email, to andreea.stancea@comunicare.ro.
