CIVICA is pleased to announce the four projects selected for its 2025–2026 call for thematic activities. These initiatives bring together early-career researchers and faculty across CIVICA institutions to explore pressing social, political and human rights challenges.
The selected projects cover topics from exclusionary politics and human rights research methods to political behaviour and youth polarisation and they involve scholars at all career stages from across the alliance, reflecting the diversity and relevance of research within CIVICA.
EPIC: Exclusionary Politics, Illiberalism and Chauvinism at LSE
The London School of Economics will host the EPIC workshop on exclusionary politics, illiberalism and chauvinism from 12 to 13 May 2026. Early-career scholars will present and discuss research on illiberal strategies and their societal impact. The workshop offers mentoring, structured feedback and opportunities to build connections across CIVICA institutions.
FUTUREURIGHTS: Research Methods for Human Rights at Hertie School
The FUTUREURIGHTS workshop at the Hertie School provides PhD and early-career researchers with guidance on human rights research methods. Covering democracy, technology, climate justice and migration, the programme combines methodological training with mentoring on research design. Since 2020, the workshop has trained 121 researchers from 66 universities and created a global network of human rights scholars.
POBI: Political Behaviour and Institutions at Bocconi University
Bocconi University will host the Civica Political Behaviour and Institutions workshop, focusing on elections, political behaviour and democratic institutions. The programme brings together faculty and doctoral students from all CIVICA institutions to share methods, foster collaboration and strengthen the community of political behaviour researchers across Europe.
YOUNGPOLAR: Polarisation Among Young Europeans at EUI
The European University Institute will host YOUNGPOLAR, a workshop examining the political and gender polarisation of young Europeans. Researchers will explore factors such as social media, economic pressures and peer influence while developing ideas for interventions to reduce polarisation. The workshop connects academic research with civil society perspectives and provides early-career scholars with a platform for cross-institutional exchange.
These projects demonstrate CIVICA’s commitment to building research networks, advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration across European social sciences. Read more.
