“The EU, its neighbourhood and the European Neighbourhood Policy: EU foreign policy in times of change, crisis and stagnation”

College of Europe, Natolin campus (Warsaw), 30 June – 13 July 2013

Place & date:

Following the success of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 LISBOAN/ECPR PhD summer schools on EUROPE IN THE WORLD, respectively held at the University of Roskilde (Denmark), the University of Crete in Rethymno (Greece), and the Lisbon University Institute (Portugal), the European Neighbourhood Policy Chair at the College of Europe, Natolin campus is organizing a PhD Summer school on THE EU, ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD AND THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY: EU FOREIGN POLICY IN TIMES OF CHANGE, CRISIS AND STAGNATION from 30.06.-13.07.2013 at the College of Europe, Natolin campus (Warsaw).

Application deadline: 5 May 2013

Description & aim:

The PhD Summer School will focus on the role of the European Union (EU) as an international actor in its southern and eastern neighourhood before and after the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty. It will analyze the evolution and implications of the EU’s European neighbourhood policy (ENP), the state of political and economic transformation in the EU’s neighbourhood, but also how the local, national and regional dynamics in the neighbourhood affect EU policies and politics. Accordingly, the School has a tri-dimensional outlook: it will deal with the implications of the foreign policy behavior and action of the EU, its agents and policies in what the EU defines as its neighbourhood; it will discuss recent political and socio-economic developments in ENP partner countries, in particular in light of the Arab Spring, processes of political transition, “stubborn authoritarianism”, frozen conflicts, as well as wider regional developments; and it will look into the impact of EU-neighbourhood relations on the EU’s institutions and policies.

The school will deal with the theme "The EU, its neighbourhood and the European Neighbourhood Policy: EU foreign policy in times of change, crisis and stagnation" from both a theoretical and empirical perspective and discuss relevant research methods. By means of concrete examples, various research techniques will be discussed, including methods and theoretical tools known from Comparative Politics, International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, and others.

The purpose is to bring together and train PhD students in theoretical, empirical and research-strategic issues on the subject matter. Additionally, the purpose is to support PhD students in furthering their research projects. The PhD Summer School is aimed at political science PhD students from various sub-disciplines including EU studies, International Relations, Comparative Politics, and Public Administration. A maximum of 25 PhD students may participate and they should preferably be at least one year into their studies.

The school offers support on issues relating to their individual theses. To that effect, students will have to circulate their paper before each presentation, and each presentation will be assigned to a discussant/lecturer that is supposed to prepare a number of specific comments. All student presentations will be followed by substantive discussions about how to improve their research, both theoretically but also as regards their case studies and empirical evidence.

Organisation:

The event is organized by the ENP Chair of the College of Europe, Natolin campus (www.coleurope.eu/page-ref/european-neighbourhood-policy-chair) in collaboration with the ECPR (www.ecpr.eu), the ECPR-SGEU (http://sgeu-ecpr.org/), the LISBOAN Erasmus academic network (www.lisboan.net) and the Department of Society and Globalisation at Roskilde University (http://www.ruc.dk/en/departments/department-of-society-and-globalisation-isg/)

Fees & grants:

The regular fee will be EUR 200.-. Fees include attendance in all sessions of the summer school, the welcome icebreaker session; participants’ kit with stationary material, and all tea/coffee breaks.

Please note that the ENP Chair provides the 20 best applications with a grant covering travel to and from Warsaw (economy; return), accommodation and full board.

Structure:

The PhD summer school will run for 2 weeks and selected doctoral candidates (preferably in their second year of research) will present their own work in the afternoons, whereas invited scholars will give lectures in the mornings.

How to apply:

Please send in one PDF file

• A cover letter describing your motivation to participate (1-2 pages max.)
• A brief outline of your PhD project (2-3 pages max.)
• Your CV (2-3 pages max.)

by 5 May 2013 to Dr Dimitris Bouris (dimitris.bouris@coleurope.eu). All applicants will be informed about the results of the selection procedure by 15 May 2013 at the latest.