Winter School on Federalism and Governance

Deadline: 23 October  2016
Open to: participants who wish to upgrade their knowledge of federalism through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach
Venue: 30 January – 10 February 2017 at Leopold-Franzens-Universität, Innsbruck, Austria

Description

The Winter School on Federalism and Governance is a common cross-border project of the Institute for Studies on Federalism and Regionalism of EURAC research, the Faculty of Law and the School of Political Science and Sociology of the University of Innsbruck. Since its first edition 2010 it takes place under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The Winter School  analyzes the phenomena of federalism, regionalism and multilevel governance from a legal and a political science perspective. Every edition pays special attention to a particular topic, which is approached in detail by legal scholars, political scientists and practitioners. The next edition of the Winter School  will focus on power-sharing in federal systems. The two-week postgraduate programme welcomes an international audience: young researchers and academics, post-docs and post-graduate students, civil servants from a local, regional or national government as well as employees of international organizations or NGOs.

The Winter School will examine a series of issues:

  • How can federalism be used as a tool to divide and share powers?
  • Which role do courts play in competence interpretation?
  • Do power-sharing systems vary with regard to particular models of federalism?
  • How can asymmetric federalism be accommodated in the power-sharing system?
  • What is the impact of the subsidiarity principle on the relationship between the EU and its member states?
  • How does power-sharing impact on particular policy fields, such as fiscal relations, environment, education, social welfare and immigration/integration?
  • What lessons can be learned from comparative practice?

The Winter School 2017 examines these and other questions by combining theoretical expertise and relevant case studies. As such, the programme is a unique opportunity for young academics, postgraduate students and practitioners to receive enhanced training on the theoretical and practical aspects of federalism.

Eligibility

The Winter School is designed for those who wish to upgrade their knowledge of federalism through an interdisciplinary and comparative approach, including:

  • Post-docs, postgraduate students and young researchers
  • Civil servants from local, regional or national government
  • Employees of international organisations or NGOs

Please note that the programme builds on assumed prior knowledge of federalism. The two-week programme is embedded in an exciting international learning environment in Austria (Innsbruck, Tyrol) and in Italy (Bolzano/Bozen, South Tyrol) and includes:

  • Lectures by distinguished academics;
  • Discussions and case studies with experts;
  • Study visits to political institutions;
  • Interactive workshops and a public lecture.

The Winter School is held entirely in English.

Scholarships

The organizers of the Winter School will award a limited number of scholarships. The organizers distinguish between:

  • “full scholarships” covering the accommodation costs in a 3 -bed room for 13 nights plus breakfast in Innsbruck and Bolzano/Bozen and a small contribution towards the participants’ travel expenses (refund after the Winter School). max. 3 scholarships are available.
  • “partial scholarships” covering the accommodation costs in a 3-bed room in Innsbruck and Bolzano/Bozen for 13 nights plus breakfast. max. 7 scholarships are available.

Scholarships are limited and will be awarded based on merit and need; preference will be given to students and applicants from non-European countries.

Please note that holders of these scholarships are still required to pay a participation fee of Euro 150,00- upon enrollment. The scholarships will be awarded after all applications have been processed by the end of November 2016.

How to Apply?

In order to apply for the Winter School on Federalism and Governance 2017, candidates have to submit a completed application form via email to winterschool@eurac.edu.

In the application form you will be asked to submit:

  • Personal data;
  • Relevant academic and professional education;
  • Work experience (if applicable);
  • A statement of motivation (max. 250 words);
  • Short academic essay (max. 500 words) on one of the topics listed below.

Only complete application forms (including all required personal data, motivation and abstract) will be taken into consideration. Please send only the application form and – if available – a short letter or statement of recommendation.

For more information please visit the official website 

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