SPS Summer Academy

The annual Summer Academy organised by the Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) provides a fresh perspective on major challenges faced by contemporary European societies. It offers a week of highly interactive lectures and workshops, during which the participants can learn about the latest research findings from studies conducted by the academic experts in the SPS faculty.

While Professor Waltraud Schelkle will delve into the question on transnational solidarity in Europe, Professor Herman van de Werfhorst will introduce the participants to the topic of educational policies and inequalities in European societies. Further, Professor Filip Kostelka will present an analysis of current trends in citizen political participation, and Professor Valentina Di Stasio will deliver a lecture on the cumulative impact of discrimination, drawing on the findings from the field experiments conducted in 9 European countries.

During his keynote lecture, Assistant Professor Kevin Munger will elaborate on the ways in which the internet contributes to contemporary political polarisation. Finally, Professor Tasha Fairfield, in her lecture, will discuss Bayesian process tracing as a methodological foundation in qualitative research, and Professor Arnout Van Der Rijt will present the PhD programme at the EUI, in particular, at the Department of Political and Social Sciences.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and you are keen to learn more about this year’s topic Politics, Policies and Inequalities: Micro-foundations and Institutional Dynamics, you are in the right place.

By clicking on the application button you will be redirected to an application form. In order to finalise and submit the application, you will need to create an account, and then answer all the questions and upload all the required documents.

Once you have submitted your application, stay tuned! We will reply to all applicants by the 20th of June.

For more information, please visit the Academy Blog

The Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) seeks an established or emerging scholar in political science, sociology or international relations from a Widening country* to deliver a guest lecture during the SPS Summer Academy. The lecture should be 2 hours in length and draw upon the guest lecturer’s ongoing research or published works that have been recognised in well-respected, peer-reviewed journals. The guest lecture’s theme should align with the SPS Summer Academy’s general theme (Politics, Policies and Inequalities: Micro-foundations and Institutional Dynamics).

The Department is pleased to offer the guest lecturer a small honorary of 300€ for the preparation of the lecture, accommodation (up to a maximum of 800 euros), travel expenses (up to a maximum of 500 euros), and meals from September 7th to September 11th, 2026. Additionally, the guest lecturer will have access to an office space and the EUI’s research facilities, as well as the opportunity to participate in all social events hosted by the SPS Summer Academy.

To apply for the guest lecturer position, interested candidates should submit their CV, a list of publications, and a summary of their intended lecture (limited to 1 page) in a single PDF to monika.rzemieniecka@eui.eu (with olena.shcherbatiuk@eui.eu in copy). The summary should also include an explanation of how the proposed lecture fits into the SPS Summer Academy’s general theme (Politics, Policies and Inequalities: Micro-foundations and Institutional Dynamics). Selection for the position will be based on academic excellence. We strongly encourage female scholars and individuals from underprivileged backgrounds to apply.

Deadline for applications: Monday, May 25, 2026

*The guest lectureship is sponsored by the EUI Widening Programme. This initiative, backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in the so-called Widening countries, and thus foster a more cohesive European Higher Education and Research area.

Scholars employed by universities in the following countries are eligible:

*Inside the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo ⁽¹⁾, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine.

⁽¹⁾ This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244(1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence