Doctoral Programme The core mission of the EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) is the recruitment, training, and placement of early career researchers from throughout Europe. Read more Doctoral Programme
People Our Faculty, Doctoral Researchers and Postdocs come from a broad range of countries spanning all Europe and beyond. Read more People
Research We focus on the interplay of institutional dynamics with their behavioural context. Read more Research
Seminars & Teaching We are one of Europe’s leading centres for research on comparative politics, political behaviour and political sociology, the sociology of inequality, analytic sociology, and international relations and security. Read more Seminars & Teaching
Does education really level the field? A talk with Herman van de Werfhorst The debate over meritocracy has never been more heated, with many arguing that education simply reinforces existing inequalities. EUI Professor Herman van de Werfhorst's study of 40 countries over six decades provides a clear answer: educational expansion increases social mobility. Read more Does education really level the field? A talk with Herman van de Werfhorst
SPS theses of the month: December The Department of Political and Social Sciences is delighted to announce that during the month of November, one researcher has successfully defended her dissertation. Read more SPS theses of the month: December
Name, accent, nationality: Barbara Jancewicz on barriers to renting in Poland In this #EUIResearch interview, EUI Fernand Braudel Fellow Barbara Jancewicz reveals the stark discrimination in Poland's rental market – and finds that digital communication hasn't reduced bias. Read more Name, accent, nationality: Barbara Jancewicz on barriers to renting in Poland
Lorenzo Mascioli on why local governance shapes development beyond institutions An evolving park seen from his grandmother's window in Rome sparked a lifelong interest in territorial inequality. Now, Lorenzo Mascioli's PhD research reveals why seemingly identical EU-funded projects produce wildly different outcomes. Read more Lorenzo Mascioli on why local governance shapes development beyond institutions
Read more 3 February 2026 Seminar series Department of Political and Social Sciences Beyond cosmopolitanism Read more
Read more 3 February 2026 Working group Department of Political and Social Sciences The green stakeholder Read more
Read more 4 February 2026 Working group Department of Political and Social Sciences Victimhood, care, and narration Read more