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
SPS theses of the month: March The Department of Political and Social Sciences is delighted to announce that during the month of March one researcher successfully defended his dissertation. Read more SPS theses of the month: March
Zuzanna Samson receives ISA Fred Hartmann Award The EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences is pleased to announce that PhD researcher Zuzanna Samson is the recipient of the Fred Hartmann Award from the International Studies Association for a paper presented at the ISA Northeast Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Read more Zuzanna Samson receives ISA Fred Hartmann Award
The power of being slightly ahead: Arnout van de Rijt on why 51% matters In this #EUIResearch interview, Professor Arnout van de Rijt, Head of the EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences, shows how even a small edge in popularity, such as 51% versus 49%, can snowball and shape collective decisions, with implications for elections, social media, and online platforms. Read more The power of being slightly ahead: Arnout van de Rijt on why 51% matters
Where paths and disciplines meet: 50 years of political and social sciences As part of the #uniquelyEUI anniversary series, the Department of Political and Social Sciences reflects on five decades of interdisciplinary research, exploring how intellectual openness and a uniquely European community have shaped scholarship at the Institute. Read more Where paths and disciplines meet: 50 years of political and social sciences
Read more 16 April 2026 Research seminar Joint event Scientisation of policy and the visibility of scientific expertise. A proxy for democratic governance? Read more
Read more 21 April 2026 Working group Department of Political and Social Sciences Who’s asking? Read more
Read more 22 April 2026 Working group Department of Political and Social Sciences Meet the Editor of Comparative Politics journal, Nicholas Rush Smith, (SOAS, London) Read more