The second edition of the SPS Summer Academy offered a unique opportunity for a group of 20 master students from across Europe to take part in a week-long programme of lectures, workshops, formal and informal presentations on the European University Institute (EUI) graduate programme, and a variety of social activities. The SPS Summer Academy provided a forum for participants to explore key issues of inequality in Europe and their impact on democracy and solidarity, while also presenting and refining their individual research ideas on these topics.
Professors
The academic programme was led by distinguished EUI faculty members:
- Prof. Klarita Gërxhani (SPS) on social norms, labour markets, and informal economies;
- Prof. Juho Härkönen (SPS) on life course inequality and family demography;
- Prof. Elias Dinas (SPS/RSC) on political socialization, democratic legitimacy, and xenophobia;
- Prof. Ellen M. Immergut (SPS) on welfare state reforms, policy responsiveness, and right-wing populism;
- Prof. Philipp Genschel (SPS/RSC) on European integration, taxation, and the governance of core state powers.
Each session encouraged critical engagement and interdisciplinary reflection on the links between inequality, democracy, and solidarity in Europe.
Keynote Speaker
The keynote lecture was delivered by:
- Prof. Hanspeter Kriesi (SPS, part-time) on political participation, populism, and solidarity in Europe
Prof. Kriesi is a leading scholar in comparative politics and political sociology, with a focus on social movements, electoral behaviour, and political communication. His lecture provided a comprehensive overview of the evolving political cleavages in Europe and their implications for democratic governance and solidarity.
Testimonials
Participants of the Summer Academy 2021:
- “It was an amazing opportunity to get to know the EUI in all its aspects: from the environment to the people of the Institute.”
- “I feel privileged and proud for having had such an insightful and extensive experience.”
- “It was a great opportunity to generate ideas on solidarity, democracy and inequalities in Europe. The lectures were interesting and very helpful and the workshops also because it helped in improving our research proposals. The network created is very professional and social.”
- “I loved the group of people selected, the place, the organisation and care about us.”
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