Call for applications - SMEIE - Summer Module in Economics and Institutions in Europe (2022-2024)

Third Edition 2024, 1-5 July

Governing diversity

Call for applications

SMEIE, Summer Modules in Economics and Institutions, is a three-year initiative of the research group "Economics and Institutions in Europe", Department of Economics and Management (DEM) of the University of Trento (Italy). The initiative is funded by the European Commission (European Education and Culture Executive Agency) Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Action, jointly with the Trento Jean Monnet Centre and DEM. SMEIE is an international reference point for scholars, master, doctoral and post-doctoral researchers focused on the thematic innovation of variety as a factor of greater strength in the European integration process, with a view to:

• generate knowledge and insights that can support EU policy-making and bolster the role of the EU in a globalized world;

• help understanding and communicating the value of economic and institutional diversity as a fundamental step in the integration process, thus reinforcing the European institutional construction in an age of new threats and opportunities;

• stimulate participants to make EU policy makers sensitive to new relevant policy tools;

• allow students to interact on a continuous basis among them and with the lecturers.

SMEIE 2024. Key topics

Europe is home to many societies that are quite diverse in terms of their histories, cultures, religious beliefs and values. At the same time, the EU is pursuing gradual integration of differences for a peaceful coexistence (United in Diversity). It combines such long-term vision with goals such as democracy and the rule of law that make a certain amount of harmonization across member states necessary. The diversity of Europe’s societies is also reflected in its many diverse informal institutions while the EU pursues harmonization policies that rely and reinforce common formal institutions. This implies that the two types of institutions can clash against each other. Currently, there are up to ten candidate countries that would increase Europe’s diversity even more. This year’s edition will ask how this diversity can be dealt with. Many informal institutions have proven to be very sticky; they are unlikely to change in the short run. If formal and informal institutions need to be compatible with each other, a number of questions arise: how to organize multi-level governance? Who is to make decisions at what level? At what degree of specificity? How do we even detect frictions and incompatibilities? How do we deal with them once we find them? In brief: how can local traditions and values be incorporated without compromising the overarching goals of the EU?

Confirmed speakers include: Paul Dragos Aligica – Pittsburgh University (USA), Christian Bjørnskov – Aarhus University (DK), Sara M. Constantino – Northeastern University (USA), Marco Faillo – University of Trento (IT), Nadia von Jacobi – University of Trento (IT), Anastasia Litina – University of Thessaloniki (GR), Stefan Voigt – University of Hamburg (GER)

Application procedure

Please click on this link to apply for the Summer Module. Italian residents can access with a @unitn.it account, SPID or CIE. Applicants without a @unitn.it account can create an account by following the registration procedure as explained at the above link. https://webapps.unitn.it/Apply/it/Web/GoHome/stp/SMEIE_2024