CIVICA alliance news

Fake news has made the headlines of real news for a while now, ironically becoming a topic in its own right. Disinformation assaults us like hailstorms or strong winds. How can we efficiently build trust in times of the fake news phenomenon?

The CIVICA ESR catalogue offers PhD and early career researchers a unique chance to easily find and attend courses outside of their own specific programmes and at other member institutions.

On 15 February, Central European University (CEU) hosted the first event in a new CIVICA series committed to communicating social science research and knowledge from the eight partner universities into the public realm.

More than 30 students across CIVICA universities (and also from the University of Geneva and ESADE) are currently hard at work finishing their draft of the ‘Report on the Future of Europe.’

Five recorded presentations on innovation, AI, digital governance, ethics and more from a PhD series hosted by Hertie School’s Centre for Digital Governance and Bocconi University’s Department of Social and Political Sciences are available online.

Undergoing cancer treatment, Enderlein will stay at the Hertie School as a member of the faculty. Mark Hallerberg will be named Acting President.

What are some important cross-cultural aspects to think about in a highly connected community? Cătălin Mosoia, staff member at SNSPA and PhD researcher in Psychology, shares his insight.

Alex Stubb, Director of the School of Transnational Governance at CIVICA member EUI, talks about the defining policy issues of our times, the sweet spot between theory and practice, and the complexity of policy-making.

Fall 2020 at the eight CIVICA members meant a safe and enthusiastic start, optimised digital tools, and supportive virtual campus communities. Here is a look back in pictures.

Research project SEFORÏS, organised by the Hertie School in the frame of CIVICA, shows that social enterprises are resilient, but wary of the pandemic's long-term impact.

Our newly-launched podcast "Over to Europe" brings students, researchers, faculty and staff into dialogue about the ideas and values that are central to Europe.

Early stage researchers attending CIVICA member institutions have a new resource for research training: the Early Stage Researcher Course Catalogue.

To mark LSE’s 125th anniversary, Professor Michael Cox, Emeritus Professor of International Relations and Founding Director LSE IDEAS, discusses LSE’s origins and history of interacting with the outside world.

Central European University’s Yehuda Elkana Center for Higher Education (CEU YECHE) was selected to coordinate the external evaluation for The European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education. CEU YECHE was chosen for its global expertise in higher education, including in European HE policy, the development of the EHEA and the workings of the Bologna Process.

CIVICA aims to have an impact on society beyond academia. To learn about best practices, we looked at existing experiences across CIVICA. Three professors from SNSPA in Romania talk to us about their current projects and what to consider when dealing with a diversified student community.

Since its opening to researchers in 1976, the European University Institute has provided international, inter-disciplinary doctoral training with a special focus on Europe and European integration. While the scope of the Institute has since broadened, it has not lost sight of those founding principles, now shared with its partners in the CIVICA alliance.

Associate Professor of International Relations Xymena Kurowska from Central European University (CEU) and fellow researchers unpack CIVICA's thematic group "Europe Revisited," which tackles topics such as multilevel governance of migration, constitutional resilience, EU and the world, green values and green economy, and interdisciplinary approaches in research.

Catherine De Vries was recently appointed as the first Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at Bocconi University. In this interview she talks about the importance of fostering diversity and inclusion in the academic world, making it part of the DNA of universities, promoting open debate in the European landscape, and about the role CIVICA can play as a hub for best practices.

Thirty faculty and staff members from CIVICA partner universities as well as experts from other institutions participated in a virtual Gender Equality and Inclusion Workshop to exchange and share best practices across the alliance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread problems across the globe. A new EU-funded research project will contribute to strengthen Europe’s response to the impact of COVID-19 as well as future pandemics.

Around 25 students from the Hertie School and 45 from Sciences Po signed up for the first joint master's course of CIVICA, co-taught by Florence Faucher of Sciences Po and Christian Freudlsperger of the Hertie School. For the fall 2020 sessions, the professors homed in on two topics of public interest around the globe – democracy and crisis.

On 28 November, the President of the European Commission spoke at the official inauguration of the Academic Year 2020-2021 at Bocconi University.

On 30 November, 1 & 10 December 2020, the Hertie School hosts an online training on survey design aimed at PhD researchers from the CIVICA alliance. Funded by the German Academic Exchange Service, this short course introduces participants to the art of survey design.

Carlo Altomonte, Professor of Economics of European Integration at Bocconi University, talks us through the design, aims and significance of the ‘Europeanship’ multi-campus course, which will kick off in the academic year 2021/22.

In order to foster a joint and inclusive identity among faculty and staff across CIVICA, Sciences Po’s Gender Studies Programme - PRESAGE - organises a Gender Equality and Inclusion Workshop in November 2020 to exchange on best practices and innovation in institutional policies. Sciences Po researcher, Maxime Forest, speaks about the plans for the workshop.

The CIVICA Future of Europe lecture series organised by the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School continues with a talk by Professor Vivien A. Schmidt.

LSE’s CIVICA Ambassadors Liam Selsby and Fiona Gogescu hosted an online conversation with peers (on 21 October 2020), “LSE and CIVICA: What does our relationship mean to you?”. The event gave students the opportunity to reflect on LSE’s role in the CIVICA alliance and what they expect from the collaboration.

Associate Professor Matthijs Bogaards from CEU and fellow researchers shed light on CIVICA's focus area examining contemporary issues such as democratic backsliding, the reform of democracy, polarisation and the social embededdness of democracy.

European identity is a fundamental concept for the social sciences and one of the most discussed topics at policymaker level as well as citizen level. We aimed to find out what is the current view on European identity at the top of the EU. We talked to Dr. Victor Negrescu, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, European Parliament, and Lecturer and former Vice-Rector at SNSPA, Romania.

In his 2020 MPP thesis, Hertie School alum Andy Butler researched the European Universities initiative.

The European University Institute supports the dissemination of social science research on COVID-19 through a Knowledge Hub, innovative research projects, and a new data portal.

Stefan Pfalzer, CIVICA Ambassador and master’s student in the dual degree programme between Sciences Po and The London School of Economics, explains what mobility means to him and shares his experience of studying at two different institutions.

Diana Iancu, Dean of the Faculty of Public Administration, SNSPA, and member of CIVICA's Management Team, talks about the significance and challenges of internationalisation for CIVICA.

LSE PhD student Fiona Gogescu tells us about her research project, shares her top tips for managing stress and explains what her role as an ambassador entails and what she hopes to achieve.

Theme Leader Professor László Pintér from Central European University unpacks CIVICA’s focus area dedicated to sustainable development, environmental assessment, urban transformation, and COVID consequences and recovery measures.

Professor Frank Schimmelfennig continues the CIVICA Future of Europe lecture series, organised by the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School.

Cooperation is at the roots of CIVICA, says Stefano Caselli, Dean for International Affairs at Bocconi University and member of CIVICA's Steering Committee.

In the Financial Times 2020 Masters in Management ranking, which assesses business schools from all over the world, two CIVICA universities are ranked among the top ten.

This research project aims to shed light on the jurisprudence of the UN human rights treaty bodies and its contributions to international human rights law.

Starting this academic year, bachelor students can channel their civic engagement and help effect real change through a new interdisciplinary program. The CIVICA Engage track will offer field work, exchanges and new experiences to students across the CIVICA alliance.

Corinna Unger, Professor of Global and Colonial History at the European University Institute, puts CIVICA’s ambitions for early career researchers in historical context.

Aurélien Krejbich from Sciences Po is since 1 February 2020 the first Executive Director of CIVICA - The European University of Social Sciences. Krejbich has been involved in CIVICA since its early beginnings.

Martina Bo, dual master’s student at Bocconi and Sciences Po, talks to us about her role as CIVICA Ambassador, her experience as a truly European student and the benefits of cooperation across the continent.

In an online CIVICA workshop, organised by the Hertie School’s Centre for Fundamental Rights, PhD researchers and early career researchers discussed different methods in fundamental rights research and their implementation.

Now that the European Universities are becoming a reality, it is important to give the students a say. Hilda Hardell from the Stockholm School of Economics is helping to bring student influence to the top levels of CIVICA – and the EU.

Community engagement is an important part of any university’s relationship-building activities, and CIVICA is no different. CEU Dean of Students Chrys Margaritidis speaks to us about the role and initiatives of our alliance's civic engagement work package and why community engagement is vital.

Professor Simon Hix sets out his hopes for CIVICA in terms of educational exchanges, student support and research environment, pinpoints the big challenges ahead, and sets out the urgent need for social science expertise across the world.

Alexandra Ioan is an alumna of two universities in the CIVICA alliance, and currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Hertie School. Her current project, which takes place in the context of CIVICA, examines German social enterprises.

CIVICA – The European University of Social Sciences has received funding to strengthen its research dimension from the EU’s programme Horizon 2020, under the chapter “Science with and for Society.” The activities funded under this call aim to establish “CIVICA Research,” a joint long-term research and innovation environment.

In an online CIVICA workshop organised by the Hertie School, participants discussed solutions for internet regulation as part of the EU’s planned Digital Services Act.

Alumni from the Hertie School and the CIVICA university network are invited to apply for 10 stipends to an alumni conference on Rebuilding Europe: EU recovery after COVID-19 from 8 – 10 October 2020 in Brussels.

On 16 June 2020, the European Commission updated the status of The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) from “associated partner” to “full member” of CIVICA - The European University of Social Sciences, following a request submitted by the alliance.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the European University Institute launched a competitive selection to promote and fund new research across the humanities and social sciences.

During times of digital learning, the Hertie School organised a series of online trainings to allow PhD researchers to advance their professional and methods skills. 213 PhD researchers from across the CIVICA alliance applied to participate in the online PhD workshops.

The LSE COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund is supporting new research to address the challenges we face, both in terms of limiting the social and economic effects of the pandemic and helping to shape a better post-COVID-19 world.

Sciences Po’s academic community leverage their expertise in the social sciences to study and analyse the political, economic and social impacts of the crisis in the short and long term.

CEU's start up incubator iLab made pledges to 13 winning teams of the pan-European EUvsVirus Hackathon to include them in its first-ever online incubation program starting in September 2020.

Researchers and communities across the CIVICA alliance are fully committed to engaging for the common good of Europe and the world.

In an online webinar organised on 13 May 2020 by Sciences Po, professors and researchers Waltraud Schelke (LSE), Anke Hassel (Hertie School), Anton Hemerijck (European University Institute) and Bruno Palier (LIEPP Sciences Po) discussed the role and expectations of welfare states before and after the COVID crisis.

What are possible and desirable scenarios for the future of the European Union? Professor Waltraud Schelkle opens the CIVICA Future of Europe lecture series.

On 8 May 2020, the European University Institute held a special online edition of its annual The State of the Union Conference, focused on the social, economic and global ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 27 April 2020, researchers Anke Hassel (Hertie School) and Bruno Palier (Sciences Po) presented in an online webinar their analyses of the labour market consequences and of the social policy decisions taken in Germany, France and Europe at large in response to the pandemic. (Photos: Anke Hessel © Hertie School / Bruno Palier © Sciences Po)

The Laboratory for Coronavirus Crisis Research draws faculty from all eight departments at Bocconi and is the university’s broadest multi-disciplinary research initiative ever. It aims to understand the spread of the COVID-19 and analyse its numerous social, health care, financial and legal implications.

In an essay published in the German weekly Der Spiegel, Hertie School President Henrik Enderlein argues that Europe needs a strong signal of European solidarity in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, but Germany in particular fails to recognise the historic proportions of this undertaking.

Influential international media outlets have approached CEU leadership and faculty for expert commentary and insights on the COVID-19 impact. (Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash)

SSE's Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics has partnered with members of the FREE Network to collect and disseminate information about the COVID-19 situation around the Baltics, in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

Through analyses and research projects, Sciences Po experts are responding to the fundamental need to grasp the political, economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the short and long term.

SNSPA students joined young people from 60 cities around the globe in an online encounter to appeal to solidarity, share impressions and face the crisis caused by the new coronavirus together.

The School of Public Policy at LSE has brought together some of the leading thinking to guide and support policy responses to the pandemic. (Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash)

In an online workshop organised by the EUI's School of Transnational Governance, renowned academics and policy-makers developed policy recommendations for the European Union to cope with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 6 March 2020, representatives of the universities in the CIVICA alliance got together for the digital kick off of CIVICA Engage: A European multi-campus Bachelor experience.

On 4 March 2020, Hertie School President Henrik Enderlein participated in a round table with representatives from the other German universities selected in the European Commission’s European University Initiative, organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). (Photo by Malik_Braun / Flickr)

Alumni from the Hertie School and the CIVICA alliance are invited to apply for 25 stipends to a workshop on "The Future of Work: AI, Data Science and Digital Transformation" organised by the Hertie School in May, 2020. The stipends, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), also include a session on strengthening the CIVICA alliance.

On 10 February 2020, representatives of the universities in the CIVICA alliance got together at the European University Institute in Florence to discuss the creation of a common European space which enables early stage researchers to benefit from the expertise and the resources at partner universities and to collaborate across borders.

On 4-5 February 2020, the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) in Bucharest, Romania hosted the first meeting of CIVICA's work package on international partnerships.

Katarina Hägg, Vice President for External Relations at the Stockholm School of Economics, explains the significance of the CIVICA alliance for SSE students and faculty.

On 20 January 2020, in Milan, CIVICA representatives held the first meeting of the Work Package 4 led by Bocconi University and dedicated to integrated forms of pedagogical innovation at master's level and beyond.

Following the first CIVICA Presidential Meeting held in Paris on 18 July 2019, the CIVICA Managing Team came together for the first time on 3 October 2019.

CIVICA has been selected by the European Commission as one of the pilot European Universities. A total of 48 applications were received, of which 17 have been selected and awarded funding, as announced on 26 June 2019 by the Commission. The application of CIVICA received 92/100 points.