PhD/ECR Workshop 2027

EDINBURGH EUROPA INSTITUTE

PhD/ECR WORKSHOP

 Call for Papers: deadline 28 January 2027

Europe in the World

15-16 April 2027

Europe faces unprecedented difficulties on the world stage with challenges to EU institutions and European values seemingly compounding in recent years. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought conflict back to the European continent and engendered difficult efforts to shift strategic cultures and maintain the coalition of support for Ukraine. Trump’s re-election as US President has challenged the fundamentals of transatlantic relations, raising the spectre of American disengagement, irridentism vis-à-vis Greenland, and a deal on Ukraine over the heads of its European neighbours. Meanwhile, Europe faces the difficulty of articulating its interests and values in a world where democracy is under increasing strain and internal challenges from populist actors are on the rise.

These developments have brought about unprecedented changes within Europe, with a growing emphasis on strategic autonomy and economic security alongside a more geopolitical and protectionist mindset and rapidly evolving relationships with other partners. These changes invite scholars to reflect on Europe in the world – on, for example, its ability to shape external developments, the suitability of its institutions for doing so, and the appropriateness of its guiding principles and worldview.

We invite papers from PhD and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) that examine Europe in the world, broadly conceived. Papers may address questions of foreign policy, security and defence, trade, foreign economic policy, European identity, norms and values, institutional structure, capabilities, inter-institutional relations, key relationships, grand strategy, or internal facets of external relations. We are keen to feature a diverse range of approaches from the fields of political science and international relations, law, social policy and public policy, sociology, or interdisciplinary perspectives. We welcome a broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches.

The workshop will take place in person in Edinburgh from 15-16 April 2027 and will be hosted by the multi-disciplinary Europa Institute at the University of Edinburgh.

Abstracts of 200-250 words should be submitted to europa@ed.ac.uk along with a short biographical statement (2-3 sentences) by 28 January 2027. Applicants should be either a current PhD student or an ECR (within 12 months of their PhD award) from a UK or other European university. Reasonable travel and accommodation costs, along with the workshop lunch and dinner, will be covered by the Europa Institute.

Those selected to participate will be informed by the end of February 2027. Participants will send written papers/summaries (max. 5,000 words) of their project by the end of March 2027. The papers will be circulated to all participants to read in advance of the workshop.