Welcome Address and Keynote Lecture

Welcome address Simona Piattoni, Chair, ECPR Executive Committee

Thursday 3 July 17:00

Location Aula, Ground Floor, Social Science Building

Keynote lecture Alan Scott, University of Innsbruck

Thursday 3 July 17:30

Seeing Like a Political Scientist

The lecture will examine some of the dilemmas that face social scientists in general, and political scientists in particular. The division of labour between the social sciences is relatively new and not set in stone. It is challenged both by changes in the governance of higher education and science and by developments within the social sciences themselves. With respect to the former, there is increasing demand from governments, external stakeholders and end users for demonstrable ‘impact.’ Here, the self-reproducing nature of disciplines and the internal organisation of universities are frequently seen as barriers, to rather than facilitators of, innovation. For example, in a recent survey of Whitehall (UK government) civil servants in which they were asked which academic disciplines they found most useful public policy came out on top. Yet public policy is not a discipline as traditionally understood, but rather an inter-disciplinary area of study weakly institutionalised within universities. With respect to internal (academic) developments, the inherited division of labour within the social sciences is being challenged by the growing influence of, for example, neo-institutionalism, which cuts right across economics, political science and sociology. Swimming against these currents is that fact that the social sciences are becoming increasingly specialised and professionalised. These developments create a tension and dilemma: how can we position ourselves in the face of these contradictory demands? Is a new constellation emerging or are the social sciences set to return to an older, pre-disciplinary state; something like the German tradition of Staatslehre? These are questions facing not just the disciplines themselves, but also those entering them and who will carry them on through the next phase.

Roundtables

Roundtable 1: Being on the Academic Job Market

Friday 4 July 11:00-12:30

Location: Aula, Ground Floor, Social Science Building

This roundtable will discuss the process of the academic job market. Topics covered will include the different styles of interviews, for example the difference between North America and Europe, and the format of the interview. This roundtable will also indentify some of most important characteristics graduate students should strive to develop in order to secure an academic job.

Chair Ekaterina Rashkova-Gerbrands, University of Innsbruck

Speakers

Simona Piattoni , University of Trento & ECPR

Fernando Casal Bértoa, University of Nottingham

Annegret Eppler, University of Innsbruck

Roundtable 2: How to Write a Research Proposal 

Friday 4 July 17:30 -19:00

Location: Aula, Ground Floor, Social Science Building

The roundtable will focus on the strategies and skills for writing successful research (grant) proposals. Participants to the roundtable will also address the expectations of reviews and common pitfalls of young scholars.

Chair AP Martin Senn, University of Innsbruck

Speakers

Maria Spirova, Leiden University

Alan Scott, University of Innsbruck

Petra Grabner, FWF Austrian Science Fund

Roundtable 3: Research Funding from the European Union

Saturday 5 July, 1100-12:30 

Location Madonnensaal, Karl-Rahner-Platz 3 (next to the church)

In order to complement national research programmes, activities funded from European Union mostly must have a "European added value". One key aspect of the European added value is the required transnationality of most actions. Indeed, many research challenges are so complex that they can only be addressed at European level by means of cooperation of the best partners from several countries. Next to the EU-Framework-Programme there are, and especially for PhD-students, several funding options on European level, which will be presented and discussed. The roundtable will give a brief overview about the options.

Chair Tobias von Lossow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Speakers

Kurt Habitzel, University of Innsbruck

David Lerderbauer, University of Innsbruck

Ralf König, FFG - Austrian Research Promotion Agency

Roundtable 4: How to Get Published

Saturday 5 July, 11:00-12:30

Location: Aula, Ground Floor, Social Science Building

Chair Valerie Braun, University of Innsbruck

The critical point “how to get published” is peer review, whether print or online. Presentations and discussion in this roundtable will be on presenting a manuscript that meets basic scholarly principles, such as clarity, documentation, and basic publishing criteria like length appropriate for the place to which it is submitted and others. Next to rhetoric and composition of papers, there will be time for discussion with scientists, editors, and a publishing director, “how to get your paper published”.

Speakers

Birgit Holzner, University of Innsbruck 

Petr Kopecký, Leiden University