Programme Description
The Department of Political and Social Sciences (SPS) at the European University Institute (EUI) is launching the sixth edition of the SPS Summer Academy on Democracy, Society & Foreign Affairs: Latest Insights from Political Science, Sociology, and International Relations. The Summer Academy will provide a fresh perspective on the major challenges faced by contemporary European societies. In what shape is Europe’s democracy? Does it face a crisis? What can be done to level inequalities and meet Europeans’ aspirations for a fairer, environmentally sustainable, and inclusive society? What is the role of Europe in the world order? These and other related topics will be systematically analysed and discussed by the SPS Summer Academy participants.
Date: 1-5 September 2025 at the European University Institute, Florence, Italy.
The EUI is an exceptionally vibrant space of interdisciplinary academic activities, where a plethora of seminars, workshops, public lectures, book launches, thesis defences, and high-level workshops are staged each and every week throughout the academic year.
The SPS Summer Academy gives 27 selected Master’s students the opportunity to experience the EUI’s academic and social life first-hand. This one-week full immersion in the EUI’s world will allow the participants to take part in plenary lectures and discuss cutting-edge research currently undertaken at the Department of Political and Social Sciences. Participants will also be invited to present their research work or ideas and to discuss them with leading scholars in the field and equally enthusiastic peers.
The Summer Academy consists of lectures by the SPS professors, three workshops held by postdoctoral fellows, as well as participation in the keynote lecture by Professor Valentina Di Stasio as well as a guided tour to visit the city of Florence.
Participation at the SPS Summer Academy 2025 is limited to a maximum of 27 candidates. The Summer School is free of charge. Furthermore, selected participants in financial need and all participants from Widening countries* are eligible for financial support to cover their travel and accommodation expenses.
If you are a Master’s student or have recently obtained your Master’s degree, and are interested in academic research, check our eligibility criteria and apply to the SPS Summer Academy.
The EUI Widening Europe Programme initiative, backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in Widening countries, and thus foster a more cohesive European Higher Education and Research area.
* In the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine