In an interview, Professor Sergio Puig discusses his background, expectations, and objectives as he takes on the academic directorship of the Max Weber Programme (MWP).
Could you please introduce yourself and share your professional background and academic/research interests?
I am Professor and Joint Chair of International Economic Law at the EUI’s Department of Law and Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. My work focuses mainly on international law, particularly international trade law and dispute settlement. I have always been interested in how legal frameworks shape global governance and international relations, and how we can use law to address complex modern challenges.
Before joining the EUI, I had the privilege of working with interdisciplinary programmes, such as the Stanford SPILS (The Stanford Program in International Legal Studies), where I saw firsthand the power of cross-disciplinary collaboration. Such experiences have deeply shaped my approach to academic work and my commitment to fostering environments where scholars from different fields can collaborate and learn from one another.
As the new Director of the Max Weber Programme, what will your role entail? Are there any specific projects or initiatives you would like to focus on?
As Director of the Max Weber Programme (MWP), my role is to set a vision of the academic direction of this unique postdoctoral programme. I see this as part of an overarching goal: ensuring that the programme continues to provide a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment that helps postdocs thrive. I am particularly excited about expanding the opportunities for, and the definition of, interdisciplinary creation. This will include strengthening our use of the EUI's Interdisciplinary Research Clusters, where I see great potential for Fellows from different fields to collaborate and innovate together. I also think that the Robert Schuman Centre’s work can contribute to this larger vision of interdisciplinarity.
Another priority is to expand our global network of partners to provide more career opportunities and collaboration spaces for our Fellows. While the academic markets remain disciplinary, there are an emerging number of programmes that focus on interdisciplinary research and practice.
What are your key objectives for the Max Weber Programme during your tenure? How do you envision your role in shaping its future? Are there any specific milestones or outcomes you would like to achieve?
My main goal is to ensure the Max Weber Programme remains one of the top postdoctoral fellowship programmes in the world. To me, this means three things. First, focusing on providing Fellows with both the intellectual space and professional development they need to succeed in academia. Drawing from my experience in interdisciplinary settings, I plan to keep pushing for more opportunities for Fellows to connect across disciplines and make the most of their time here. Second, it means keeping the programme attractive to outstanding scholars that might have other good options, which will mean using our limited resources in a better way. Third and finally, it means strengthening our global reputation—the ‘MWP brand’—and bringing in Fellows from diverse academic backgrounds and regions. A key milestone for me will be making the MWP a key player in shaping the future of research in the social sciences and humanities while making sure Fellows leave with the tools and connections to continue thriving in their careers as part of a unique creative group.