EUI Department of Political and Social Sciences

SPS theses of the month: November The Department of Political and Social Sciences is delighted to announce that during the month of November, 9 researchers have successfully defended their dis

🎓 November was a big month at SPS: 9 researchers successfully defended their theses.

From political attitudes, to sanctions, climate justice and information warfare, their work shows the depth and range of SPS research.

Congratulations to all our new doctors!

www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=...

💰 Does money change how we define "fair"?
New research by @arnoutvanderijt.bsky.social, @irenepaneda.bsky.social , J. Kamphorst & B. Battu, shows that as income rises, people rely more on meritocratic beliefs to oppose redistribution

Published on Social Science Research
🔓: hdl.handle.net/1814/94113

YouTube video by EUI TV #EUIUpFront | Who holds power over knowledge? Academia in times of distrust

📺 New #EUIUpFront just out: "Academia in times of distrust" with SPS professor @eliasdinas.bsky.social. Reflecting on the state of knowledge production, academic freedom and political pressure.

🎙️ Watch the full video and share your thoughts: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPH...

#AcademicFreedom

Are you considering applying for a PhD in Political and Social Sciences at the @inthiseui.bsky.social ?

Join us online for the 2025 SPS Virtual Open Day and have the opportunity to meet and talk with members of the department.

Register now: www.eui.eu/events?id=58...

YouTube video by EUI TV #MyPhDPitch with Lotta Lintunen

Congratulations to @lintuslotta.bsky.social for successfully defending her PhD thesis!
Her findings reveal how local institutional differences reinforce social stratification, and why understanding these dynamics matters for building a fairer society. 🎒

🎥 Watch MyPhDPitch to hear the key insights.

Boomers are clinging to their jobs, homes, and halls of power. Millennials and Gen Z are left in the dust. As boomers cling to power, America's become a gerontocracy — in business, housing, and the workforce. Here's what it means for millennials and Gen Z.

"In American culture, we’re just so tied up with our jobs"

Our Prof. Munger speaks to @businessinsider.com on why Boomers cling to power & homes, and how a culture where "work is identity" squeezes younger cohorts. 📉

Read the feature: www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomers...

📢 Final week to apply for the Swiss Chair in Federalism and Democracy. A key position supported by the Swiss Government for scholars working on federalism and democratic processes.

Deadline: 24 Nov 2025

Details: www.eui.eu/Documents/Se...

Online Application form: apps.eui.eu/Vacancies/Ca...

Peter S. Bearman and SocArXiv honoured at the 2025 Kohli Prize Awards The European University Institute EUI hosted this years Kholi Prize Awards, paying tribute to excellence and innovation in sociology

🙌 Three inspiring days at the #EUI celebrating excellence in sociology!

The 2025 Kohli Prize Awards honoured Peter S. Bearman for groundbreaking research and @socarxiv.bsky.social for advancing open, collaborative science.

💬 “These awards affirm sociology’s power to face today’s big questions.”

YouTube video by EUI TV #MyPhDPitch with Lorenzo Mascioli

🎓 “How do independent candidates change the game of democracy?”

That’s the question behind Lorenzo Mascioli’s PhD, now successfully defended at the EUI 👏

Instead of just telling us, he shows it in a one-minute video pitch that captures the heart of his research.

🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/2nKR1P9xaWM

The Internet’s New “Babygirl” is Curtis Sliwa The Republican New York City mayoral candidate may be polling last in the race, but on TikTok he's found many fans.

@vanityfair.com recently quoted our Prof. Kevin Munger in an article exploring TikTok’s role in the New York City mayoral election.

Read the full piece here: vanityfair.com/news/story/the-internets-new-babygirl-is-curtis-sliwa

#EUI #SPS #PoliticalCommunication #SocialMedia #TikTok #ResearchImpact

A huge thank you to Prof. @matthiasleese.bsky.social (@ethz.ch) for yesterday's Swiss Chair Seminar lecture on the Schengen Information System.

Europe's most critical security infrastructure is not a stable machine, but a fragile system held together by constant, invisible "care practices."

🔥 A full house for the Swiss Chair Lecture at SPS
by @dirkmoses.bsky.social, leading expert on genocide, on: "Gaza and the failure of Frankf. School critical theory"

Examined how “never again Auschwitz” has shifted from a call for emancipation to a tool for silencing dissent and policing migration.

Open competitions for academic posts

📢 The EUI’s SPS Department invites applications for the Swiss Chair in Federalism and Democracy, a prestigious position supported by the Swiss Government.

Apply by 24 Nov 2025: eui.eu/About/JobOpportunities/Open-competitions-for-academic-posts

#AcademicJobs #Federalism #Democracy #EUI

Last week, the @civica.bsky.social ica.bsky.social – @hertieschool.bsky.social community gathered for the workshop Youth Gender Polarization & Digital Fragmentation.

Thanks to everyone who joined the panels and brainstorming sessions on how digital fragmentation influences youth divergence.

How does 'gender expertise' become a tool of imperialism? In our Swiss Chair Lecture, Prof. Kunz from @vunillu.bsky.social shared analysis of Nepal's peacebuilding work exposing the contradictions: colonialism hides in our most progressive projects. Essential for anyone serious about decolonisation.

Last Thursday, our Comparative Politics Seminar Series hosted a thought-provoking session. @mgiani.bsky.social from @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social presented his research, "Speaking Fast and Low: The Acoustics of Authoritarian Politics," discussing how speech patterns may reflect political realities

🎉 Congratulations to our alumna @nerealidad.bsky.social, PhD supervised by Prof @eliasdinas.bsky.social, who has received the Juan Linz Award for the Best PhD Thesis in Political Science from cepcgob.bsky.social !👏

Read more 👉 www.cepc.gob.es/noticias/res...

Kevin Munger joins Data Science Lab for CIVICA Faculty Short Visit In an interview, the European University Institute Professor talks about his research, why he chose Hertie, and what CIVICA offers researchers and students alike.

🤝We are proud to announce that our prof Kevin Munger recently joined the @hertiedatascience.bsky.social under the @civica.bsky.social Faculty Short Visit programme, delivering a talk on the evolving validity of scientific evidence over time.

👉Full story here: www.hertie-school.org/en/news/allc...

🌍SPS welcomed Cecilia Lynch from @ucirvine.bsky.social for the Swiss Chair Seminar Series.

Her talk on "From Decolonisation to Recolonisation?" challenged us to rethink humanitarianism, religion & power in today’s world. Inspiring exchange & lively debate!

Grateful for the insights shared! ✨

Economics and Political and Social Sciences departments welcome new professors The EUI Departments of Economics ECO and Political and Social Sciences SPS announce the arrival of four new faculty members who joined on 1 September 2025

We are thrilled to ufficially welcome Professor Tasha Fairfield to the Department of Political & Social Sciences at the @eui-eu.bsky.social

Her expertise in comparative politics, political economy, and climate justice will enrich our academic community.👏

Read more ➡️ www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=...

The Swiss Chair Seminar Series are back!

🎓 First lecture with Matthew Evangelista (@cornelluniversity.bsky.social) President White Professor of History and Political Science on Estonia’s security challenges after Russia’s 2022 invasion:
Alternatives to nuclear deterrence: is Estonia defensible?

🌸 EUI SPS joined “Corri la Vita” in Florence 🌸

On Sunday, 28 September, a delegation from our SPS Department ran together for solidarity, prevention and shared commitment. We thank all participants, supporters and volunteers!

@eliasdinas.bsky.social
@simonhix.bsky.social
@hermwerf.bsky.social

💡 How can we rethink democracy in a changing world?
This year’s SPS Summer Academy gathered brilliant minds from across the globe 🌍 to debate, challenge, and inspire.

👉Dive into the highlights here:🔗 www.eui.eu/news-hub?id=...

What do you think is the biggest challenge for democracy today? ⬇️

✨ SPS Welcome 2025 ✨

Yesterday evening, we welcomed our new cohort of #SPS researchers.

Head of Department @arnoutvanderijt.bsky.social, together with our academic faculty, greeted the first-year researchers and celebrated the start of a new academic journey.

Cheers to a fruitful year ahead! 🥂📚

We are delighted to share that our alumnus @mwegemann.bsky.social received an Honourable Mention in the 2025 Ernst B. Haas Best Dissertation Award by @apsa.bsky.social’s European Politics and Society section.

His dissertation was recognised among the best works on European politics and society!

September isn’t over yet, and that freshers’ energy is still in the air.

Every month, you’ll get a pinch of sarcasm to start on a fresh new beat✨

Feeling the vibe? Drop a beat
🎧 https://loom.ly/h8botX8

Love to give feedback? We've got a small treat for you:
🔗 https://loom.ly/4TeiPWs

#EUInTime

A major achievement for our community 🎉

Congratulations to @filipkostelka.bsky.social, Nicola Sauger and @evakrejcova.bsky.social on their new article published in AJPS, one of the world’s leading journals in political science.

👉 Read it here (open access): doi.org/10.1111/ajps...

📢 The SPS Summer Academy has just begun!
On this first day, participants attended Prof. @juhoharkonen.bsky.social’s lecture and explored the Badia Fiesolana, the historic seat of the @eui-eu.bsky.social.
A promising start to a week of academic exchange and discovery!

#SummerAcademy #EUI #SPS

Discover how randomness shapes our life trajectories.
Our Head of Department, @arnoutvanderijt.bsky.social gave a thought-provoking keynote ‘Luck and Success in Millions of Life Courses’ from @ic2s2.bsky.social 2025.
#Sociology #IC2S2

Watch the full talk here ⬇️
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgLG...

🎉 Congratulations to SPS alumnus Dr Rouven Symank!

His article "Durkheim’s empire: the concept of solidarity and its colonial dimension" has won the 2025 CES First Article Prize.
Discover his work now in Cadmus:

hdl.handle.net/1814/93056

#EUI #SPS #ResearchExcellence #CESPrize