Animated Capitalism

CUNY professor, David Harvey's Marxist-inspired take on 'Crises of Capitalism'.



Slovenian philosopher and critical theorist, Slavoj Zizek's illustrated lecture on 'Capitalism and Charity' and why he thinks George Soros is old fashioned.

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'TED Eye-Opening' Talks for PolSci Students

TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), is now offering what they call '12 Eye-Opening TED Talks for Political Science Students' on their website on varied topics, including sub-Saharan Africa, voter apathy, and ethnic conflicts. You can also find economics and development related talks, amongst many others, on their website. TED was launched as a conference series in 1984 and is commited to spreading ideas.

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FT: Visegrad Four are Less Vulnerable to Crisis

A 'Special Report' on the Visegrad countries in Friday's Financial Times argues that the region is less vulnerable and may be in a better position to 'deal with problems' than many eurozone countries. Articles also touch upon the difficulty of moving from emerging to developed economy and the limitations of FDI-based development without an increase in R&D spending and improving education. Plus, everything you wanted to know about Czech viticulture...

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Turning Britain into a CME

Could a Liberal Market Economy (LME) become a Coordinated Market Economy (CME)? Ed Miliband, leader of Britain's Labour Party seems to think so. On 27 September, at his party's annual conference Mr. Miliband is reported to have set out his vision for implementing a Rhineland variety of capitalism in Britain, rewarding production over speculation and services, and introduce corporatist elements to capital and labour relations. A fairly hostile take on this in the Economist is attached below. In any case, this will not happen any time soon: the plan envisages 20 years of transition and the next elections may only take place in 2014 or 2015...

Economist
http://www.economist.com/node/21530975

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PERG Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Political Economy of Global Finance

The Political Economy Research Group (PERG) at Central European University (CEU) invites applications for a two-year post-doctoral fellowship on the “Political Economy of Global Finance” to begin in the fall of 2011.

Starting date: Fall of 2011
Application deadline: May 2, 2011 at 17:00

Description of fellowship
The ongoing global financial crisis has demonstrated a clear need to revise established paradigms in comparative political economy. In particular, dominant approaches in this field have underestimated the degree of “financialization,” that is the predominance of financial markets, motives, institutions, and elites in the operation and governance of the economy in all forms of capitalism. Therefore PERG seeks a post-doctoral researcher with a specialty in the international political economy of global finance, financial development, or related topics.

In addition to working on his or her research and publication agenda, the post-doctoral fellow will be expected to attend and actively engage in PERG seminar meetings, participate in collaborative research projects with PERG members, give a public lecture at CEU, and contribute to the organization of lectures or a workshop with renowned scholars in the field. If interested, the fellow will also have the opportunity to engage in research seminars at multiple departments and potentially teach a course.

About CEU and PERG
Central European University (CEU) is a graduate research-intensive university specializing primarily in the social sciences. It is located in Budapest, and accredited in the United States and Hungary. CEU’s mission is to promote academic excellence, state-of-the-art research, and civic engagement, in order to contribute to the development of open societies in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and other emerging democracies throughout the world. CEU offers both Master’s and doctoral programs, and enrolls more than 1500 students from nearly 100 countries. The teaching staff consists of more than 140 resident faculty, from over 40 countries, and a large number of prominent visiting scholars from around the world. The language of instruction is English.

PERG (http://perg.ceu.hu) is a highly active, collaborative research group of CEU doctoral students and faculty from four departments - Political Science, International Relations and European Studies, Public Policy, and Economics - working in the area of political economy. The post-doctoral fellow will benefit from engaging in a very active and motivating community of senior and junior researchers that is focused on providing feedback on colleagues’ work and engaging in collaborative research. The research profile of PERG members includes many dimensions of political economy, such as labor markets, social mobilization, migration, fiscal and social policy, and transnational capitalism. The fellow may also utilize PERG’s contacts and networks within and beyond CEU that relate to the Political Economy of Global Finance.

Conditions
The two-year position is created within the framework of the “CEU 20th Anniversary Postdoctoral Fellowships” to commemorate 20 years of academic activity at CEU. The successful candidate will receive a competitive stipend and will be eligible for a health plan.

How to apply?
The application package should consist of a single PDF file with
• a short letter of motivation stating the candidate’s qualifications and reasons for interest in the fellowship,
• a research proposal outlining current and future research (2-3 pages),
• a CV,
• the contact information of three references (including e-mail, phone number, mailing address, and relationship to the applicant), and
• one writing sample (published article, work-in progress, or a dissertation chapter).

Informal enquiries may be addressed to perg@ceu.hu.

Please send your complete application package to:
advert@ceu.hu - including job code in subject line: 2011/023

CEU is an equal opportunity employer.

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Summer School: Welfare States of Eastern and Western Europe

The CEU Summer University announces the course
WELFARE STATES OF EASTERN AND WESTERN EUROPE
JUNE 27 – JULY 5, 2011 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

7th ESPAnet Summer School organised jointly with Network of Excellence RECWOWE (Reconciling Work and Welfare in Europe) of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) sponsored by the European Commission

Course Director:
Anil Duman, Department of Political Science, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary

Additional Faculty:
Jochen Clasen, Department of Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, UK; Caroline de La Porte, Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark; Paolo Graziano, Department of Institutional Analysis and Public Management, Bocconi University, Milan, Italy; Evelyne Hübscher, Department of Public Policy, Central European University, Hungary; Martin Kahanec, Department of Public Policy, Central European University, Hungary; Achim Kemmerling, Department of Public Policy, Central European University, Hungary; Wim van Oorschot, Department of Sociology, Tilburg University, the Netherlands; Michal Polakowski, International Centre for Research and Analysis, Warsaw, Poland; Dorota Szelewa, Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences, Germany; Pieter Vanhuysse, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research, Austria



BRIEF COURSE DESCRIPTION
The school targets PhD-students who have started or are about to start a project related to welfare and social policy in Eastern and Western Europe. Topics that will be addressed are the comparative analysis of welfare state and social policy reform, role of social actors, policies for work and welfare reconciliation, social protection, immigrant integration, welfare regimes and labor markets. The course also aims to address methodological issues of comparative research in East and West European welfare and social policy.

The Summer School offers lectures with discussion, assignments and workshops given by European scholars from various disciplines such as sociology, social policy, political science and economics. In addition, students will have the opportunity to present their PhD-projects and to discuss them in small groups with other participants and scholars. Participants obtain 3 ECTS for the Summer School.

This summer school encourages applications from graduate students and researchers at departments of political science, sociology, social policy, economics, and any related disciplines. Undergraduates without a university degree will not be considered. Some familiarity with the topic is required, such as the completion of an undergraduate degree in the relevant fields. The course will be most suitable for participants who have pursued or intend to pursue independent research on some aspect of the subject.

There is no fee for the participation in the summer school and the organizers will cover the accommodation and lunches. The participants need to fund their travel costs and secure own health insurance for the duration of the stay.

Deadline: March 20, 2011
More information: http://www.summer.ceu.hu/02-courses/course-sites/welfare/index-welfare.php

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Call for Applications:
Political Economy Track of CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science,
CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY
DOCTORAL SCHOOL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, PUBLIC POLICY, AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

We invite applications for the Political Economy Track of CEU Doctoral Program in Political Science for the Academic Year 2011-2012. The Political Economy track is designed to prepare students for a career in academia and institutions of applied research. It is highly competitive and welcomes applications from graduates of Political Science, Economics, Sociology and related disciplines.

About the Program
The Political Economy track of the CEU Doctoral Program is one of five specialized tracks in CEU’s political science PhD program. It is operated by the Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations. The Political Economy track focuses on the theoretical and empirical perspectives of the relationship between politics and economics. Major topics include political and economic transformations towards a more liberalized and globally integrated world economy, regional variations of these transformations, and the institutional forms of these transformations in specific fields such as European integration, development and the welfare state in comparative perspective. The aim of the track is to enable students to address political science questions, such as the variance in institutional settings and institutional change under the conditions of internationalization from an interdisciplinary standpoint that explores the connections between social and economic processes.

PhD studies comprise coursework and a research phase. Probationary Doctoral Candidates earn 24 credits over the course of their first two academic years. Course work focuses on the development of professional level research and analytical skills in the fields of training in theories and empirics of comparative and international political economy. Course work also entails a comprehensive and rigorous methods training component. After passing the comprehensive examination and successfully defending the Prospectus, PhD Candidates conduct research on their doctoral project. During the research period for their dissertation, students are encouraged to spend time both in the field and at another university.

Much of the student work in the doctoral program is centered on doctoral student workshops and departmental seminars, where PhD candidates also have the opportunity to get in touch with visiting scholars from the most outstanding European and US universities. As the department’s faculty is actively involved in European Union-funded research projects, doctoral candidates gain direct access to academic networks, workshops, conferences in their field, both at CEU and beyond.

Funding
Students admitted into CEU doctoral programs are eligible to receive the CEU Doctoral Fellowship for up to three years. Doctoral enrollment may continue up to a maximum of six years. Numerous additional funding opportunities exist, such as the Doctoral Research Support Grant Program, the Erasmus Mobility Scheme, and various research and travel funds. Travel support from CEU for participation in major academic conferences and summer schools is also available. Further information on financial aid is available at: www.ceu.hu/admissions/financialaid/doctoral.


Career Paths
Upon completion of the program, alumni of the department continue their career in higher education, policy analysis, the media, civil service, international NGOs and research organizations. Additional information on CEU graduates’ career paths is available at: www.ceu.hu/alumnicareer/lifeafterceu

Admissions
All applicants must meet the General CEU Admissions Requirements (see: www.ceu.hu/admissions/apply), and submit:
• curriculum vitae;
• proof of relevant English language competency;
• a 1,500-word research proposal;
• a 500-word statement of purpose;
• two confidential letters of recommendation;
• relevant undergraduate and graduate transcripts and diplomas;
• a summary of the MA thesis.

The deadlines for applications are
• January 24, 2011, 24:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST): for applicants who wish/are required to take any CEU-administered admissions examinations and/or are requesting exemption from the English language proficiency requirement.
• March 14, 2011, 24:00 Pacific Standard Time (PST): for applicants submitting applications complete with language scores.

More information and inquiries
For further information on the Political Economy Track please visit http://pds.ceu.hu or contact Achim Kemmerling at the Department of Public Policy, Central European University.
Email: kemmerlinga@ceu.hu

For further information on the Doctoral School’s academic programs and courses, specific entry requirements, and a list of faculty, visit the Doctoral School’s website and contact the Doctoral School at http://pds.ceu.hu. Email: ds@ceu.hu

CEU Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy, and International Relations: Nador u. 9, 1051 Budapest, Hungary

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