Летняя школа на тему: “Социальная сплоченность в мире растущего многообразия”, Бремен, Германия

Social Cohesion in a World of Increasing Diversity | June 25 – July 1, 2017

Joint Summer School of BIGSSS and Bertelsmann Stiftung

BIGSSS and Bertelsmann Stiftung jointly organize a summer school on “Social Cohesion in a World of Increasing Diversity” from June 25 – July 1, 2017.

The aim of the BIGSSS summer school program is to support early stage social scientists by opening a cross-border dialogue on theoretical questions and methodological approaches to current matters of social science research.

The summer school 2017 will focus on the interplay between social cohesion, on the one hand, and cultural, ethnic, and religious plurality, on the other, in times of societal transformations and increasing migration flows around the globe. Participants will have the opportunity to assess and discuss the impact of socio-structural, institutional, political as well as individual factors on social cohesion at different levels of societal organization. Next to the question as to what promotes social cohesion, the summer school pays equal attention to the importance of cohesion for the well-being of social entities and individuals both in the OECD World and the Global South in light of key indicators.

Our Social Cohesion Experts

BIGSSS summer schools have always featured prolific keynote speakers and will also do so in 2017. Suggestions by potential participants are still welcome. So far our renowned international experts include: Jan Delhey/Magdeburg, Jan Germen Janmaat/London, Peter Schmidt/Gießen, Claire Wallace/Aberdeen (confirmed), Joseph Chan/Hong Kong, Elaine Chan/Hong Kong (tbc).

Our Program

The Summer School will take place in Bremen from June 25 to July 1, 2017. The working language is English.

The seven-day program will consist of:

• presentations by international experts with discussion
• discussions of conceptual and methodological issues
• presentations and discussion of participants‘ own projects

Daily sessions will be supervised by our renowned international scholars who will also participate in the program for one or two days. Thus participants will experience a stimulating scientific environment providing them with the opportunity to closely discuss and work with a multidisciplinary international and Bremen faculty as well as other MA and PhD students working on similar issues.

You can download the latest version of the program draft in the download section below.

Who can apply?

The Summer School is targeted at MA and early PhD students from universities around the world with a social science background who work on questions closely related to topics of social cohesion. Applicants must have experience with advanced quantitative methods. However, applicants who have this experience are welcome to also apply with project sketches that encompass qualitative and mixed-methods approaches.

Altogether, the summer school will host up to 15 international participants who will be selected by a committee of experts on the basis of the applications they send in (please see below). 

Application Materials:

Applicants are expected to submit the following documents:

1. MOTIVATION LETTER (maximum 2 double-spaced pages, 12 point font) that describes the applicant’s motivation to take part in the summer school, as well as the expected benefits of his/her participation.
2. CV including information on educational and work history, publications, language abilities, and extracurricular interests.
3.  STATEMENT OF METHODS (1 double-spaced page, 12 point font) that describes the applicant’s methodological background, as well as his/her knowledge of (any) advanced quantitative statistical techniques.
4. PROJECT SKETCH (maximum 5 double-spaced pages, 12 point font) of the applicant’s research project on social cohesion including: (a) executive summary, (b) research question, (c) theoretical approach, (d) research design and methods, (e) (selected) bibliography. We recommend to consult the webpage of the Bertelsmann Social Cohesion Radar before completing the project sketch.
5. CONTACT DETAILS OF 2 ACADEMICS (email address, phone number, postal address) who would be willing to write a reference letter for shortlisted applicants.

Application Procedure

• All applications must be sent in electronically and as ONE SINGLE PDF-FILE to: [email protected]
• Application deadline is Wednesday, February 15, 2017.
• Important: We will not consider late applications or applications that do not conform to the spelt out rules. Please read the above instructions carefully.
• Feedback on applications will be sent out by Mach 15, 2017. Once you are accepted as participant, you will receive a log-in for the participants’ area of this website for more detailed information.

Terms and Conditions of Participation

Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before applying:

1. We expect all participants to stay for the whole duration of the official summer school program (June 25th – July 1st) and to participate in each of the program sessions.
2. There is no program fee. Breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided for all accepted participants of the summer school.
3. Lodging in Jacobs University campus accommodation for the duration of the summer school (June 25th – July 1st) is included for all accepted participants. If you chose to stay at a different location, you’ll have to bear the costs yourself.
4. Travel assistance is offered as a refund against receipts and proof of payment. With the prospective letter of admission, successful applicants will be informed about the maximum travel assistance they are offered (for approximate amount please see DAAD “Reisekostenpauschalen”).
5. You will be reimbursed only after the summer school has ended and after you have handed in all original travel receipts (train and bus tickets, boarding passes etc.). Please be aware that the reimbursement of your travel costs might take up to several weeks!
6. Please note that we provide travel grants exclusively for your participation in the summer school (June 25th – July 1st, 2017). We do not pay for private stays exceeding the time of the summer school.
7. Participants will be asked to present proof of an international health-, accident-, and liability insurance that covers their stay in Germany for the duration of the summer school.