The ECPR Carlo Alberto
Summer School on
Analytical Politics in Europe

15-24 September 2009

Organized with the support of:

• Standing Group on Analytical Politics and Public Choice

• Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences

• Research Unit on European Governance

Venue: Collegio Carlo Alberto, Moncalieri, Turin

1. Introduction
2. Objectives of the Summer School
3. Structure of the Summer School
4. Academic Programme
5. Fees and Expenses
6. How to Apply
7. Contact Details
8. Supporting Research Environment
9. How to Reach Collegio Carlo Alberto

1. Introduction

The ECPR Summer School on Analytical Politics in Europe will be held September 15-24, 2009 at the beautiful XVIII century building which hosted the Carlo Alberto Royal College in Moncalieri, on the hillsides of Turin (Italy). It is home now to the Collegio Carlo Alberto, a foundation fostering research and teaching in economics, finance and political science established in 2004.

The academic chair of the summer school is Fabio Franchino, professor of political science of the Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences of the University of Milan and research fellow at URGE.

The school will be under the auspices of the Research Unit on European Governance (URGE) of the Collegio Carlo Alberto, a research centre dedicated to the study of European governance from a political science and political economy perspective. The acting director of URGE is Stefano Sacchi of the University of Milan.

2. Objectives of the Summer School

Analytical models play an increasingly important role in political science. Whether game-theoretic models, agent-based simulations or decision-making models, articles in prestigious journals and books published by renowned university presses make ever more often use of such tools. Researchers in political science need to be conversant in these techniques in order to be able to follow the literature and apply them in their own research.

The overarching goal of the summer school is to familiarize post-doc and PhD students with analytical models as applied to particular research questions. It offers an intensive exposure to practical research using analytical models. The focus is less on the technical details of the approaches chosen, but much more on the way in which these analytical tools can be applied to particular research questions. To achieve this overarching goal all instructors are dedicated to use actual research questions with, given the largely European background of most expected post-doc and PhD students, a strong European focus.

The summer school builds upon the very successful experiences with four previous schools that have taken place in Konstanz (2000), Leiden (2002), Zurich (2006) and London (2008)

The summer school also wishes to achieve the following goals:

• bring analytical models closer to interested European (and non-European) post-doc and PhD students, and allow them to apply them in their own research through close interactions with the instructors of the summer school;

• show that such analytical models offer interesting tools to address questions of interest to European scholars by the use of specific applications and examples from the European context;

• create and foster a team-spirit among post-doc and PhD students in Europe (and beyond) using these analytical tools.

3. Structure of the Summer School

The summer school will have an academic program stretching over almost two weeks. On each day, there will be a morning session and an afternoon session, each lasting three hours.

During the morning sessions, an instructor will introduce a topic theoretically and/or a particular analytical approach, before turning to the empirical applications. There will be also a half hour of question and answer session. The afternoon sessions are devoted to discussions and presentations of student projects related to the topic discussed. The instructor may decide to change this structure.

If the afternoon sessions finish before 5pm, each instructor will be available until the end of the session to allow students, who wish to discuss their research projects with an expert in their field, to draw on his/her expertise. If the instructor is available, individual sessions may be scheduled between the formal teaching sessions, i.e., during the lunch break and in the late afternoon.

There will be also two special seminars, on online data collection techniques and on Bayesian ideal point modelling, and a concluding speech.

4. Academic Programme

5. Fees and Expenses

Registration: €150
Accommodation: Free (up to 25 students)
Meals: At student's expenses (except for social events)
Travel: At student's expenses, funding available from the ECPR mobility fund (deadline: 1st April 2009)

6. How to Apply

The candidates are required to submit the following:
• a letter of motivation detailing the reasons for applying to the summer school
• a CV
• a writing sample
• a two-page description of PhD project
• one letter of recommendation.

The candidates are required to submit this documentation to the academic chair, Fabio Franchino ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ), by June 30, 2009 at the latest.

The local organizers, in consultation with the instructors, will select the candidates to be admitted to the summer school. The maximum number of admitted students will be 25, to allow for a manageable class room experience and fruitful exchanges among students and between students and instructors.

7. Contact Details

Academic Chair: Fabio Franchino
Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences
Dipartimento di Studi Sociali e Politici
Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milano, Italy
Tel. +39 0250321241
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Personal Webpage: www.sociol.unimi.it/docenti/franchino/

Director of URGE: Stefano Sacchi
Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences
Dipartimento di Studi del Lavoro e del Welfare
Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milano, Italy
Tel: +39 02 50321184; Fax: +39 02 50321167
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Unità di Ricerca sulla Governance Europea - URGE
Collegio Carlo Alberto
Via Real Collegio 30, 10024 Moncalieri (TO), Italy
Tel: +39 011 6705021; Fax: +39 011 6705080
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Administrative Support: Chiara Girotti
Collegio Carlo Alberto
Via Real Collegio 30, 10024 Moncalieri (TO), Italy
Tel +39 011 670 5060; Fax +39 011 6705088
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Finance: Sandra Capozzi
Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences
Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Pace 10, 20122 Milano, Italy
Tel: +39 02 50318985 Fax: +39 02 50318979
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

8. Supporting Research Environment

The surrounding research environment that will support the summer school consists of:
• the Graduate School in Social, Economic & Political Sciences of the University of Milan, headed by Maurizio Ferrera and offering doctoral programs in economics, labour studies, political studies and sociology;
• the Research Unit on European Governance (URGE) of the Collegio Carlo Alberto, a research centre directed by Stefano Sacchi and dedicated to the study of European governance from a political science and political economy perspective;
• the Collegio Carlo Alberto is a foundation established in 2004 by the Compagnia di San Paolo and the University of Turin to foster research and teaching in economics, finance and political science. It hosts doctoral and master programs.

9. How to Reach Collegio Carlo Alberto

• The details on how to reach the Collegio Carlo Alberto in Moncalieri, Turin are available here.

The school is organized with the financial support of the Compagnia di San Paolo