CfA Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences

Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences – Linking Theory and Empirical
Research
Berlin, July 15-27, 2012

The Berlin Summer School in Social Sciences – Linking Theory and Empirical
Research aims at promoting young researchers by strengthening their
methodological understanding in linking theory and empirical research.

In a first step, we tackle the key methodological challenges of
concept-building, causation and micro-macro-linkage that occur in all
research efforts and aim at a clarification of the epistemological
implications underlying methodological paradigms. In a second step, we
apply these methodological considerations by looking at how central
empirical fields of research in political science and sociology have dealt
with these challenges and – by referring to selected empirical studies –
what solutions have been found to overcome them. Furthermore, participants
are provided with hands-on research advice and have the opportunity to
present their own work and approaches to these issues.

The Berlin Summer School is a joint endeavor of two of Germany’s leading
social science institutions, the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences
(BGSS) at Humboldt-UniversitätzuBerlin and the Social Science Research
Center Berlin (WZB).

The two-week summer school both attracts internationally renowned scholars
and draws on Berlin-based faculty. Among the confirmed international
lecturers are Delia Baldassarri (Princeton University), Peter Bearman
(Columbia University), Mark Bevir (UC Berkeley), Craig Calhoun (NYU/LSE),
Donatella Della Porta (EUI), Ronald Inglehart (University of Michigan),
and Klaus von Beyme (Universität Heidelberg).

The international summer school is open to thirty PhD candidates. Due to
generous funding by the BGSS and the WZB, there will be no tuition fee. We
have applied for additional funding and thus might be able to cover travel
and accommodation costs for all participants. A decision is expected soon.
Five ECTS Credit Points can be granted upon successful completion.

The call for applications has opened. Applications can be submitted online
via the application form until March 31, 2012.

For additional information, please visit our webpage at
www.berlinsummerschool.de or contact directly Andreas Schäfer at
summerschool.bgss@hu-berlin.de