CIVICA ESR
COURSE CATALOGUE

10:00 to 14:00. This 4-hour online workshop offers a space for you to develop your teaching persona, and reflect on your relationship to teaching. You will get a chance to examine your strengths and interests as a teacher, and build on them. You will also consider your challenges, and how to work with them, integrating the so-called weaknesses as a part of your teaching persona.
Teachers:

• Carol Kiriakos (European University Institute)

A media and communications workshop designed to ensure that, the next time you address a live mic, a rolling camera, an audience or an interview panel, you’re equipped to get your message across effectively. This session covers a range of communication and broadcast skills including: taking control of your interview, developing and amplifying your messages, building confidence and presence, and dealing with hostile media or curveball questions. We’ll break down some interview examples and we’ll also look at the media environment, exploring the different types of interview and how to best prepare for each one. By the end of the session, you will have the confidence and ability to take media requests - even at short notice.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

No matter how much we accomplish in our careers, many of us have an inner critic that constantly questions our abilities and our worth. Ironically, the voice of the inner critic tends to get louder the more that we achieve. This workshop will teach you strategies for minimizing the volume of your inner critic and enable you to move towards greater self-confidence.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

10:00 to 14:00. Are you struggling with organizing your days, making progress, following your plans, finding a balance between PhD work and other aspects of life? In this course we adopt a different approach to time-management. The premise is that time-management does not begin with the calendar, but with finding meaning. We will develop awareness and reflective capacities related to your time use, organization of daily life, and creating and maintaining work-life balance. The method is soft, but powerful: we will do reflective exercises and discussion based on poetry therapy and creative writing. No specific skills are needed, but you are expected to come with an open mind and a willingness to work on your challenges on a personal level. The course is suitable for you, for instance, if you: -struggle with time use and planning -fail to meet deadlines -have a constant feeling of being behind -suffer from guilt related to not performing -are unsure of what activities to prioritize -have difficulties saying no to things No preparation is needed, but you are expected to be fully present and in a private space during the meetings, with all distractions eliminated (no multitasking, or other apps open). Please note that this is not a tool- or calendar-based approach to time management. Instead, you will develop access to the fundamental issues related to time use on the individual level. What you will learn You will learn to examine your personal foundations for time use and planning, and identify first concrete step(s) in organizing your days and your life differently. On a more general level, this course will help strengthen your self-reflective and self-management capacities.
Teachers:

• Carol Kiriakos (European University Institute)

Seminar offered by Dondena Research Center (Spring 2026 seminar series) ----- February 9th 2026 12:45-2:00pm (UTC+1) ------ CIVICA ESR can attend ONLINE only. Zoom meetings link will be available upon registration. ------ SEMINAR DESCRIPTION: American local law enforcement agencies now engage in an unprecedented degree of cooperation with the federal government to police immigration in the nation’s interior. I argue that this regime of “cooperative federalism” in immigration enforcement is an intentional and strategic use of the federal executive’s authority. Drawing insight from the bureaucratic agency literature, I develop a formal model that analyzes the president’s decision to invite subnational participation in policymaking. An empirical analysis of the 287(g) program highlights the model’s central trade-off. By deputizing local officers with the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, 287(g) allowed willing local participants to share the costs of enforcement with federal authorities. But the localities that selected into the program were preference outliers who wielded their newfound agency differently from their federal counterparts: rather than using the immigration system to help police felonies, they deployed the criminal justice system to police immigration. ----- BIO: Asya Magazinnik is the Professor of Social Data Science at the Hertie School. Her research interests include electoral geography, federalism, local politics, and law enforcement. She also works on political methodology, in particular at the intersection of causal inference and formal theory.
Teachers:

• Asya Magazinnik ()

10:00-13:00 over two days. This workshop offers valuable perspectives on academic writing as a daily practice. The focus is on how to get writing done, not on properties of academic texts or the publication process. We will develop an inclusive understanding of academic writing as a central aspect of academic work, and the practical and psychological aspects relevant for writing well and being productive. In addition, the course offers an opportunity to develop meta-skills that are useful in studies and working life more generally. These are skills such as self-management, and a reflective approach to your own working habits. Insights from creative writing, behavioral psychology and other relevant fields are utilized and applied in order to understand academic writing comprehensively. The topics covered include: Basics of the writing process and creating a productive writing habit, writing time management, and overcoming practical or emotional writing problems. The goal is to help you understand academic writing as a comprehensive activity, identify your strengths and weaknesses as an academic writer, and plan your writing effectively. What You Will Learn The workshop will give you tools for -adopting a comprehensive understanding of academic writing as a process -creating a writing habit and setting realistic writing goals -managing the time you use for your academic writing, work, and studies -recognizing your personal challenges and strengths as a writer -overcoming writing difficulties, such as writer’s block and procrastination
Teachers:

• Carol Kiriakos (European University Institute)

The concept of the enemy has recently re-emerged in Europe. Public life is filled with speeches, statements and rallying cries referring to “external enemies”, “enemies from within”, “existential” or “ordinary” enemies. This is in a context of extreme polarization of most social, political and geopolitical relations in European societies and beyond. In political theory and legal thought, the concept is traditionally associated to Carl Schmitt’s writings. Does this concept help us capture the novelty of our situation in Europe? Are we living a sort of ‘Schmittian moment’ in today’s Europe? Is this concept making its way into the laws of Europe? Schmitt's concept seems both indispensable and inappropriate for grasping the reality and evolution of Europe and its laws. This short seminar will be an attempt to do three things at once: i) explore cases of ‘enemization’ of law, in different domestic contexts and in relation to social groups as diverse as Muslims, migrants, eco-activists, social deviants, and foreign economic or political actors; ii) inquire into the concept of the enemy, its normative presuppositions and its socio-historical context of emergence and re-emergence; and iii) reflect on forms of resistance and alternatives to the enemization of European society and its law
Teachers:

• Loïc Azoulai (European University Institute)

A seminar can host many kinds of learning interaction. Learning technology expands these possibilities even further. While whole-group and small-group discussion are invaluable, these can be augmented or substituted for other tasks.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Informed consent is a key legal and ethical principle in the conduct of research involving human subjects, but what does it mean for researchers in practice? This session will provide an overview of the obligations upon researchers to ensure that participants have provided their informed consent. The session will cover basic principles and consider how informed consent is assured in various different contexts such as in-depth interviews, ethnography, social media, research with children and vulnerable individuals, ‘second-hand’ participation (such as when images of others are produced by research participants), deception and covert research, and data-sharing. The session will provide lots of advice about how to manage processes of informed consent in practice, including in situations where it may become tricky to navigate. Participants are invited to bring their own questions and dilemmas to the session for discussion.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

10:00 to 13:00 over two days. Even in the age of AI, writing continues to be an essential tool for academic thinking, learning and communication. This course focuses on writing as a process and a practice, and how to teach these in higher education. The course is useful for anyone who teaches or supervises in the academia. We will not look at features of academic texts, but how to use writing as a practical tool, when working on assignments, theses, or research articles. The course, then, essentially focuses on the aspects of writing AI cannot replace. What you will learn The course is divided into two main parts. First, we will establish an understanding of academic writing as a practical, comprehensive process essential for your thinking. Second, we will learn how to apply this understanding of the writing process in your teaching and guiding students and writers in the academia.
Teachers:

• Carol Kiriakos (European University Institute)

Are you often distracted by your devices? Do you find yourself procrastinating by checking email or social media when you are meant to be working on your PhD? PhD students now face an unprecedented challenge. Pursuing a PhD requires boundless concentration, yet the exponential increase in device use has created an atmosphere of endemic distraction. During this session we will explore the consequences of digital dependency on PhD productivity and wellbeing more generally. Participants will reflect on how to better manage their time spent on devices and explore strategies for cultivating focus amid digital distraction.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Writing time is precious. It's also often either interrupted or wasted at least in part in procrastination. This workshop is an opportunity to review our own writing habits; to explore and practise writerly techniques that can help use precious writing time more efficiently; to set up realistic and imaginative daily routines; and to analyse when it’s best to ease off and when to press on.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Public speaking can be a daunting experience in general, but even more so in an academic setting. Whether it’s sharing your research findings, delivering job talks or teaching a class, doctoral students are frequently required to be in front of an audience. For those who suffer from presentation anxiety, the experience can be uncomfortable and even debilitating. This workshop will explore some of the common causes and symptoms of presentation anxiety. Students will come away from the workshop with a roadmap for delivering academic presentations with greater confidence.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

How many times have you produced an original insight, only to be told that your writing interfered with conveying your ideas? Academic writing requires conceptual clarity and coherence. But it also demands clarity and cohesion at the level of the sentence and the paragraph. This workshop will run students through the basics of academic writing with a focus on concision and clarity. Topics include how to eliminate unnecessary words and phrases, as well as the importance of employing active verbs, parallel construction, and short sentences. Students will come away with more confidence in how to edit their own writing, as well as a better understanding of which grammatical rules matter, and which can be safely ignored
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

The purpose of this workshop is to empower you to be more assertive when you deal with your supervisors and to give you some tools to navigate the relationship in a way that would lead to a successful and enjoyable PhD journey. The relationship with your supervisors is vital because it’s a long-term bond and it can have an impact on your wellbeing and your overall PhD experience. During this workshop we will discuss the importance of clear communication and setting expectations early on, how to develop your own voice during supervision meetings and how to deal with some challenges that might arise. Drawing on her coaching work with PhD students, Katarina will bring up the main areas that represent challenges for students and explore ways of solving these. At the end of the session, there will be a panel with PhD students who will share their experiences and discuss what has helped them to have a good relationship with their supervisors.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Sensitive interviews include interviews about emotionally difficult topics or deeply personal issues, interviews with vulnerable populations or research that could have negative consequences for participants. The ethical considerations when conducting such interviews are complex. The session will address a range of questions and is designed to equip researchers conducting sensitive research with the understanding, tools and strategies they will need in the field. Specifically, the session will consider what are the risks for respondents and how should these be these managed? What will researchers need to consider in order to gain ethical approval for sensitive research? What are the researcher’s responsibilities? What skills and competencies are required in the conduct of sensitive interviews? What issues might arise in practice and what strategies can researchers use to manage these? What are the possible impacts for researchers and how can these be addressed? Participants are invited to bring their own research projects and examples, experiences, questions and concerns to the session.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Has the plan for your PhD been thrown off by events beyond your control? Are you unsure about how to proceed or what your next steps should be? This online workshop will offer a safe space for students to reflect on how their PhD plans have changed. We will discuss how to re-evaluate PhD plans and let go of aspects of the original plan which may no longer fit. After exploring the many different paths towards pursuing a PhD, we will discuss how to construct – and ultimately embrace – a PhD Plan B.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

In this workshop, we look at how to approach academic writing "as a conversation." We explore the broad principles underlying academic writing – what makes academic writing distinctive, how to situate your argument within a broader literature, and how to structure a coherent argument.
Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

NOTE: Participants must previously take Foundations or contact elkanacenter@ceu.edu for exemption! In spring term: Mondays and Thursdays 10.50-12.30 CET. Second in a two-part sequence providing a systematic approach to teaching fundamentals, focusing on course design and assessments. Participants must previously take Foundations or contact elkanacenter@ceu.edu for exemption. “Learning by Design” is a semester-long, intermediate-level course focused on how students learn and how instructors can facilitate student learning. Building on Foundations of Teaching in Higher Education (which is a prerequisite), it shifts the focus even more firmly from the teacher to the student. In their roles as designer, facilitator (and assessor) of learning, course participants explore how they can guide students in their learning and how to make that learning longer lasting and more significant. During our sessions we will unpack assumptions that surround student learning, delve into theories of how students learn, and explore corresponding principles and approaches to teaching that seek to align learning, teaching, and asessment. We will discuss how to better understand your students, recognize several implications of student diversity for student learning, and explore how to support different types of learners and different types of learning. We will explore, at some length, how to assess student learning, including assessment design, grading, and feedback. Throughout all of this, we will constantly reflect on our own growth as scholars in the process of becoming facilitators of learning.
Teachers:

• Tamara Kamatovic (Central European University)

Entry requirements: Participants must previously take Foundations or contact elkanacenter@ceu.edu for exemption!

The course is a semester-long, foundational course for doctoral students preparing for their role as teaching assistants and future scholar-teachers (in Spring term on Tuesdays between 13.30-15.10 CET). This course also forms the basis of the comprehensive certificate program for teaching in higher education offered by the Yehuda Elkana Center for Teaching, Learning, and Higher Education Research (The Elkana Center). The course fosters an understanding of the university teacher as a professional scholar ready to engage in teaching informed by research, models of good practice, a spirit of inquiry, and critical intellectual engagement. Our approach to teaching in higher education combines knowledge of theoretical foundations, a strong practice orientation, and an appreciation for collaborative, inquiry-driven, and technology-enhanced learning environments. This course will allow for the development of your own teaching approaches and values through a combination of reading, reflective writing, and practical tasks. You will gain a research-driven foundation for your work as twenty-first century scholar-teachers through the study of key issues and experimentation in a variety of approaches. First in a two-part sequence providing a systematic approach to teaching fundamentals, focusing on the design and delivery of lessons/sessions.
Teachers:

• Mátyás Szabó (Central European University)

In Spring term on Wednesdays between 10:50-12:30, 1 US credit (2 ECTS). Guided creation of a teaching portfolio, primarily using materials from previous CEU teaching courses. (only for students who have completed all YELC credits, including 2 credits of electives: Democratic teaching and learning, Foundations and Learning by Design are generally prerequisites).
Teachers:

• Tamara Kamatovic (Central European University)

Entry requirements: only for students who have completed all YELC credits, including 2 credits of electives: Democratic teaching and learning, Foundations and Learning by Design are generally prerequisites).

We all know that we learn in different ways. But what are the consequences of this for our teaching? Do we really take this into consideration when planning our courses? Maybe we plan our courses according to our own preferences for learning? During this session, we will first look at different preferences for learning, including your own preferences. We will then apply this on your teaching, and you will have the opportunity to review this, and see how you perhaps could change it? Finally, you will learn about ideas that other participants have about how they could change their teaching. After this session you are expected to be able to: - Recognize the diversity of ways of learning. - Analyze your own teaching in relation to different
Teachers:

• Pär Mårtensson (Stockholm School of Economics)

We will explore some of the benefits of bringing coaching approaches to your work with students, including in assisting them in setting goals, increasing their sense of ownership and providing them with a safe and constructive space in which to develop, and practice the approaches with peers.