CIVICA ESR
COURSE CATALOGUE

This course is intended for PhD students in economics and related fields including network science, and for enthusiastic second-year MA students. Good quantitative skills are required. Familiarity with MA level microeconomics and data science is useful but not required. If you are in doubt about whether this course is right for you, come to the first class Course Decription: Social networks affect many economic transactions. They transmit information about job opportunities, affect the trade of goods and services, influence how diseases spread, which products we buy, how we vote, whether we become criminals, which technologies we adopt. They also create trust and provide access to financial and other resources. This course reviews some current research on social networks in economics. We will explore both theoretical models and their applications to development and labor economics. The course begins with an overview of basic facts and tools. We will then cover network formation, peer effects and the social multiplier, social capital and trust, information aggregation in networks, social learning, trade in networks, technology diffusion, job search, and other topics. One goal of the course is to identify new research questions for students. Learning Outcomes: Key outcomes. By the end of this course, students will have: (1) Knowledge and understanding of the current research on the economics of social networks. (2) The ability to read research papers in this field. (3) The ability to present and critically discuss research papers in this field. (4) Sufficient understanding of open issues to formulate a new research question in this field. Other outcomes. The course will also help develop skills in the following areas. (1) Critical thinking: students will have an improved ability to distinguish between evidence and interpretation. (2) Quantitative reasoning: students will have an improved understanding of the difference between correlation and causation. (3) Interpersonal communication skills: students will have an improved ability to conduct and to constructively participate in small-group presentations. Syllabus: https://courses.ceu.edu/sites/courses.ceu.hu/files/attachment/course/5522/economicandsocialnetworkssyllabus2021v2.pdf
Teachers:

• Ádám Szeidl (Central European University)

Assessment: The course grade will be based on student presentations, problem sets and a final exam. Small groups of students will be assigned a topic, and several lectures will consist entirely of student presentations. There will also be regular problem sets. Your course grade will be determined as follows: Presentation: 25% Problem sets: 25% Final exam: 50%

This course provides both an introduction to financial economics and at the same time highlights the forefronts of research. We focus on understanding the economic mechanisms using formal models and learning to work with the workhorse models in finance. The course prepares you to understand and critically evaluate research in the area and help you identify potential areas of contribution. The topics covered are asset pricing, limits to arbitrage, Credit Default Swaps, trading liquidity, and bubbles. This is a rigorous research-oriented academic course. Those interested in a more practice-oriented treatment of the subject should consider the ``Trading and Portfolio Theory'' and ``Asset Pricing'' MS Finance courses instead. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, students will be able to: understand the role of asymmetric information in financial markets identify the main assumptions driving the results of a model relate theoretical models to reality know the tenets of efficient markets understand why and how financial frictions lead to inefficient prices know how information gets incorporated into prices comprehend how trading in derivative markets affect the price of the underlying asset Syllabus: https://courses.ceu.edu/sites/courses.ceu.hu/files/attachment/course/3773/syllabusassetpricingv2.pdf
Teachers:

• Adam Zawadowski (Central European University)

Entry requirements: Microeconomic Theory 1 and 2
Assessment: Assessment: The midterm exam will cover material from the first half, while the final exam will cover the second half of the course. Letter grades will be assigned following departmental guidelines. The weights on different parts of the class are: Exam 50% Homework 20% Presentation and discussion 20% Participation 10%

Course outiline: The Contours of Research in Social Dynamics & Stratification – Poverty in High-Income Countries – Intergenerational Mobility – Families and the Reproduction of Inequality – Welfare States in Comparative Perspective – European Social Policy: What Use Is Social Investment? – Labour Markets & Labour Movements – Globalization & Technological Change – Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration – Global Inequality and Stratification ----- Syllabus: https://www.unibocconi.eu/wps/wcm/connect/914ff1cb-a76a-49dd-8ad9-5f7c71673c19/40294_Sociology_Parolin_2020-21.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=njpnd6A ----- Course schedule (UTC+1): 13 April 2021 15:00-18:20 | 20 April 15:00-18:20 | 27 April 15:00-18:20 | 4 May 15:00-18:20 | 11 May 15:00-18:20 | 18 May 15:00-18:20 Please note that CIVICA students are expected to attend the course online.
Teachers:

• Zachary Parolin (Bocconi University)

Assessment: Class Project (Written) – Class Project (Presentation) – Final Exam

Science matters: science influences societies, and vice versa. Which influences exist and whether they should be as they are is contested in many ways as part of history and philosophy of science (HPS), science and technology studies (STS), as well as science policy. This course will address advanced issues about how science and societies connect. After a short recap of basics in history, sociology and philosophy of science and technology and science policy, we will focus on one specific issue related to science and society, and then broaden our horizon again by applying what we learned to concrete issues or cases, depending on research interests of students. Each academic year, in which the course will be offered, a new topical focus will be set. In the academic year 2020/21 the focus will be on values in sciences. We will discuss different ways of how science can be value-laden. To do so, we will discuss in depth the philosophical implications regarding different choices that scientists make before, during, or after research, e.g. the choice of the topic, the choice of the methods, the choice of the samples, the response to uncertainty and errors, the language employed to study and to interpret the results, etc. We will also discuss how to philosophically distinguish between appropriate and non-appropriate influences of values, and what value-ladenness means for scientific practice in terms of the difference between natural sciences and social sciences and with respect to objectivity. We will also ask how science should be organized with respect to its diversity and its autonomy given that values play multiple roles in scientific knowledge production. Since these are normative questions, the discussion style will mainly be philosophical, i.e. argumentative, despite the interdisciplinary orientation of the course. In terms of readings, we will start with a contemporary philosophy book that reviews the state of the art in the field. We will then study some classic and influential contemporary accounts in detail. To live up to the interdisciplinarity of the course, we will include readings from history of science, science policy and STS. From the start, we will gradually integrate more and more of the research interests of students and thus also deal with the questions that arise for students in their own PhD research regarding science and values. Schedule: Apr 13, 1:30-5:10pm; Apr 14, 3:30-5:10pm; Apr 27, 1:30-5:10pm; May 4, 1:30-5:10pm; May 11, 1:30-5:10pm; May 25, 3:30-5:10pm; May 26, 3:30-5:10pm; June 1, 3:30-5:10pm More information is in syllabus: https://courses.ceu.edu/sites/courses.ceu.hu/files/attachment/course/5694/sylscienceandsocietyvaluesay2021.pdf
Teachers:

• Maria Kronfeldner (Central European University)

Entry requirements: Some background in philosophy of science.
Assessment: Assessment: The final grade is based on the book review (30%), the presentations (20%), the final term paper (50%). Excellent class participation can contribute up to plus one grade to the final grade (e.g. from B to B+ etc). Reaction papers should include a brief summary of the main points of a reading, and some research engagement. More specific guidelines for class activities and for the term papers will be made explicit during the course. The assessment criteria will be integrated in the structured discussions in the last two weeks of the course to facilitate reflective engagement with these criteria.

The future of higher education collaboration and exchange is at a crossroad, due to the limitations to international exchange posed by the pandemic. While some experts see a growing tendency to expand online education services, others in turn perceive a future in which academic exchange is widespread. Moreover, on political grounds, such as the Brexit, academic markets have closed and create new barriers to academic exchange. Considering these developments, this panel addresses the present and future of higher education collaboration on the globe. The panel invites doctoral researchers in the fields of education, education governance and related subjects to discuss the opportunities and limitations to higher education international exchange and its implications. All further information (on presenters etc.) here: https://281782.seu2.cleverreach.com/m/12630683/531223-48f09608f7b41d0ab4f9df08f027b6e6314b209911d7fd885e55a48f7d66c7487715a30c80cd77502c4cbe47c4c71d91
Entry requirements: none

Guest Speaker: Joelle Noailly Title to be confirmed Further details of this workshop will be published nearer the time here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/events/joelle-noelly/
Teachers:

• Joelle Noelly (The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Soaring renting prices, unmet limits to air pollution, decreasing public spaces, gentrification – living in bigger and medium ranged cities is often marked by a loss in quality of life. The management and design of sustainable cities is one of the major tasks amid the global climate emergency. Transforming European cities to deliver healthier and prosperous environments requires multiple solutions for energy, transport, food, and water. Will this be achievable as planned by the EU, in the up-coming 30 years? This panel invites doctoral researchers to present their work on the past, present, and future of urban governance in the EU and beyond. All further information (i.e. on presenters) here: https://281782.seu2.cleverreach.com/m/12630683/531223-48f09608f7b41d0ab4f9df08f027b6e6314b209911d7fd885e55a48f7d66c7487715a30c80cd77502c4cbe47c4c71d91
Entry requirements: none

Course Description: This course provides doctoral candidates with a foundation in the strategy literature. Drawing on strategy traditions that vary from positioning to dynamic capabilities, a primordial aim of the seminar will be to explain variation in firm and industry performance. Each session during the seminar is intended to expose doctoral candidates to the seminal literature on the topic with a view to encouraging them to write a research paper of publishable quality in peer review journals. Topics covered in the seminar include general areas such as the resource-based view of the firm, industry evolution and dynamics, strategy-related theories of the firm, and diversification and vertical integration. Given the relatively short nature of the course, we will not cover all areas of strategy, but participants are encouraged to develop further readings and exploration based on the literature covered in this seminar. Learning Outcomes: Participants will develop a thorough mastery of the seminal research literature strategy. This involves Evaluating the importance and validity of theory and empirical evidence in academic research on strategy Developing a comprehensive synthesis of the main intellectual traditions in the strategy literature Developing a thorough literature review of current research Applying relevant parts of the extant literature in their own ongoing research agendas Assessment: Six (6) Analytical Summaries (40% of grade) – each week, participants will be asked to prepare an analytical summary (3-5 pages) of the articles assigned as reading for that session. The summary will focus on the theme of the session rather than being a general critical analysis. These must be submitted before class starts. The instructor will provide preliminary feedback after the session and participants are expected to revise the summary and resubmit a week later for further feedback. Research Paper (empirical or theoretical) drawing on a theme in strategy (45% of grade) – You will be expected to write a research paper based around your current research on the doctoral program. You will be expected to draw on the literature covered in this seminar with a view to publication in a peer-reviewed journal. You will be expected to submit a draft paper for feedback from your instructors before re-submitting for grade. To get an ‘A’ grade, the paper will have to be accepted for presentation at a reputable, academic conference. Class Participation (15% of grade) – as this is a doctoral seminar, participants are expected to be fully engaged intellectually, attend all sessions, be prepared to constructively evaluate each other’s contributions and seek innovation in thinking. It’s a tall order, but it is a necessary expectation. Prerequisites: none Syllabus: https://courses.ceu.edu/sites/courses.ceu.hu/files/attachment/course/4116/strategyphdsyllabusspring2021.pdf
Teachers:

• Yusaf Akbar (Central European University)

Assessment: Six (6) Analytical Summaries (40% of grade) – each week, participants will be asked to prepare an analytical summary (3-5 pages) of the articles assigned as reading for that session. The summary will focus on the theme of the session rather than being a general critical analysis. These must be submitted before class starts. The instructor will provide preliminary feedback after the session and participants are expected to revise the summary and resubmit a week later for further feedback. Research Paper (empirical or theoretical) drawing on a theme in strategy (45% of grade) – You will be expected to write a research paper based around your current research on the doctoral program. You will be expected to draw on the literature covered in this seminar with a view to publication in a peer-reviewed journal. You will be expected to submit a draft paper for feedback from your instructors before re-submitting for grade. To get an ‘A’ grade, the paper will have to be accepted for presentation at a reputable, academic conference. Class Participation (15% of grade) – as this is a doctoral seminar, participants are expected to be fully engaged intellectually, attend all sessions, be prepared to constructively evaluate each other’s contributions and seek innovation in thinking. It’s a tall order, but it is a necessary expectation.

Guest speaker: Stephie Fried Title to be confirmed Further details of this workshop will be published nearer the time here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/events/stephie-fried/
Teachers:

• Stephie Fried (The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Guest Speaker: Carolyn Fischer Title to be confirmed Further details of this workshop will be published nearer the time here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/events/carolyn-fische/
Teachers:

• Carolyn Fischer (The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

Guest speaker: Spencer Banzhaf Title to be confirmed Further details of this workshop will be published nearer the time here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/events/spencer-banzhaf/
Teachers:

• Spencer Banzhaf (The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

The Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School is pleased to announce its Second Annual Workshop on Research Methods in Fundamental Rights, taking place online from 2-4 June 2021. The workshop is hosted by the Hertie School as a member of CIVICA - The European University of Social Sciences. The Workshop aims to provide doctoral and early-career legal researchers with opportunities to reflect on diverse research methods in human rights research. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to discuss these methods with renowned faculty, who will provide guidance and reflections on the methods they have applied in key pieces of their own research. Participants will also submit reflections on their own research questions and methods, and will receive individual feedback on their projects. We encourage applications from PhD and early-career legal researchers carrying out fundamental rights research employing any of the methodological approaches covered in the workshop. Participants will receive assigned readings and video-recorded presentations by Faculty in advance of the workshop, as well as guidance on the preparation of their own workshop presentations. Deadline for applications: 1 March 2021. Please submit your application by sending an email to fundamentalrights[at]hertie-school[dot]org with the subject line 'Research Methods in Fundamental Rights'. Applications should include one single pdf file, containing the following information: a CV, a letter of motivation, an outline of your research project, including your research question, research methodology and current stage of the research (2 pages); for PhD candidates: a letter of recommendation written by PhD supervisor. More information and links here: https://www.hertie-school.org/en/events/workshop-research-methods-in-fundamental-rights (Please note that you must apply via the above-mentioned email address, not via this course catalogue! This is only for information purposes.)
Entry requirements: Successful application

Guest speaker: Christian Vossler Title to be confirmed Further details of this workshop will be published nearer the time here: https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/events/christian-vossler/
Teachers:

• Christian Vossler (The London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

Entry requirements: N/A
Assessment: N/A

The Hertie School invites PhD researchers to participate in a workshop on European higher education in times of uncertainty. The virtual workshop is organised in cooperation with the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences. From geopolitical tensions, including Brexit, to attacks on academic freedom, as well as an unprecedented disruption to university learning and research through COVID-19, European higher education is currently facing a plethora of challenges. How have European universities responded to this period of uncertainty? What policies have been developed at national and supranational levels of governance in light of political and social developments? This PhD workshop provides an interdisciplinary platform for emerging scholars to share and discuss their research with peers and senior academics. The aim of the workshop is for PhD researchers to present their work in an encouraging environment. We welcome submissions of different theoretical and methodological approaches across social science disciplines. Deadline for applications: 15 April 2021. Please apply by submitting an abstract (300-500 words) and a CV to edu.gov.team[at]hertie-school[dot]org. Applications via the CIVICA course catalogue are not recommended. For all further information, topics and so forth, please visit this website: https://www.hertie-school.org/en/events/15-04-2021-international-phd-workshop
Teachers:

• Lukas Graf (Hertie School)
• Anna Prisca Lohse (Hertie School)
• Marcelo Marques (Hertie School)