Prague Centre for Public Policy Announces 2011 Summer Schools

The Prague Centre for Public Policy (Centrum pro verejnou politiku—CPVP) is pleased to announce the forthcoming Prague Summer Schools 2011 on the following topics:

1. 1. European Summer Institute on the Future of Europe: Lobbying in Brussels

2. 2. Summer School on Crime, Law and Psychology

3. 3. Summer School on Cultural Dimensions of Politics in Europe

4. 4. Summer School on “China: A World Superpower—Myth or Reality?”

The Summer Schools will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from July 2–9, 2011. The Prague Summer Schools are delivered as seven-day academic programs designed to bring together undergraduate and graduate students of various nationalities and academic backgrounds to enjoy their summer holidays in the unique academic and cultural environment.

We invite you to visit our new website, http://www.praguesummerschools.org, to discover the details about the upcoming events. The website contains a brief description of each program, admission deadlines and online application, as well as links to detailed information on academic content, guidelines to application process, practicalities, photos and alumni feedback. It is suggested that students submit their applications by the Early Bird deadline of April 29, 2011. The final deadline is May 13, 2011.

150th Anniversary of the Foreign Relations of the United States Series

The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions. The series began in 1861 and now comprises more than 400 individual volumes. The FRUS series provides an indispensible resource for American citizens and others around the world who seek to understand U.S. foreign policy and strategic planning, international relations, economic affairs, and transnational social and cultural developments. The Foreign Relations series represents a longstanding effort to inform the public about governmental decision making while also protecting essential national security interests.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Foreign Relations series, the Office of the Historian at the Department of State is exploring the story behind FRUS to uncover how it became both an invaluable information resource and a leading example of the U.S. government's commitment to openness. Our research has shown that the FRUS series played an important role during seminal periods in American history, including the Civil War, the Cold War, and the dawn of the post–Cold War era. We have also discovered many ways in which the story of FRUS sheds light on significant issues in U.S. history, including the constitutional separation of powers within the U.S. federal government, changing definitions of “transparency” and “national security,” transformations in America's role in the world, the evolution of national security institutions, and how FRUS has influenced domestic and international politics.

To learn more about these sesquicentennial outreach efforts, please contact history@state.gov or visit http://history.state.gov/.

2011 Summer Institute in Political Psychology

Applications are now being accepted for the 19th Annual Summer Institute in Political Psychology, to be held at Stanford University from July 10–29, 2011. The SIPP program takes up to 60 participants. Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until all slots are filled, so applying soon maximizes chances of acceptance.

The Summer Institute offers three weeks of intensive training in political psychology. Political psychology is an exciting and thriving field that explores the origins of political behavior and the causes of political events, with a special focus on the psychological mechanisms at work. Research findings in political psychology advance basic theories of politics and are an important basis for political decision-making in practice.

SIPP was founded in 1991 at Ohio State University, and Stanford has hosted SIPP since 2005, with support from Stanford University and the National Science Foundation. Hundreds of participants have attended SIPP during these years.

The 2011 SIPP curriculum is designed to (1) provide broad exposure to theories, empirical findings, and research traditions; (2) illustrate successful cross-disciplinary research and integration; (3) enhance methodological pluralism; and (4) strengthen networks among scholars from around the world. Activities will include lectures by world-class faculty, discussion groups, research/interest group meetings, group projects, and an array of social activities. Some of the topics covered in past SIPP programs include race relations, conflict and dispute resolution, voting and elections, international conflict, decision-making by political elites, moral disengagement and violence, social networks, activism and social protest, political socialization, and justice.

For more information, see http://www.stanford.edu/group/sipp.

Institute for New Economic Thinking Creates an Academic Partnership with the London School of Economics and Political Science

The Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), launched with a $50 million pledge from George Soros to promote changes in economic theory and practice through conferences, grants, and education initiatives has announced an academic partnership with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), to create INET@LSE, a new program that will apply ideas from “complexity social science” to improve the design and effectiveness of economic policy. INET@LSE will also have a presence in central Europe through extensive collaborative links with Central European University (CEU) in Budapest.

“Complexity social science” holds that social systems such as economies, markets, and political institutions are networks of dynamically interacting, reflexive “agents” (e.g. consumers, companies, banks, regulators). INET@LSE will seek to further the understanding and the policy tools available through its work to expand the applicability of complexity social sciences to economics.

Based in the LSE Global Governance research centre, INET@LSE will bring together a management committee of senior LSE faculty, including Prof. Stuart Corbridge, Pro Director of the LSE, and external members including Dr. Robert Johnson, Executive Director of INET, and Professor John Shattuck, President and Rector of Central European University (CEU). Danny Quah, Professor of Economics at LSE and Co-Director at LSE Global Governance, will serve as INET@LSE's Research Director alongside a soon-to-be-named executive director. INET@LSE will also have a presence in central Europe through a collaborative partnership with Central European University (CEU) in Budapest. INET@LSE will host researchers from the LSE and CEU, visiting faculty, and policy practitioners. It will lead an active program of research, publishing, and engagement with the academic and policy communities. The collaborative partnership with CEU will involve faculty visits, jointly hosted conferences and workshops, and joint research efforts.

Second Annual IPSA Summer School Held Successfully

This year's annual Sao Paulo IPSA Summer School was an unqualified success. Held at the University of São Paulo from January 31 to February 11, 2011, the Summer School built on the scholarly achievements of the first year, as enrollment surged by almost 50% with the addition of four new courses. Some 16 countries were represented, compared to 10 the first year.

The Second Annual IPSA Summer School achieved its three goals for 2011:

1. 1. To train current and future scholars in cutting-edge social science methods, including qualitative and quantitative data analysis, as well as research design and research methods.

2. 2. To bring together advanced social science scholars from Latin America and the broader world in such a way as to create broad research networks that can stimulate the exchange of ideas, techniques and advanced methods across national and sub-disciplinary boundaries.

3. 3. To consolidate the effort to establish a Summer School in Latin America that can serve as a global center for the propagation of advanced methods and techniques in political science research.

Students met each day for classes in their specific courses, with many instructors lecturing in the morning hours and then conducting computer labs, group exercises, or study sessions in the afternoons. The International Seminar program in the late afternoons served as a useful means of introducing students to other instructors' research and methods. This year, the seminars addressed themes including: “Is political behavior biological?” and “The Quest for Causal Inference—Recent Developments in the Social Sciences.”

We believe that with continued support, the IPSA Summer School at the University of São Paulo can become a global point of reference synonymous with excellence in the field. The Summer School will provide a locus for the advanced training of future generations of social scientists from around the world in advanced methods and techniques. Details for the 2012 Summer School will be available online at http://summerschool.ipsa.org by June.

2011–2012 APSA Proposed Council Slate Announced

The Nominating Committee has proposed the 2011–12 Council Slate. Unless there is any contestation, elected officers will assume office following action at the All-Member Business Meeting to be held on September 3 at the 2011 APSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington. If there is a contest, an election will be held by ballot of the entire membership. Procedures for nominations are documented in Article V (1, 2) of the APSA Constitution and Section 4 of the Business Meeting Rules.

This year, eight council seats, three vice presidencies, and the offices of president-elect and secretary are open. Council members serve staggered two-year terms. The president-elect, vice presidents, and secretary all serve one-year terms. Detailed information about the nominees will be available on the APSA web site and in the July issue of PS: Political Science and Politics.

The nominees are:

President-elect: Jane Mansbridge, Harvard University.

Vice president: Morris Fiorina, Stanford University; Kerstin Hamann, University of Central Florida; Niraja Gopal Jayal, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Treasurer: Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, University of Nebraska, Omaha

Secretary: Lisa L. Martin, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Council: Charles W. Gossett, California State University, Sacramento; Paul Gronke, Reed College; Ange-Marie Hancock, University of Southern California; David A. Lake, University of California, San Diego; Taeku Lee, University of California, Berkeley; Uday Mehta, City University of New York; Kenneth J. Meier, Texas A&M University; Kathleen Thelen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology