International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy PhD Program in Cologne at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the University of Cologne
Welcome Dear Prospective Student, Thank you for your interest in the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE). If you are highly motivated and have an excellent academic record, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the Department of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne invite you to consider this international PhD program aimed at students from all over the world. IMPRS-SPCE provides a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment for research-oriented PhD students who wish to excel with outstanding dissertations. The program includes a first-year curriculum offering a broad introduction to the classical works of economic sociology, political economy and organizational studies as well as intensive training in research design and methods of empirical research. An international exchange program enhances the academic experience. Fellows receive grants to cover living expenses, adequate funds to conduct their empirical research projects, and ample office space. Cologne, a major German city, offers easy access to destinations throughout Europe. In recent years, several graduates from the program have won awards such as the prestigious Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society. The program prepares graduates for careers in academia, government, associations and international organizations. To find out more about the IMPRS- SPCE, please visit our website at http://imprs.mpifg.de or contact us at imprs@mpifg.de. We look forward to hearing from you. Jens Beckert Wolfgang Streeck Chairs of the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS-SPCE) Directors at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Cologne
Focus of Research The International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS- SPCE) is an international PhD program offered jointly by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG) and the Department of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. Aiming to combine and develop the approaches of economic sociology, comparative political economy and organization studies, the School s research investigates the complex linkages between economic and social action. Just as politics and social life are affected by pressures for economic efficiency and by economic power, economic action is embedded in an infrastructure of social institutions, cultural frames, and political decisions. The economy as a system of action is both politically and socially constituted. In sociology, the study of the social embeddedness of economic action is the domain of the New Economic Sociology, which focuses on the analysis of markets. While economic sociologists highlight the contribution of informal social structures to the facilitation and direction of economic action, political scientists examine how formal political institutions and collective decision-making contribute to economic governance. As both the economy and the polity are populated by organizations, their behavior deserves to be studied in its own right as well as in its implications for the social and political constitution of the economy. Interdisciplinary cooperation enables the program to combine the best insights from economic sociology, political economy and organization studies. Work at the School pursues an empirical-analytical rather than an efficiency-theoretical, prescriptive approach. It explores how institutions and organizations evolve in the real economy, rather than determining how they should evolve, or would in ideal conditions.
PhD Program The program begins with a 15-month period devoted to expanding students methodological skills and firming up their theoretical background in economic sociology, political economy and organizational studies. Students undergo intensive training in research design and methods and participate in a biweekly Research School Colloquium. During this period they also develop and defend their research proposal. The second part of the program covers two years in which students concentrate on researching and writing their thesis. They are encouraged to spend six months at one of the partner universities in France, Italy, the United Kingdom or the United States. At the Max Planck Summer Conference on Economy and Society, they present their work in progress to peers and leading scholars in their fields. The IMPRS-SPCE offers... a research-oriented curriculum for exceptionally qualified graduate students excellent research facilities close collaboration with supervisors financial support for up to 39 months English as a working language an international learning and working experience in a major city in the heart of Western Europe Special Features Exchange semester at a partner institution Participation in a Summer Conference Courses Core Courses Economy and Society I Economy and Society II Logic of Research Research Methods Elective Courses Sociology of Markets Comparative Political Economy Foundations of Institutional Theory Comparative Political Institutions Transnational Economic Governance Complex Organizations Curriculum Semester 1 2 3 4 Seminars 5 6 Thesis 7 3 months Doctoral Thesis Exposé Empirical Work Writing Up Courses Core Courses Research Methods 1 Elective Course 1 Elective Course Doctoral Colloquium Special Features Semester Abroad Summer Conference
International Exchange Program Given the international character of research in comparative political economy, economic sociology and organization studies, international cooperation is crucial. The PhD program offers fellows the possibility to spend six months at an American, British, French or Italian partner institution or another academic institution abroad in order to gather international experience and develop their work in an international context. The IMPRS-SPCE also hosts PhD students from abroad, creating further opportunities for fellows to develop their skills and networks. Partner Institutions United States Harvard University Center for European Studies Department of Sociology Northwestern University Department of Political Science Department of Sociology France Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques Centre de Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po Centre de Sociologie des Organisations Italy Università degli Studi di Milano Graduate School in Social, Economic and Political Sciences United Kingdom London School of Economics Department of Management
Admissions The IMPRS admits up to seven students a year. They must have a proven record of academic excellence and hold an M.A., a Magister or Diplom, or equivalent in a discipline relevant to the School s research. Students from outside Germany are particularly welcome. The ability to do scholarly work in English is a prerequisite for admission. Admission into the second phase of the program is subject to approval by the faculty based on a student s first-year record. Students may submit their doctoral theses in English or German to the Department of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Cologne, or to their home universities. Applications may be submitted from December 15 to March 15. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview. Notification is in June, and the program begins in October. See http://imprs.mpifg.de for more about the program, eligibility and applying online. Financial and Organizational Support A scholarship covering living expenses for 15 months is provided; it is extended for two more years upon a student s acceptance into the second phase of the program. IMPRS students will receive a monthly stipend of 1,100 EUR that will increase by 100 EUR each year. The IMPRS aims to expand the program to four years. No tuition is charged; enrollment at the University of Cologne for a small fee is advised. The School provides advice in practical matters such as visas, housing and health insurance. IMPRS students have a fully equipped shared office, full access to the libraries and research facilities of the MPIfG and the Department of Management, Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Cologne, and research funds to conduct their projects. Faculty The faculty is made up of professors and associate professors from the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies and the Department of Management, Economics and Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. Jens Beckert (Sociology) Mark Ebers (Organization Studies) Martin Höpner (Political Science) André Kaiser (Political Science) Sigrid Quack (Sociology) Wolfgang Streeck (Sociology)
People It s a pleasure for me to be at a core economic sociology institution in Europe, having a chance to meet the best researchers from all over the world in the neighboring office, working precisely in the same field and sharing the same ideas. It is also great luck to be in a cohort of brilliant young scholars both promising and inspiring as researchers and as personalities. Elena Bogdanova, Russia The IMPRS-SPCE is a great place for learning. The infrastructure of the MPIfG is unrivalled and there are great links to some of the best higher education institutions in the world. Within Germany and possibly worldwide, the IMPRS-SPCE is one of the best places to study economic sociology and political economy as it allows close interaction with renowned scholars and has a great tradition of research in that area. Martin Schröder, Germany Doing my dissertation at Sciences Po in Paris, I have been given the opportunity to spend a couple of months as a Gastdoktorandin at the MPIfG: this is quite an opportunity, not only because of the great research possibilities here, but also because taking part in the institute s everyday life clearly enriches my project. I ve broadened the scope of my questions and found new ways to do research. Catherine Hoeffler, France For me the IMPRS-SPCE means growing in academic knowledge every day. The theoretical background gets bigger like bread dough. The literature I have in the first year is paving the way for a good research design. Liviu Mantescu, Romania
Contact Cologne Cologne, a major city in western Germany on the Rhine, is host to some 70,000 students from all over the world. Known for its hospitality, Cologne offers a vibrant cultural scene, historic treasures and a wealth of leisure activities. It is a European rail and airline hub with easy access to Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. The School IMPRS-SPCE Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies Paulstr. 3, 50676 Cologne Germany Phone + 49.221.2767-0 Fax + 49.221.2767-555 imprs@mpifg.de http://imprs.mpifg.de IMPRS-SPCE Chairs Professor Jens Beckert beckert@mpifg.de Professor Wolfgang Streeck streeck@mpifg.de Academic Coordinator Dr. Saskia Freye Phone + 49.221.2767-150 Fax + 49.221.2767-555 freye@mpifg.de Administrative Coordinator Jürgen Lautwein Phone + 49.221.2767-120 Fax + 49.221.2767-555 lautwein@mpifg.de Established in 2007, the IMPRS-SPCE is financed jointly by the Max Planck Society and the University of Cologne. The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies was rated excellent in the category promotion of young researchers by the German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat) in April 2008. Photos: Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, University of Cologne / Helmar Mildner September 2009