IPSA Summer School Coordinator

IPSA is calling for applications for the position of the Summer School Coordinator.

The Summer School Coordinator will be appointed for a term of two years (renewable) at the first IPSA Executive Committee meeting following the IPSA World Congress of Political Science, which will be held on 10-15 July 2021.

The IPSA Summer Schools program on Concepts, Methods and Techniques in Political Science was launched in 2010. It was conceived in a pluralist understanding of the epistemological and methodological foundations of the social sciences with the aim to enhance the development and strengthening of Political Science through capacity building from below, especially in regions where, for a variety of reasons, initiatives of this kind have been lacking. Partnering with local institutions all over the world, this program has grown significantly in the past ten years. It now includes six active and very successful Summer Schools (Antalya, Capri, Mexico, Sao Paulo, Singapore and St-Petersburg) offering a wide range of courses in quantitative, qualitative, and formal research methods. Moreover, with the creation of the newest Summer School in Applied Diplomacy in collaboration with Concordia University in Montreal (Canada), IPSA now has its first thematic Summer School.  

IPSA’s Summer School Coordinator is responsible for the overall supervision of the program and for the coordination with the cooperating institutions and local organizers. S/he presents a Summer School schedule for the following year to the IPSA Committee on Research and Training (CRT), including lists of courses to be offered, projected attendance figures, a budget, and a promotional activity plan. In addition, s/he oversees the budgetary projections of the Summer Schools together with the IPSA Secretariat.

The Summer School Coordinator develops and proposes strategies for the further development of the Summer School program, which includes suggestions for opening new Summer Schools as well as closing Summer Schools that have not proven to be successful.

The Summer School Coordinator is encouraged to do on-site visits to the Summer School venues, to attend the events and to foster and maintain close contact with the local organizers S/he prepares an outline of the planned engagements (visits, teaching and alike) of the Summer School team during a year and coordinates this with the CRT.

The Summer School Coordinator will be supported in her/his work by two Summer School Coordinator Assistants who act as an additional liaison between the Coordinator and the partner institutions.

Moreover, the candidate will be expected to become an individual member of IPSA, participate as a non-voting member in IPSA’s Executive Committee (EC) by presenting an annual report at the first EC meeting of the year as well as contribute to IPSA’s Committee on Research and Training.

Successful candidates should have significant knowledge of methods, publication record in methods-rich research or in the field of methodology, previous experience with organizing teaching activities/summer schools and has to be and has to be willing to travel to Summer School locations when necessary She/he should have a track record of committee or other volunteer service and show reliability in following through on commitments and meeting deadlines.

Please note that this is a volunteer position. However, the Summer School Coordinator may participate in the ongoing Summer Schools as a paid instructor.

Please submit your candidacy to Dr. Simona Piattoni, Chair of the IPSA Committee on Research and Training at simona.piattoni@unitn.it, with a CV accompanied by a short introductory note (max 400 words), along with a photo by 30 May 2021.