Summer School on Constitution-building in Africa, 1-12 July 2019, CEU, Hungary

Constitution-building in Africa

The two-week research course intends to tackle complex societal, political and legal problems in constitution-building from an interdisciplinary perspective, informed by field experience. We seek to combine different disciplines (mostly comparative law and political science) and perspectives (comparative governmental systems; electoral systems; decentralization; human rights; comparative constitutional law; good governance; etc) to offer new insights on a classic subject of the highest academic and practical relevance.

 

The course will address the subject from four different angles, all of them related to specific challenges in Africa. The first one highlights constitutionalism in Africa in general, the different roles and meanings of a constitution, the merits and risks of constitutional borrowing, and the role of external / international influence in constitution building. The second angle accounts for the fact that new constitutions often follow conflict, loaded with the expectation to herald a new era of peace and democracy, leaving behind authoritarianism, despotism or political upheaval. The third angle of, the course addresses how constitutional designs respond to competing claims, be they religious, ethnic, linguistic, and how they accommodate different stakeholders, how they tame the executive, introducing instruments of checks and balances and how constitutions aspire to prevent stalemates and promote gender equality. Finally taking in to account the fact that the management of constitutional change and maintenance of constitutional stability are ongoing problems, the course will explore the issue of constitutional implementation, review and redemption as part of the constitutional building process.

· Accommodation in CEU Residence Center:

- In single room: 28 EUR/ night / person - including breakfast

- In shared double room: 17 EUR/ night / person - including breakfast

· Estimated living costs: 240 - 280 EUR

Those who wish to apply for financial aid should specify their reasons in the “Personal statement on financial aid” section (Funding page of the application form).

Faculty and Ph.D. students are advised to approach their home departments for travel grants; researchers may have research grants available which can cover their participation; and professionals may turn to their employers to fund their training at SUN. You can also consult some non-CEU funding opportunities listed in our FAQ section.  
In case an applicant is accepted to two courses, which is possible if the two courses are not overlapping, financial aid is only available for attending one course.

Financial aid is available in the following categories:

· tuition waiver

· accommodation grant

· travel grant (full or partial)

- Participants from developed countries are expected to pay tuition fee.

-  In case an applicant is accepted to two courses, which is only possible if the two courses are run consecutively, financial aid is only available for attending one course.

Financial Aid packages

 -Tuition Waiver
Financial aid: tuition fee waived
Participant's own contribution: health insurance, travel, accommodation and living expenses

 - Partial SUN Scholarship
Financial aid: tuition fee waived and free accommodation in a shared double room
Participant's own contribution: health insurance, travel and living expenses

·     - Full SUN Scholarship
Financial aid: tuition fee waived; free accommodation in a shared double room and a full or partial travel grant. Visa costs and short domestic trips are not reimbursed. 
Participant’s own contribution: health insurance and living expenses.

How to apply

Below is the list of the documents you need to prepare or arrange for submission:

1. Completed online SUN Application Form (see notes below)

2. Full curriculum vitae or resume, including list of publications, if any
Please upload your Curriculum Vitae or resume, including a list of publications, if any.

3. Letter of Recommendation

Applicants must have one letter of recommendation submitted. Please arrange for a letter of recommendation to be written by a referee (faculty member, employer, thesis or job supervisor, etc.) who can attest to your abilities, qualifications and academic/professional performance. Please advise the referee about the title and content of the course you are applying to. The letter must reflect participation in this specific course, be written in English and be submitted by the referee online via the online application facility.

4. Statement of Purpose

(max. 2 pages)

The letter of intent is expected to discuss your own research or professional involvement, and explain how participation in the course is expected to relate to this interest or project.

In addition, you are requested to provide titles of two books, articles or readings of interest which you would like to see discussed in the course. In addition to the titles, please provide a brief explanation of your recommendation.

5. Recent English language publication / project description on constitution-building or constitutionalism in Africa

Please submit a recent, forthcoming or draft publication, OR a description of an ongoing professional project on constitution-building or constitutionalism in Africa. If the project is an institutional or a group effort, please explain your role in designing and implementing the project.

6. Proof of English proficiency

As proof of your English language proficiency, please submit in the online system a scanned copy of any of the following: graduate or post-graduate degree earned in a program the language of which is English; recent TOEFL or IELTS score; or writing sample in English (e.g. recent academic or professional publication, recent academic or professional blog contribution – if different from your sample publication).

For more information click ''LINK TO ORIGINAL'' below.