The 2022 GOVTRUST Summer School focuses on trust and public governance from a multi-level perspective. Contemporary governance of society is complex, as public authorities at different levels of government (supranational, national, regional, local) cooperate with non-state actors in multi-layered decision-making arenas. For such complex governance systems to perform well, trust is a fundamental condition. However, major societal events like Brexit, the financial crisis, and concerns about privacy and data protection in digital interactions are said to be caused or enhanced by declining trust between citizens, private actors and governments. This demonstrates that trust too is a multi-level construct (interpersonal, interorganisational, system levels). Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis also affected trust within our societies in profound and multifaceted ways. While a certain degree of organised distrust between actors may be functional, the recurring reports of declining trust between citizens, private sector organisations and public authorities raise severe challenges for society. When trust declines, cooperation between different societal actors is compromised. And without cooperation, effective public governance is not possible. Governments and societal actors therefore increasingly seek ways to foster trust. Drawing on high-level scientific expertise from at least five disciplines (political science, communication science, law, behavioural economics and public administration), the 2022 GOVTRUST Summer School investigates a wide range of critical questions about the dynamics, causes and effects of trust and public governance from a multi-level perspective. Through a combination of (guest) lectures, discussions and workshops, participants will be stimulated to think across disciplinary boundaries, interact with each other and engage with speakers from academic and professional backgrounds.
Course leader
Sophie Op de Beeck, Reasearch Manager GOVTRUST
Target group
Master students, PhD students, senior (postdoctoral) researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in trust and public governance. Multi-disciplinary participation is strongly welcomed. Master students should have at least completed 4 years of education in a relevant field of study. The number of participants will be limited to 30 students.
Credits info: 3 EC
3 ECTS credits are awarded upon successful completion of the programme. All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential.
Fee info
EUR 500: Fee includes course material, lunch, coffee breaks, networking dinner and social activities. It does not include travel or accommodation.
For further information, please click the "LINK TO ORIGINAL" button below.