Have you ever wondered what is going behind the scenes of international political bodies? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a member of these organisations? How much do you know about the many calls for reform of the United Nations and regional organisations? Would you like to be aware of the possibilities for the improvement and reform of international organisations? If you are ready to discuss, assess and answer these questions, the ICRP Summer Academy 2015 is waiting for you!
Introduction
The Institute for Cultural Relations Policy (ICRP) offers a ten-day-long summer academy that focuses on possible improvements and reforms that can be implemented in the system of international organizations. The operation of these institutions is of particular interest in our globalized world. These organizations provide closer cooperation, intergovernmental communication, and mutual support for member states. Whether a country joins an economic, monetary, security or political organization it will most likely have benefits. Recently, however, more and more criticism is leveled at these institutions worldwide.
The main principle of the ICRP’s ten-day-long summer academy is not only to address the bright, positive side of the coin, but to highlight the possible routes for improvement as well. Courses will focus on the function and operation of regional integrations (e.g. EU, African Union, CIS), security organisations (e.g. NATO), economic organizations (e.g. NAFTA), international organizations (e.g. UN), and other international institutions. Courses will provide a short historical background to each of these organizations and introduce their shortcomings and failures. Participants will be encouraged to observe these intergovernmental organizations with a critical eye. The ICRP Summer Academy’s goal is to find possible solutions for the problems that emerge with the help of the students. The group will work together with lecturers to find ways to improve and reform the system and draft new system models. At the end of summer school, students will participate in a simulation of an international conference.
Methodology
Classes are held throughout 8 days with two lectures in the morning and two or three in the afternoon each day. Due to the character of the issue, the courses will concentrate on theoretical approaches and analysis, which will be followed by practical experience. The agenda contains 28 theoretical lectures with a duration of 42 hours besides 8 practical lectures. Our highly qualified lecturers will do their best to provide you with sufficient knowledge in the field of international organizations. The experts will feature versatile styles and ways of education to make sure that participants profit from the 8 days of intensive training and experience. Besides the topic of the summer academy, participants will have the opportunity to get acquainted with Hungarian culture and major Budapest sights (Buda Castle, Parliament Building, House of Terror) as well. A visit to Visegrad is also included in the agenda.
Venue
Budapest, Hungary (Classic Hotel Budapest)
The Classic Hotel is situated at the foot of the Buda Hills in a calm and elegant neighborhood, with easy access to the city center of Budapest. Participants of the Summer Academy can enjoy spacious rooms, unwind in the 24-hour bar, relax in the sauna, and make use of fully equipped conference facilities. An internet corner and wireless internet is available to keep in touch with friends and family. The rooms in the Classic Hotel are air-conditioned, and all of them are bright and spacious. Facilities: garden, terrace, bar. Services: car hire, shuttle service (surcharge), airport shuttle (surcharge), 24-hour front desk, express check-in/check-out, currency exchange, tour desk, luggage storage, concierge service, laundry, ironing service, daily maid service, fax/photocopying, safety deposit box. The hotel has non-smoking rooms and a designated smoking area.
Important Dates & Times
The Summer Academy will be held between 7–17 August 2015
Arriving & Registration of Participants: 7 August 2015
Opening Ceremony & Welcome Party: 7 August at 19:00pm – 21:30pm
Breakfast time: 7:30am – 10:00am
Morning Workshops: 10:00am – 13:00pm
Lunch time: 13:00pm – 14:00pm
Afternoon Workshops: 14:00pm – 17:00pm (until 18:00pm on Day 4 & Day 5)
Dinner time: 20:00pm
Trip to Visegrád: 16 August 2015
Certification of Participants & Farewell Party: 16 August at 19:00pm
Departure of Participants: 17 August 2015
The final schedule of lectures will be disseminated to applicants later.
Participation Fee
The registration fee of the ICRP Summer Academy is 900 EUR. The registration fee shall be transferred to the ICRP until June 15, 2015, to secure your place.
The registration fee covers:
- shared accommodation in a double occupancy room,
- three times meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner),
- two times coffee-break per day, - access to all the reading material,
- course & stationary materials (file, notebook and pen),
- excursions, cultural, social and extracurricular activities, and
- Budapest public transport pass for unlimited travel during the event.
The registration fee DOES NOT cover:
- extra accommodation nights and meal expenses,
- international travel and travel-related expenses (visa & insurance fee expenses)
- extra persons’ (family members, relatives, friends, colleagues etc.) accommodation expenses.
Scholarships
The ICRP Summer Academy offers a number of scholarships of 400 EUR each. These scholarships are open to all applicants and will be awarded on a professional, merit and need basis.
Eligible to apply for a scholarship are those who stay for the whole duration of the summer program.
We encourage all students to search also for outside funding to cover their fees and/or travel expenses, by exploring funding opportunities available through their home universities and local non-governmental organisations.
All participants are expected to pay for their own travel to and from Budapest.
Language of the Program
The International Summer Academy will be held in English.
How to Apply?
Applicants should be graduate students working towards Masters or Ph.D. degrees, but we usually admit some advanced undergraduates, as well as researchers and practitioners. All applicants should be fluent in English. The application should include the following material:
1) a completed application form;
2) a copy of your CV; and,
3) a letter of recommendation.
Please download the application form and submit it electronically.
The application deadline is May 31, 2015 and decisions will be mailed out by June 10, 2015. Early applications, especially for those seeking financial aid, are strongly encouraged.
Admitted foreign students will be provided with all necessary documentation in support of a visa application, if this is needed.
For further inquiries please contact us by email: institute@culturalrelations.org, tel.: +36 20 572 5972.
Eligible Participants
Participation is open to all ages and all nationalities coming from any country. A broad range of interested participants can apply for the Summer Academy on Remodelling Global Governance such as:
Undergraduates, (post-) graduates, researchers and International Relations experts and any interested people who want to develop their academic knowledge and capacities in global governance, regional organisations as well as different views and proposals remodelling international decision-making.
Representatives of universities and academic staff who want to get knowledge on the latest developments in political integration, institutionalisation, multilateralism and globalism.
Representatives of (I)NGOs who want to get knowledge about the involvement of non-governmental organisations in the global decision-making process and cooperative problem-solving arrangements.
Representatives of governments, political parties and diplomatic corps who are interested in the reform of macro-regional decision-making systems and getting more knowledge about the formal and informal structures of international organizations.
Representatives of business and private sector who want to get knowledge on the economic, civil, political, and legal aspects of a more sustainable global order.
Representatives of the media who want to have a better understanding of world politics, geopolitics, and various efforts to reform international institutions.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://culturalrelations.org/summeracademy#Eligible_Participants