Information on the application process
Please take a look at the preview of the application form questions (see button below) and prepare your essay in advance before completing the entire application form in one session on the application site. We will only accept applications submitted through the online application site; completed versions of the preview PDF will not be considered.
In order to apply for the Winter School 2026, candidates have to submit a completed application form. Only complete application forms will be taken into consideration. No additional documents are required.
The Winter School on Federalism and Governance 2026 will be held in person. There is no possibility to attend the course online. Please note that you cannot attend only one week of the program.
In case of questions regarding the application form and procedure, please contact winterschool@eurac.edu
Deadline for applications: Sunday, 12 October 2025, 23:59 CEST
Applications which are successfully submitted and complete will receive a confirmation via e-mail within 5 working days after submission.
Applicants will be notified in early December 2025. The enrolment procedure (including payment of the tuition fee) has to be completed within 7 working days after notification of the invitation to participate.
In the application form you will be asked to submit:
personal data
relevant academic and professional education
work experience (if applicable)
a statement of motivation (max. 1.500 characters incl. spaces)
a short academic essay (max. 3.500 characters incl. spaces) on one of the questions related to the workshop topics.
Detailed information regarding the academic essay for the application
Please note that without the essay the application cannot be considered!
For half a day, workshops will focus on four topics selected by the Winter School's scientific committee. The workshop topics of the 2026 edition are: Federalism, Innovation and…
A) Financial Relations
B) Migration
C) Democratic Innovation
D) Public Health
As part of the application, we ask you to select one of the workshops and to write a short essay of max. 500 words (3500 characters) answering ONE of the two questions linked to the workshop you have chosen:
Workshop A – Federalism, Innovation and Financial Relations
1) Financial relations and innovations: Present a notable case of innovation in the legal framework of financial relations, either formally introduced through legislation or informally established through practice. Please focus on a case study you are familiar with and provide examples.
2) How do innovations in financial relations emerge within federal systems? Describe a key innovation from a case you’re familiar with, by focusing on how the decision-making process unfolded. Did the change arise through institutionalized channels or through practice and/or deviations from the rules? Please focus on a case study you are familiar with and provide examples.
Workshop B – Federalism, Innovation and Migration
1) How do different legal statuses (temporary, permanent, undocumented, naturalized) affect immigrants’ opportunities for political participation in federal systems? And what innovative approaches or reforms (e.g., local voting rights, consultative councils) aim to expand inclusion, based on case studies you know?
2) What kinds of institutional innovations or participatory practices have emerged to overcome barriers to immigrant political participation? What lessons can be drawn from case studies you know?
Workshop C – Federalism, Innovation and Democratic Innovation
1) Reflect more broadly on the relationship between democracy and innovation. In your view, how open is democracy to innovation, and where do you see the limits or boundaries of innovation in democratic systems?
2) What specific opportunities and challenges do federal structures create for democratic innovation? Please illustrate your answer with an example of a democratic innovation that you believe has been—or could be—successfully implemented in a federal state.
Workshop D – Federalism, Innovation and Public Health
1) How can nationwide standards and/or incentives encourage health-care innovation while preserving room for subnational experimentation? Please provide examples
2) What are the main opportunities and challenges for public-health management in cross-border areas? Please provide examples.