APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2027 WINTER SCHOOL ON FEDERALISM AND GOVERNANCE ARE NOW OPEN!
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 2027, 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 2027 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 2026, 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 2026. The enrollment 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 2027 edition are: Federalism, the Changing World Order and…
A) Natural Resources and Fiscal Federalism
B) Artificial Intelligence (AI), Minority Rights and Multilevel Governance
C) Constitutional Resilience
D) Conflict Prevention, Peace Building and Mediation
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 – Natural Resources and Fiscal Federalism
1) Please explain how responsibilities/competences/powers for the management and protection of natural resources are allocated across different levels of government in one or more countries of your choice. Discuss the main advantages and problems of the existing allocation, with particular attention to environmental competences.
2) How are revenues from natural resources shared across levels of government in federal systems, and what forms of fiscal disparity or intergovernmental conflict arise from existing revenue‑sharing arrangements? Present a case study you are familiar with, illustrating these dynamics with concrete examples and propose an arrangement that balances solidarity, environmental protection and the interests of local communities.
Workshop B – Artificial Intelligence (AI), Minority Rights and Multilevel Governance
1) Choose one field in which AI affects minorities, for example public services, policing, migration, education, employment, political communication or language technologies. What concrete opportunities and risks does it create, and which minorities may be particularly affected?
2) How should public authorities regulate and use artificial intelligence in order to prevent discrimination and protect minority rights?
Workshop C – Constitutional Resilience
1) Looking at your home country or another country of your choice, how have sudden shocks (such as a pandemic, terrorism, natural disasters) tested constitutional resilience, and how have institutions at the national, regional, and local levels responded?
2) Looking at your home country or another country of your choice, how has gradual constitutional erosion tested constitutional resilience, and how have institutions at the national, regional, and local levels responded?
Workshop D – Conflict Prevention, Peace Building and Mediation
1) When and under what political, institutional and social conditions can federalism, autonomy or other forms of territorial power-sharing contribute to preventing or resolving conflict? Please make examples of a country you are familiar with.
2) When can federalism become part of the problem rather than part of the solution? Under what conditions can the same arrangements entrench divisions, encourage territorial competition or contribute to reignite conflict? Please make examples of a country you are familiar with.