What is the Winter School about?
The Winter School is an international postgraduate program on federalism, regionalism and multilevel governance. It explores, from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective, how federalism can contribute to multilevel, integrated and pluralistic decision-making.
A wide range of lectures provides an opportunity for participants to broaden their knowledge of multilevel governance and government, especially from the perspectives of legal and political sciences. Top-notch scholars coming from different backgrounds and from around the globe lead courses and workshops on federalism and its challenges in the Winter School’s international learning environment.
Content and Objective
The 2027 Winter School will focus on federalism and the changing world order. From February 1 to February 12, 2027, participants of the Winter School, participants will analyze the role that federalism and multilevel governance can play in a changing world order. Starting with an introduction on how federal systems can respond to contemporary challenges, experts will lecture on constitutional resilience in multilevel systems, federalism and collective security alliances, democratic backsliding and authoritarian tendencies, as well as the impact of global crises and geopolitical power shifts on federal governance. Attention will also be paid to whether transnational crises lead to shifts in the distribution of powers between central governments and constituent states.
The program will provide insights into different models of federal and multilevel governance through a broad range of case studies, including the power-sharing structure of the European Union as well as examples from Africa, Asia, North America, and the post-Soviet space. In addition, participants will discuss topics such as asymmetric federalism and the impact of multilevel governance on policy areas including natural resources, minority and indigenous rights, peacebuilding, digitalization, and fiscal relations.
Besides numerous opportunities for discussion with leading experts on multilevel governance throughout the lectures, a variety of interactive sessions will provide the chance to share knowledge and experience. Lectures, workshops, Q&A sessions, and a round table will take into account multilevel systems from different continents.
The Winter School will examine a series of issues:
To which extent do federal systems come under pressure in times of geopolitical uncertainty?
How do alliances of states and geopolitical regions position themselves globally when balances of power shift?
Does the international order require federal principles to remain stable in the long term?
To what extent do geopolitical conflicts promote tendencies toward centralization in multilevel systems?
What impact does the crisis of the liberal international order have on federal democracies?
How do transnational crises alter the distribution of powers between central governments and constituent states?
What role do federal states play in stabilizing the international order?
What tensions arise between global governance and federal sovereignty?
What impact does the crisis of the liberal international order have on federal democracies?
Can federalism contribute to stabilizing a fragmented world order?
What lessons can be learned from comparative practice?
The 2027 Winter School examines these and other topics by combining theoretical expertise and relevant case studies. As such, the program is a unique opportunity for young academics, postgraduate students, civil servants and practitioners to receive enhanced training on the theoretical and practical aspects of federalism and multilevel governance.
The Winter School is held entirely in English.