Capacity Building
UNU-CRIS capacity-building activities are aimed at enhancing human resources and strengthening institution-building for regional integration (especially in developing countries). This implies human capacity-building, mainly through teaching for higher university programmes that involve students from developing or transition countries, and institutional capacity-building through training of public officials. The aim is to raise awareness of the potential beneficial effects of regional integration with a view to incorporating regional integration in national development strategies of developing countries, but also to warn against the related challenges, such as those linked to policy implementation. All capacity-building oriented activities of UNU-CRIS are based upon the principles and guidelines of the UNU system as embodied in the UN Charter.
School of Modern Diplomacy
The art of diplomacy has evolved. In an age where a few sentences from a world leader on social media can give a green light to foreign military action or move markets, there is no denying that the classic notions of diplomacy no longer reflect reality.
What has taken its place is a modern, multi-level and multi-faceted approach that encompasses all the tools of the international and interconnected global sphere. Effective diplomacy now relies on the ability of a government to engage on numerous fronts and in numerous departments.
This programme, organised by UNU-CRIS, the Vienna School of International Studies and the Foreign Services Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs of Flanders, Ghent University and the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG/VUB), trains its participants on how to enact effective diplomacy in today’s turbulent world. It gives participants direct access to the practitioners, academics and policymakers at the forefront of their fields and operating at the highest levels, with modules covering the different facets of modern diplomacy and how they are being employed the world over to shape ideas, discussion and the world we live in.
The 2024 edition of the School of Modern Diplomacy will run from 19 September to 21 November.
Applications are now open, don't miss this opportunity.
Doctoral School on Latin American, European and Comparative Regionalism
The Doctoral School is a bilingual (ES/EN) training program for doctoral students and other promising young researchers, organised by the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and the Andean Center for International Studies of the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador (UASB-E) with the support of various international academic institutions and governmental organizations in the region.
The Doctoral School will deliver a series of lectures by leading academics on methods, theories, and new trends in Latin American, European and Comparative Regionalism, and afford the next generation of researchers the opportunity to discuss and develop their research projects in personalised tutorial sessions.
Taking place in Quito, Ecuador, the Doctoral School will benefit doctoral students and other early-career researchers from across the social science spectrum, in various stages of their research projects, seeking answers to questions within the framework of Latin American, European or Comparative Regionalism.
The Doctoral School seeks to establish a network of researchers dealing with regionalism, based at universities across Latin America and beyond.
Please note: candidates must have a working proficiency in English and Spanish.
Doctoral School on Asian and Comparative Regionalism
The Doctoral School on Asian and Comparative Regionalism aims to bridge a variety of social science perspectives on regionalism, including legal studies, economics, and political science/international relations (IR). This multi- and interdisciplinary approach is crucial for developing comprehensive academic expertise and enhancing the understanding of the complex dynamics in Asian and comparative regionalisms.
Our goal is to create an enriching environment for doctoral students worldwide, offering them the opportunity to engage with eminent scholars and peers from various fields. Through plenary and panel sessions, participants will be encouraged to exchange ideas, foster dialogue, and expand their academic and professional networks. We look forward to welcoming participants eager to expand their horizons in this dynamic and inclusive academic setting.
The Doctoral School on Asian and Comparative Regionalism is a collaborative endeavour, jointly organized by Airlangga University (Indonesia), the International School of Economics at Maqsut Narikbayev University (Kazakhstan), and the International Forum on the Future of Constitutionalism (North America).
It takes place at Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Visiting Fellowships
Every year, UNU-CRIS offers professors, researchers and professionals with a relevant background the opportunity to spend a research period in Bruges. Visiting Fellows may conduct their own research on a topic related to the academic research programmes of the Institute, or contribute to the training and capacity-building initiatives linked to the broad area of global governance and/or regional integration.
Visiting Fellows are welcome to stay at UNU-CRIS from a minimum period of one month up to one year, and may conduct their own research on a topics that hold relevance in terms of the aims and activities of the United Nations and policymaking or capacity-building in the area of regional integration, the provision of regional public goods, regionalism, and global institutions and governance.
Internships
UNU-CRIS offers students with an interest and background in regional integration/governance studies the opportunity to experience life within the UN's academic arm and join a team working to produce policy-relevant research on some of the most pressing issues of our time.