One of the priority actions of UNA Europa is to promote exchange between doctoral researchers, doctoral schools and researchers with the aim of creating a multidisciplinary, inter-university and multi-local forum for young researchers that links research in specific areas and critical thinking about the challenges facing Europe today.

DOCTORAL WORKSHOPS

The Doctoral Workshops are a unique opportunity to form part of a network of doctoral researchers from these different European universities, in which the selected scholars will be able to put their research into dialogue with that of other leading young researchers and academics. The aim of these workshops is to encourage the exchange of proposals, work methodologies and to become a forum for debate. All this will allow to establish a European network of contacts within different academic fields and take advantage of the combined resources of the universities that are part of UNA Europa.

Sustainable Development Research - an Interdisciplinary Change or Challenge?

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of  the UN reflect the global consensus about improving sustainability. The goals have important implications for policy and research in areas ranging from climate protection to gender issues. The SDGs are complex and interwoven; the success of one goal is often closely linked to the success of another. Timely and impactful implementation of the goals therefore requires interdisciplinary research.
The workshop offers the opportunity to discuss the complex topic of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective with an international group of PhD researchers and professors. Participants are asked to provide a short abstract outlining their research and a reflection of how their topic interacts with one or more SDGs. Through the workshop participants develop a broader understanding of interdisciplinary research collaborations in the field of sustainable development and explore opportunities for joint interdisciplinary research projects.
Rather than presenting general overviews of sustainable development research, the workshop is interested in topical areas of individual dissertations, which should be reviewed in the light of the 17 SDGs.

Environmental Politics

Environmental politics is not only an increasingly urgent matter in the face of global environmental threats, but also a growing field of study that critically examines power and institutions in decision-making processes with respect to allocation and management of natural resources. A political prism has been found to be a powerful tool in explaining policy processes, design, and outcomes with respect to allocation and protection of resources, such as air, water and energy.
This PhD workshop will explore questions related to the politics and conflicts that emerge around environmental issues and natural resources. The topics covered in the workshop may include a diversity of questions including the factors that drive disputes over environmental issues; the political behaviours that actors undertake to influence political outcomes such as coalition building, narrative framing contests, lobbying; the negotiation or collaboration strategies that are used to address political debates, and determinants of policy choice.
Attention by the panellists to the expansion or development of existing and new theories, as well as new empirical approaches for understanding the behaviours, processes, and outcomes of environmental politics will be encouraged.