Central and Eastern Europe beyond Transition: Convergence and Divergence in Europe
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www.esf.org Central and Eastern Europe beyond Transition: Convergence and Divergence in Europe Forward Look Final Conference Berlin, 16 February 2011 Karen Henderson, University of Leicester, Silvia Miháliková, Comenius University
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Central and Eastern Europe beyond Transition: Convergence and Divergence in Europe Forward Look Final Conference Berlin, 16 February 2011 Karen Henderson, University of Leicester, Silvia Miháliková, Comenius University. Origins of project. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Central and Eastern Europe beyond Transition: Convergence and Divergence in Europe
www.esf.org
Central and Eastern Europe beyond Transition:
Convergence and Divergence in Europe
Forward Look Final ConferenceBerlin, 16 February 2011
Karen Henderson, University of Leicester, Silvia Miháliková, Comenius University
www.esf.org
Origins of project
• ESF Strategic Workshop Budapest May 2008 ‘Beyond Transition’
• Looking at future research agendas
• Decision to apply for ESF ‘Forward Look’
• Scientific committee from different EU countries and social sciences
www.esf.org
ESF Forward Looks
• Flagship activity of ESF’s strategic arm
• Medium to long-term analyses of future research agendas
• Aim of defining research agendas at national and European level
Meeting + location and date 3
www.esf.org
General objectives
• Summing up the ‘state-of-the-art’ of research in selected disciplinary areas of the project
• Defining the scientific challenges in the field
• Presenting a vision for medium and long term research directions
• Identifying stakeholders key to realising the vision
• Providing targeted recommendations for actions
• Defining follow-up mechanisms
Meeting + location and date 4
www.esf.org
Why a Forward Look?
• Previous ESF initiatives have looked at research infrastructure in CEE
• The FL will look at the content of research agendas
• Setting new frontiers in social science research on Central and Eastern Europe
Meeting + location and date 5
www.esf.org
Why now?
• 1990s: ‘transition phase’ looked at fall of communism and analysing subsequent changes
• 2000s: ‘consolidation phase’ where European integration begins to dominate research agendas
• Forward Look: Post-integration agendas
Meeting + location and date 6
www.esf.org
Why ‘convengence and divergency’?
• The FL considered research agendas looking specifically at CEE countries AND...
• ...hopes to input into transnational research agendas, which means reassessing convergence and divergence
• Removing the normative assumption that convergence with Western Europe is the major aim of social development in CEE…
• …and looking at the domestic dynamic of change
• The CEE countries are not the ‘other’ in the EU; post-communist democratisation after 1989 is one of the most common democratisation paths in the EU
Meeting + location and date 7
www.esf.org
Foci of research
• Assessing the consequences of the communist experience
• Investigating the consequences of rapid transition and radical social change (positive and negative)
• Critically evaluating the effects of the EU integration process
• Foresight into future developments
Meeting + location and date 8
www.esf.org
Areas addressed
• Economics• Social structure• Democratic institutions• Local governancewithin CEE states that are ESF
members
Meeting + location and date 9
www.esf.org
Some major challenges
• Tight timeframe for the project• Complex nature of ‘state of the
art’ survey• Adaptation of foresight methods
for broad geographic and discipline field
Meeting + location and date 10
www.esf.org
Work schedule
• Oct 2009: First Scientific Committee meeting
• Dec 09: Survey begins (Dec 09-July 10)• 4-5 Feb 2010: Workshop I, Bratislava• 13-14 May 2010: Workshop II, Leicester• 24-25 June 2010: Workshop III, Sofia• Feb 2011: Consensus conference, Berlin• June 2011: Publication of Science Policy
Briefing and final report• Oct 2010-April 2012: Outreach activities
Meeting + location and date 11
www.esf.org
Challenges of the foresight method...
• Difficult for social scientists - immediately identify methodological complexities
• So identify current issues rather than factors causing change
• Very broad thematic area• Imposed external agenda
Meeting + location and date 12
www.esf.org
Output
• Creativity – where are we going – a CEE perspective
• Generating new research questions: challenging assumptions on relations between old and new EU
• How should future research be structured?
• What new inputs are required?
Meeting + location and date 13
www.esf.org
Today and tomorrow...
• Overview of other agenda-setting exercises in Europe
• Introduction of the survey• Tomorrow’s scenarios• Project recommendations
Meeting + location and date 14
