ESR7: Path contingency and path innovation of regional policies in old and new economy locations (Prague, Czech Republic)

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Host: MEPCO – International Advisory Centre of Municipalities, Prague/Czech Republic

1 PhD position, full-time

Duration: September 2014 – August 2017

The concept of path-contingency creates an opportunity to understand factors shaping regional policy responses in old and new economy locations and to identify the actions and practices that may alter the current path and set the regions on new development trajectories (path innovation). Based on comparative research with CERSHAS and UT in Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia, the project will analyse regional development policies in both old and new economy locations, and study the potentials for path-innovation.

Utilizing the concept of path-contingency actions and practices that may alter current paths and set regions on new development trajectories shall be identified and factors shaping regional policy responses in old and new economy locations can be understood.

The fellow will be integrated in a PhD programme at the University of Economics, Prague.

Secondments are foreseen at the Research Centre for Economic and Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Békéscsaba / Hungary and at the University of Tartu in Tartu/Estonia.

Tasks:

–          Describing possibilities to find pathinnovations in the environment of regional policy-making process in the               Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia

–          analysing the role of both legal rules and social norms in shaping regional policies

–          examine self-inforcing (i.e. long-term reproduction of a given institutional pattern) and reactive (i.e. chains              of causally connected events) sequences influencing regional policies in chosen countries

–          identification of the main factors influencing the current shape of regional policies in the                                               Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia in a comparative way

 

Requirements:

–          Masters’ degree in political or social sciences, economics or another discipline corresponding to the topic                of the project

–          good knowledge of regional policies in CEE

–          fluent in English, preferably good knowledge of Czech

–          Hungarian and/or Estonian language skills will be an asset

–          good knowledge of IT-based communication tools

–          readiness to participate in secondments, conferences and workshops

–          excellent communication skills, capacity for teamwork, flexibility and an interest in interdisciplinary                            research

The fellow should contribute to the outreach of the project, especially by:

–          elaboration of a PhD thesis

–          participation in project and WP monographs, joint publications in high ranked journals

–          active participation at scientific conferences, policy workshops etc. at national and EU level

–          participation in media communication, in development of a web-based glossary, in creation of video clips                 and podcasts and in spreading project information on EU level using European Commissions’                                      communication tools