Research Context of the Summer School
Over the past decades, the summer school of Leipzig’s Graduate School Global and Area Studies has established itself as a productive meeting place for the interdisciplinary discussion of transnational, transregional, transcultural, and global encounters and entanglements as well as new trends in the research of globalization in general. The 2022 edition, which is organized in close cooperation with the Centre Marc Bloch, Berlin, and with the Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe), addresses the question to what extent global configurations in politics, economy, and culture are emerging and which new dynamics are currently developing, especially with a focus on crises – for instance, economic and financial crisis from 2008 to 2010, the Covid-19 pandemic, the rapidly growing attention to climate change, the wars in Syria, Ethiopia, or Ukraine, etc.
In this year’s summer school, we are looking at the transformations taking place before our very eyes of not only the multiple world orders but also the worlds of ideas and experiences due to the impact of globalization processes. For this purpose, we are focusing on numerous moments of crisis that have manifested during the past years and that are leading to a revision of previous ideas about “globalization”. Taking a long-term perspective, a constant succession of modernization enthusiasm and crisis experiences can be observed, together with the present-day recognition of increasing “global challenges” such as climate change, migration, resource scarcity, hunger, or epidemics.
The assumption that there are different phases of the global condition raises the questions about if we are currently experiencing a transition to a new phase of the global condition and whether this is accompanied by new spatial arrangements, new social divisions and inequalities, a new role for religions and alternative systems of knowledge, and a readjustment of global climate, resources, and health governance.
Against this background, the summer school welcomes the presentation of research projects that, on the one hand, approach global dynamics by analysing how they are interpreted in public reporting, political discussions, and academic investigation, etc., and, on the other hand, focus on the changing world of ideas and experiences under the impact of globalization processes.
The summer school is meant to provide participating PhD candidates of the Graduate School and of the Centre Marc Bloch with an opportunity to engage in an intense exchange with fellow PhD candidates and postdocs from abroad on topics of common interest and to network across disciplinary as well as geographical boundaries. Thus, we invite with great enthusiasm young researchers from all over the world whose research interests are related to the focus of this year’s summer school.

Thematic Focus of the Summer School
Considering the experiences and perceptions of living in a seemingly ever-more globally connected world, this year’s summer school focuses on global crises, illicit globalization and transnational connections, threats on a global scale, both in scientific and political discourses, as well as phenomena such as trafficking, illicit flows and communication, and criminal networks. We want to investigate these global connections, their locally bound experiences, and the different responses to these challenges, such as policy-making, the formation of global (grassroots) campaigning, law enforcement, political and police cooperation from the nineteenth century until today. Our approach is thus interdisciplinary, including perspectives from history, sociology, political science, anthropology, art history, and other disciplines.
We are especially interested in experiences of global dynamics, both in present-day and historical perspectives:
- This encompasses case studies that examine different actors of globalization processes, their practices, their impact, their working conditions, and their experiences of space and mobility: Who is affected by which aspects of globalization in what way? What kind of agency do different people have to face global crises? How do different actors use global infrastructures?
- This includes reflecting on global inequalities: What do changes in communication, politics, infrastructure, etc. mean for different communities? How do different communities in different areas in the world experience simultaneity? How is the global condition defining realities on the ground?
We are also interested in the perception of these global dynamics, both in present-day and historical perspectives:
- Global inequalities are also important when it comes to the perception of global problems: We therefore ask what is perceived as a global crisis or threat? By whom and in which part of the world (which war, which pandemic, or whose migration is important)?
- How is globality experienced locally? How are global crisis moments and issues locally contextualized and felt? How do different actors, groups, and institutions deal with escalating tensions when global developments and crisis are present? How are disruptions perceived, particularly when they trigger negative and harmful consequences (such as pandemics and supply chain issues that disrupt global connections while at the same time being caused by them)? Is the experience of global dynamics shifting from something inevitable and progressive to an experience of dependency and lack of agency?
- What are predictable scenarios and ideas about the future? How are anxieties communicated? What are popular depictions of these threats and where do these images circulate?
We are further interested in the political conceptions of crises, criminality, and deviance:
- What are important institutions governing the crises and how do they act? How do they emerge and evolve? What kind of (legal) norms and conceptions of global crime and illegal connections do they develop?
- What kind of policies are issued in order to disrupt illicit connections in different periods? How are illicit flows interrupted? What kind of knowledge production influences the global governance of crises and threats? What are the impacts of transnational policing?
- What are the targets of these policies (perceived dangerous people, goods, ideas)?
Sequence of Events of the Summer School
The summer school is organized into panels of 3–5 presentations each. Additionally, invited keynote speakers will introduce main aspects of the general theme. At the end of the summer school, a final discussion will bring the major findings together.
Young researchers can apply to hold individual presentations or to organize a panel. In the latter case, researchers are invited to submit applications containing a description of the panel’s main goals and its relevance to the overall topic of the summer school, plus a list of possible speakers with an indication if they have already agreed or they have to be contacted after the acceptance of the panel. The selection of the panel will be undertaken by a committee of the Centre Marc Bloch and the Graduate School where supervisors as well as PhD candidates and postdocs are represented.
The conference language is English, but contributions in French and German are also welcome.
Individual time slots will be assigned by the organizers of the summer school, with preferences of participants being taken into consideration. In addition, active participation in the discussions of the summer school is expected.

Application
Early career researchers interested in the topic are cordially invited to submit an application either for a panel proposal or an individual paper presentation for the summer school. The application should include:
- Personal details, academic status, and relevant academic affiliation.
- For panel proposals: a description (300 words) of the panel’s main goals and its relevance to the overall topic of the summer school, plus a list of possible speakers.
- For individual paper presentations: an abstract (300¬–500 words), together with an explanation of its connection to the ongoing dissertation/project as well as its relevance to the overall topic of the summer school.
via e-mail to the organizing team Dr. Paul Franke (CMB), Dr. Sarah Frenking (CMB), Dr. Martina Keilbach (GSGAS):
phd@uni-leipzig.de

Application deadline: 1 June 2022

Authors of accepted papers will be informed no later than 1 July 2022. A maximum of 20 papers will be selected. In order to prepare for academic commentary, submission of the actual paper (10 pages) is expected by 1 September 2022. The paper will be pre-circulated and should fit within a presentation of 15 minutes.

Organizational Issues
Conference fee & accommodation: The participation fee is EUR 50. This fee covers all costs for conference material, refreshments during the breaks, lunch meals, as well as participation in the welcome reception. The Graduate School will cover the costs of accommodation in the conference house.
Participation certificate: Following successful participation in the summer school, it will be possible to receive a certificate from the Graduate School Global and Area Studies. Further information can be found under: https://home.uni-leipzig.de/~gsgas/
ECTS: You can also earn ECTS credits for the Summer School (3 ECTS for continuous participation in the summer school). The acceptance of credits is the responsibility of your home university.
Childcare: For all events, childcare will be provided. Registration is requested (by 1 September 2022) at the above-mentioned address.