Fellowships in der CAS Research Group “Power Shifts and Institutional Change in International Institutions“ (LMU München)

Von
Julia Schreiner

Call for Applications
Fellowships in the CAS Research Group
“Power Shifts and Institutional Change in International Institutions“
Center for Advanced Studies, LMU Munich

The CAS Research Group “Power Shifts and Institutional Change in International Institutions“ is initiated by Bernhard Zangl (Political Sciences) and will commence work in October 2018.

The CAS Research Group will study the adaptation of international institutions to shifts in the global distribution of power. As powers such as China rise and powers such as the US decline, international institutions such as the IMF, the WTO or the UN come under pressure to adapt to new power realities. Yet, the pathways to institutional adaptation vary considerably. In some cases, adaptation comes through a pathway of power bargaining, but in other cases, pathways of strategic cooptation or rhetorical coercion prevail. What is more, sometimes attempts of institutional adaptation are successful and sometimes they fail. The CAS Research Group therefore investigates the conditions under which different pathways to institutional adaptation are taken as well as the pathway-specific conditions for the success or failure of institutional adaptation. The group’s initial proposition is that depending on whether power shifts involve revisionist or reformist powers and depending on whether power shifts imply hard or soft power, the resulting pathways to institutional adaptation will take the shape of power bargaining, strategic cooptation or rhetorical coercion, which in turn feature specific conditions for the success or failure of institutional adaptation. Taking this proposition as a starting point, the research group seeks to develop a power shift theory of institutional adaptation, which will be assessed in case studies on power shifts in a variety of international institutions. The Research Group aims at publishing its results as a special issue of a high-ranking International Relations Journal or as an edited volume of a high-quality University Press.

The CAS Research Group will bring together internationally renowned researchers who are invited to LMU Munich to contribute to the group’s research, i.e. to the development of a power shift theory of institutional adaptation and/or the empirics of power shifts in (one or several) international institutions. Applications from senior and junior researchers are equally welcome. The Center for Advanced Studies will provide financing and organizational support for visits of between four weeks and nine months during the period between October 2018 and September 2019. Travel and accommodation will be paid for and an expense allowance or other compensation (according to individual agreement) will be provided to cover operating costs or as recompense for any loss of income sustained. Guests will receive a workspace in the Center and will have access to all its facilities. Visiting researchers will find an open and stimulating research environment in an interdisciplinary setting.

Applications should consist of a brief outline (1-2 pages) of the expertise, field of exchange and intended contribution to the CAS Research Group. Applications should also contain relevant credentials and a résumé including a list of the most recent publications. In order to strengthen the role of women in research, female scholars are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please submit all the application documents electronically (in one PDF file) by
10 December 2017 to

Email: Bernhard.Zangl@LMU.de

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Zangl
Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politikwissenschaft
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Oettingenstraße 67
80538 München
Germany

For any questions on the CAS Research Groups please contact Dr. Julia Schreiner at CAS:

Email: Julia.Schreiner@cas.lmu.de