ReNEW (Reimagining Norden in an Evolving World) is a research hub established to enhance cooperation to develop new and path-breaking research about the Nordic region against the background of an increasingly challenging global context. Promoting mobility, exchange, high-level conferences, education, and outreach activities, it brings together six Nordic universities with world-wide connections. ReNEW Partners are University of Helsinki, University of Oslo, Södertörn University Stockholm, Aarhus University, Copenhagen Business School, and University of Iceland.

In collaboration with EDDA – Center of Excellence and the United Nations University Gender Equality Studies and Training (UNU-GEST) Programme, the first ReNEW Summer School will be held at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík, 15–24 May 2019, with the topic "Nordic Trends in Gender Studies". Experts within the field will introduce students to four separate but interlinked pillars of current Nordic gender research: Intersectionality, migration and labour markets, post-colonialism, as well as trans issues and queer theory. The NORA Conference "Border Regimes, Territorial Discourses and Feminist Politics" will take place in Reykjavík 22–24 May 2019, and is an integral part of summer school attendance.

Target Participants
- PhD candidates in the humanities or social sciences working on Norden-related topics with an interest in gender issues.
- Advanced MA students in their last year in the humanities or social sciences working on Norden-related topics with an interest in gender issues.

Credits
Participants will receive 8 ECTS for this course (the crediting for doctoral studies depending on home departments)

Application Deadline
The Deadline for applications is 31 January 2019. Applications for participation, including a one-page CV, a 250–500 words abstract of your thesis, and a letter of intent/motivation, are submitted electronically. A link to the electronic application form will be published on this website on 10 December 2018. Applicants are selected on the basis of their motivation with the aim of an equitable representation of ReNEW universities and a diversity of backgrounds. Applications from inside and outside the ReNEW-network are welcome.

Participation Fee
The participation fee of 325 EUR includes accommodation, lunches, lectures, as well as participation in the NORA conference. For inquiries about travel funding opportunities, please contact a ReNEW team member or education manager at your home university. Participants are responsible for appropriate travel and health insurance as well as evening time meals. Student accommodation is equipped with a shared kitchen.

Synopsis
The Nordic region is known for its political emphasis on gender equality, which has been naturalized to the point of broad political consensus. Few politicians in the Nordic region would voice direct opposition to gender equality. However, with such a naturalization of equality discourse, equality itself is in danger of being used to uphold a respectable Nordic appearance, entrenching a utopic image of the Nordic region in terms of gender equality. In a time of increased demand for knowledge and interest in the Nordic model, there is a need to be aware of the constructed and productive nature of gender equality as it plays out differently across the Nordic region.

The course Nordic Trends in Gender Studies is a critical introduction to key issues of research on gender in the Nordic countries. It will engage and encourage participants in the use of theories and analytic concepts employed in the humanities and social sciences. As such, the summer school will be organised around four major themes in gender studies that are of special importance to the Nordic region. These are: Intersectionality, migration and labour markets, post-colonialism, as well as queer theory and trans issues. Students will be encouraged to use the theoretical and methodological tools taught within this framework in their own research projects.

The course will be conducted via lectures, discussions and work-in-progress sessions. It welcomes PhD and advanced Master’s degree students from a range of academic disciplines.

Learning Objective
The course aims to enable participants to use theories and methods of gendered approaches in their own research.

Course format and teaching methods
The course seeks to contribute to the participants’ work through discussions of their own texts as well as on course literature, and by offering relevant lectures, contacts, and insights in the procedures of a major international conference.

Course requests
Participants are requested to read the course literature and circulate a paper of at least 4,000 words by 30 April 2019. Participants will also be required to read a number of each other’s papers and provide feedback during class discussions.

Means and criteria of assessment
Participants who submit the required paper, read the provided text and participate in all academic activities during the summer school pass the course (8 ECTS).