Summer school "Democracy and Development in a Fragmenting World: Geopolitics, Power Shifts, and the Fate of the Liberal Order"

The Circle U. summer school “Democracy and Development in a Fragmenting World: Geopolitics, Power Shifts, and the Fate of the Liberal Order” will be held from 1 to 5 June 2026 at the University of Belgrade.

This interdisciplinary summer school examines democracy and development under conditions of major global transformation. It situates persistent global poverty and inequality within a fragmenting international order marked by geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, climate disruption, and contested models of governance. Recent disruptions within long-standing security alliances, including growing uncertainty around the cohesion and credibility of NATO, extraordinary demands such as the proposed purchase of Greenland, and the return of unilateral military actions by major powers, such as the intervention of the U.S in Venezuela, have further eroded global stability. These developments have generated deep insecurity across regions, not least in Europe, where assumptions about peace, alliance solidarity, and the durability of the liberal order can no longer be taken for granted.

Rather than treating poverty as a purely technical or domestic challenge, the course explores how national development trajectories and global inequality are increasingly shaped by shifting power relations, weakened multilateralism, and competing visions of political and economic order. The course equips students with analytical tools to critically assess how democracy, human rights, corruption, climate change, foreign aid, and inequality interact with broader geopolitical dynamics to shape development outcomes. How can poverty reduction be sustained in an era of democratic erosion, protectionist economic policies, and growing uncertainty about the viability of the liberal international order?

A central focus of the summer school is governance across scales, from local to global. We will critically examine the roles of multilateral organizations, national governments, non-state and civil society actors in promoting (or constraining) development and democratic accountability in a multipolar world. Themes such as elections, international interventionism, populism, redistribution, and social cohesion are analyzed not only as domestic political issues, but as factors embedded in wider geopolitical struggles and global policy regimes.

Offered under the auspices of the Circle U. University Alliance, the summer school brings together students and scholars from across Europe. Through lectures and discussions, participants are introduced to key theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of democracy, development, inequality, and world order, fostering a comparative and interdisciplinary understanding of how power shifts are reshaping both development prospects and the future of liberal democracy.

Target audience & eligibility

• Enrolment in a master's programme at one of the partner universities in Circle U.
• Important: Students must be enrolled at the master’s programme during entire duration of the summer school
• Open to all disciplines
• Applicants must be registered as students at one of the Circle U. European Alliance universities

Programme

• The programme consists of online lectures in April or May 2026 and a weeklong, in-person course at the University of Belgrade in the period 1-5 June 2026 (a detailed programme will be sent to successful applicants). The Summer school will mainly be taught by professors and lecturers from Circle U. member universities.
• The students will be expected to actively engage in class discussions and group work.

Why should I apply

During the summer school, you will have the opportunity to:

• Critically analyse the links between democracy and development in the context of geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, and a fragmenting international order.
• Apply interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks to assess contemporary global challenges, including poverty, corruption, climate change, and redistribution.
• Evaluate how shifting power relations, weakened multilateralism, and international interventions shape national development trajectories and democratic governance.
• Assess the roles and limitations of multilateral organisations, states, and civil society actors in promoting development, accountability, and social cohesion in a multipolar world.
• Analyse domestic political processes (elections, populism, governance reforms) as embedded within broader geopolitical and transnational policy dynamics.
• Develop evidence-based academic and policy arguments that integrate empirical data, comparative analysis, and normative considerations.
• Demonstrate advanced critical thinking and communication skills for professional work in international, interdisciplinary, and policy-oriented environments.
• Connect with students and professors from around Europe, and foster international collaboration and exchange.

The course is organised as a blended intensive program (BIP) within Erasmus+, and hence you may apply for a grant at your home university.

Please contact the mobility office at your university for more information:

• Aarhus University: aarhus@circle-u.eu
• Humboldt Universität zu Berlin: berlin@circle-u.eu
• King’s College London: Students are not eligible for Erasmus+ funding, but may have access to internal funding. Please check for funding opportunities or contact the Circle U. Team for more information: circle-u@kcl.ac.uk
• UCLouvain: infocircleu@uclouvain.be
• University of Oslo: oslo@circle-u.eu
• Université Paris Cité: circleu.iro@u-paris.fr and online at u-paris.fr
• University of Pisa: circleU.erasmus@unipi.it and on our website.
• University of Vienna: circle-u@univie.ac.at