The GOVTRUST Summer School focuses on a multi-level perspective on trust and public governance for societal transitions. Creating and maintaining trust in public governance is essential for a well-functioning society, especially when this trust is more than ever under pressure in the face of grand societal challenges. Such challenges - e.g. climate change, digitalisation or global pandemics - emphasise the complexity of contemporary governance, as they require collaborative efforts from public, private and non-profit actors as well as individual citizens in multi-layered decision-making arenas.
For such complex governance systems to perform well, trust is a fundamental condition. While a certain degree of distrust between societal actors might be functional in specific instances, the recurring reports of breakdowns in trust point to significant problems for society. When trust evaporates, cooperation between citizens, private and non-profit organisations, and public actors is compromised, making an effective governance of societal transitions very hard to achieve. Governments and societal actors therefore increasingly seek ways to foster trust.
Drawing on high-level scientific expertise from multiple disciplines (incl. political science, communication science, law, behavioural economics and public administration), the GOVTRUST Summer School investigates a wide range of critical questions about the dynamics, causes and effects of trust and public governance from a multi-level perspective. Through a combination of (guest) lectures, discussions and workshops, participants will be stimulated to think across disciplinary boundaries, interact with each other and engage with speakers from academic and professional backgrounds.
Target group
PhD students, senior (postdoctoral) researchers, practitioners and policymakers interested in trust and public governance. Multi-disciplinary participation is strongly welcomed.The number of participants will be limited to 30 students.
Campus
This summer school takes place at Stadscampus (Prinsstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp) of the University of Antwerp. This campus is located in the city centre.
Micro-credential and study credits (ECTS)
Successful completion of the summer school can be awarded with 3 credits according to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Credits will be awarded by the University of Antwerp on the base of completion of the following work:
Preparatory work
- General and topical readings
- Watching short introductory videos related to the lectures
- Prepare and submit a one-page note on their expertise, how this relates to the GOVTRUST Summer School topic, and key questions they encounter related to the topic
- Prepare and submit a full paper (draft) in relation to a topic covered in the GOVTRUST Summer School; papers can be conceptual, theoretical or empirical in nature
On campus programme
- Five days, including (guest) lectures, seminars, and workshops
- Interactive group sessions with a focus on peer feedback
- 100% (active) participation is required
To include the credits in the curriculum at the home institution, participants need an agreement with the responsible person at their university. Students of the University of Antwerp who are eligible to include the ECTS credits as part of their study programme must register via Mobility Online and SisA.
All certificates of completion are issued as a micro-credential. Participants who attend the scheduled course contact hours, but don't complete the tasks will receive a certificate of attendance.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the summer school, participants will:
- be able to identify and summarise the significance of key research topics in the field of trust and public governance.
- be able to engage critically in an academic discussion on trust and public governance with both experts and peers.
- be ble to assess the value and proper use of different methods related to the field of trust and public governance.
- be able to process theoretical and methodological insights on trust and public governance as well as incorporate expert feedback in the development of a research paper.