Research programme director:
Prof.dr. Chrstine Neuhold
Programme profile
Since its inception in 2003, Politics and Culture in Europe (PCE) posits itself as an interdisciplinary research programme. The programme mainly brings together political scientists and historians but is also open to researchers from other disciplines such as philosophy. The topic that frames PCE research is:
‘Europe in a world of change’
As such, PCE research drives on three main “pillars”:
- Europe and the process of European integration is key in framing PCE research, but
- PCE researchers take the global context into account
- Change and its explanatory factors is a key ‘driver’ for PCE research.
What binds PCE research is thus that we contrast change to continuity; why is there no change, no transformation and if there is transformation what factors account for this, to what extent is ‘crisis’ a driver? Moreover, while we have a strong focus on Europe, our research is not Euro-centric but focuses on the global order. Our research also has a strong methodological component; how do we research and capture change?
The research group meets every four weeks to discuss on-going research. For the academic year 2019-2020, we focus on presenting our work in progress within so-called “Research under Construction” Sessions. Two to three researchers that work on a given a given topic present their work within a set time-limit. Certain sessions of the PCE Colloquium will also focus on other issues as such the repercussions of a transforming research landscape on PCE research(ers). An annual Conference provides a platform to disseminate and discuss research with other academics and stakeholders.
PCE researchers publish in top peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Common Market Studies, Journal of West European Politics and the Journal of European Public Policy, Journal of Contemporary European Studies, East Central Europe, Contemporary European History, and Journal of Modern European History.
PCE research is closely linked to the research that is done within the Centre for European Research in Maastricht (CERiM). As CERiM focuses on the interactions between Europe and global developments and explores the legal, political, social, and historical aspects thereof, it is an interdisciplinary expansion of the research interests that have been central to PCE, now including also different legal disciplines and perspectives. As such, CERiM provides a platform for research collaboration that brings together more than one hundred researchers from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) and the Faculty of Law (FL) of Maastricht University. It seeks to establish synergies, joint projects and events in the fields of European law, governance, and their respective history. CERiM is acknowledged as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence.
Research clusters: setting the scene
Because PCE is a rather large group of around 50 researchers, we work in four research clusters. These clusters are bound together by the umbrella topic of ‘Europe in a world of change’:
- “European Policy and Governance”
- “Europe and the Crisis of Rule-Based Global Order”
- “Democracy in Europe and its contestations: Past and Present”
- “Politics and Society in Numbers”
PCE Research and its clusters
Researchers within these clusters engage in activities such as:
- Discussion of ongoing research
- Finding and developing synergies between members’ research
- Reviewing/exchanging state of the art research in the fields covered by the cluster
- Developing ideas for future (joint) research agendas
- Channelling of expertise into activities/events/research outside the cluster including PCE sessions/conferences.
Note that PCE researchers can be members of more than one cluster.
You can access the website of the programme here.