On 6 and 13 December, the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy hosted two of its bi-annual PhD colloquium. Conceived in line with Albert Hirschman’s interdisciplinary tradition, the colloquium is designed to foster deep interactions and feedback between PhD researchers on the one hand, and scholars from other disciplines on the other.

Indeed, while much interdisciplinary training for early career scholars entails teaching them how to assimilate different disciplines into their projects, the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy’s programme focuses is geared towards building interdisciplinary communities.

Over 10 PhD researchers from five departments were able to present and/or provide commentary to papers throughout the two colloquiums. On 6 December, PhD candidates Zakaria Imessaoudene, Daniel Quiroga, and Atiya Hussain presented an in-progress chapter or article of their dissertation on themes as varied as trade wars, the International Geneva’s infrastructure, and the economics of India’s decolonization process. Discussants included, among others, Maria Mexi, Yanina Welp, and Laura Bullon-Cassis.

On 13 December, PhD candidates Ana Balcazar and Dena Kirpalani, Derya Cakim, Izzeddin Araj, and Lucas Figueroa, presented their work on themes such as human rights and the COVID-19 pandemic, states and the metaphor of failure, Palestinian borders and sperm smuggling, and subnational response to environmental national policies. Christine Lutringer, Neus Torbisco-Casals, Jerome Duberry, and Mark Hufty were among the discussants.

You may subscribe to updates about AHCD activities geared towards PhD students or express your interest in partaking in a future colloquium by emailing democracy@graduateinstitute.ch.