Call for Participation: SWANA Urban Political Research Network Spring Institute 2027
The Research Network
The UPN’s second Spring Institute for early career researcher development, to be held in 2027, is funded through a grant from the Open Society Foundations. The first Institute, held in Beirut, in winter 2026, was funded by the Carnegie Corporation, through a grant managed by AUB Critical Approaches to Development in the MENA Region Initiative.
The Spring Institute
The Institute aims to equip participants with the theoretical, empirical and epistemological frameworks of urban political research in the SWANA region. It addresses contemporary debates across topics including urban theory, socio-technical framings of infrastructure, politics of place, collective action, territory and scale, urban power, and urban futures in the SWANA region. Academic sessions are structured around discussions of key concepts grounded in academic articles, conceptual exercises, and peer-led groupwork.
The Institute aims to help participants sharpen the skills in connecting empirical observations to broader theoretical debates; recognising different forms of evidence and linking them to wider claims; and developing confidence in discussing and refining research ideas. It also provides space for critical inquiry and intellectual exchange while supporting the development of a community of urban political scholars working on and in the SWANA region.
The Spring Institute welcomes participants who are advanced in their PhD journey and early career researchers working on the SWANA region. We are particularly interested in participants studying urban politics in the region across disciplines including anthropology, history, sociology, urban studies, urban planning, infrastructure studies, politics, political economy and other relevant fields of study.
Travel and Accommodation
Participants’ travel, transportation, accommodation, and meals will be fully covered for the duration of the Institute.
Eligibility
The Institute is open to early career researchers from/in the SWANA region working on themes related to politics and urban development. Researchers are expected to be working towards finalising their PhD degree or to have completed one within the last two years. We welcome researchers who work across academic and practitioner spaces.
Application Process
To apply for the Spring Institute 2027, please complete the following form: https://forms.gle/gxNkQQq1B9UwfTFv7
Please provide the following:
- Personal details
- Title of your current research
- Abstract of your current research
- Statement of interest (500 words)
- Writing sample (no more than 5 pages)
The deadline for applications is 30 November 2026. Shortlisted participants will be contacted for a short online interview, and successful applicants will be informed by the end of December 2026.