From Political Science to Political Risk: A Workshop on Knowledge Transfer for the Risk Consultancy Industry
We are excited to announce an upcoming workshop on leveraging social scientists’ research skills for the political risk industry. Social scientists possess valuable expertise in data collection, qualitative analysis, survey design, and trend forecasting—skills that are highly sought after in the consultancy sector. They also have area and case-study knowledge that can be critical for decision making under conditions of uncertainty. This workshop will guide participants on how to transfer their academic knowledge to applied work in political risk analysis. Experts with experience in both research and political risk, covering both quantitative and qualitative methods, will be present to provide hands-on guidance throughout the event.
- Location: University of Wroclaw, Institute of Political Science Building, ul. Koszarowa 3, 51-149 Wrocław
- Organizers: Robert Schuman Center at the European University Institute and the University of Wroclaw
- Guest Lecturers: Veronica Anghel (EUI), Preston Keat (UBS), Erik Jones (EUI), Joanna Wielgo(EUI)
- Local coordinator: Tomasz P. Woźniakowski (Institute of Political Science, University of Wroclaw)
- Dates: February 27-28, 2025 (Thursday-Friday)
Target Audience
This workshop is specifically designed for early-career social scientists from various fields, such as political science, sociology, anthropology, economics, and international relations, who are considering applying their knowledge and analytical skills outside of academia. Whether your expertise lies in understanding social dynamics, conducting in-depth interviews, analyzing large datasets, or forecasting political trends, this workshop will show you how these skills can be transferred to the political risk industry.
Duration
This day-and-a-half introductory workshop will combine engaging lectures with interactive exercises designed to bridge the gap between academia and the political risk industry. The lectures, which are open to all audiences, will introduce participants to the fundamentals of the political risk industry and explain why social scientists play a crucial role in it. Following this, 30 selected participants will work closely in smaller groups with the guest lecturers, focusing on practical skills like forecasting and writing for broader, non-academic audiences. Through hands-on activities guided by experienced professionals, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to apply their social science expertise to real-world challenges in the political risk sector. Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register here before 19.02.2025: https://forms.office.com/e/yeT89TEbMK.
First Day Lectures are open to all audiences, there is no need to cap the number of participants.
Second Day Lectures and interactions are reserved for the smaller group of participants.
Schedule
Day I – February 27, 2025 (Thursday)
Guest Arrival Before Noon
1pm – 2:30pm – Open seminar „An introduction to Horizon Europe: EU funding for research and innovation” (event open to anyone interested; optional for participants in the Political Risk Seminar). Room: Aula A
3pm – 4.30pm – Lecture I on the Political Risk Industry. What is Political Risk? What is political risk analysis? Who would be interested in doing this? How can we use social science skills and case knowledge for consulting purposes? Room: Aula A
5pm-6:30pm – Lecture II on mapping and measuring political risk for investors provided by Preston Keat (UBS). He is a managing director and head of political and country risk at UBS. In this role he oversees the bank’s political and country risk team. Room: Aula A
Day II – February 28, 2025 (Friday)
9.00am-10.30am – Lecture III on Risk Modeling. How do we measure risk? What are the qualitative and quantitative approaches to measuring risk? How do we present risk assessments for clients?
(After the lecture, participants are split into two groups randomly.) Room: Aula A
11am-12:30pm Group Work I. Room 26, 27 (tbc)
Lunch Break
2:00pm-3.00pm Open Seminar ‘How to Publish in Academic Journals’ (event open to anyone interested; optional for participants in the Political Risk Seminar). Room: Aula A
3.30 – 5pm Group Work II. Room 26, 27 (tbc)
5:30pm-6pm – Conclusions and Wrap Up. Room: Aula A
