GENDER, MACROECONOMICS AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP (GEM-IWG)
GEM-EUROPE and GEM-TURKEY
Knowledge Networking and Capacity Building Program on Engendering Macroeconomics and International Economics
1st European Regional Intensive Workshop and Symposium
October 9 – 17, 2011
Hosted by Women’s Studies Center in Science, Engineering and Technology (WSC-SET)
Istanbul Technical University (ITU), İstanbul, TURKEY
in partnership with ITU WSC-SET, Warsaw School of Economics, Gender and Economic Equality Program at the Levy Economics Institute, University of Utah, Department of Economics and UNDP
with support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation, UNDP and IDRC
GEM-IWG, along with GEM-Europe and GEM-Turkey, is pleased to announce its European regional program on knowledge networking and capacity building on gender, macroeconomics and international economics. This program aims to facilitate the integration of a gender perspective into macroeconomic research and policy formulation in Europe with a special focus on the transition and emerging economies in Eastern and Southern Europe, the Balkans as well as the Caucasus and Central Asia. The purpose of the program is to create a knowledge network of economists in these regions.
Key activities of the 2011 regional program consist of a) an intensive workshop to be held in Istanbul on October 9th through 15th, and b) a symposium to be held in Istanbul on October 17th on “Engendering Macroeconomic Policy in the Periphery of Europe”. Up to thirty fellows will be admitted to the program.
Eligibility: The program is for economists in academia, research institutions, government, civil society organizations and in international development institutions. Partial or full funding will be available for up to 20 fellows. The fellows of the program will be required, at a minimum, to have completed two years of study in an economics Ph.D. program and have passed their qualifying exams, or have its equivalent such as a master’s degree in economics. Funding priority will be given to those who are: a) residents or citizens of and/or those who are active in research or policy formulation on gender, macroeconomics and international economics in the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Residents and citizens of other countries in Europe, in particular Ireland, Portugal and Spain, are welcome to apply but will not have funding priority. These requirements may be waived only under exceptional circumstances. The program will be conducted in English. Final selection criteria will include the objective of achieving gender balance and country balance in the composition of fellows.
The current initiative expands upon and contributes to long-standing efforts undertaken by GEM-IWG, an international network of over 400 economists from over 70 countries. GEM-IWG was formed in 1994 for the purpose of promoting research, teaching, policy making and advocacy on gender equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization. The Knowledge Networking Program was launched by GEM-IWG, in 2003. It has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women, UNDP and UNIFEM. The Program has two objectives: (a) to build capacity in research, teaching, policy making and advocacy in this area; (b) to increase knowledge networking by strengthening the links among practitioners working on gender, macroeconomics and international economics. (see www.genderandmacro.org for details).
GEM-IWG, which has formed an invaluable resource base of economists from around the world on gender-equitable approaches to macroeconomics, international economics and globalization, will serve as a jumping board to start a similar process in the region and is intended to result in the strengthening of a regional network. Similar regional initiatives have emerged from GEM-IWG, such as the GEM-Latin America and the Caribbean, GEM-Africa and GEM-Asia regional groups.
Applications must be received by August 8th, 2011, but will be processed as they are received. Only completed applications will be reviewed. Those accepted to the program will be informed by August 15th, 2011. Please see further below for application requirements and application form.
COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM
The fellows are expected to complete the full program which consists of the following three components:
1) The Self-study Module will introduce the fellows to basic concepts of feminist economics and to basic
concepts of feminist approaches to macroeconomics and international economics. It will also include
broader critical analyses of the regional economy and its institutions, the origins and causes of the current region-specific topics of crisis. Those participating in the course will be expected to have completed the self-study module. Completion of the self-study module will ensure that all the fellows start from a common knowledge baseline and that they will have had a chance to do the readings before participating in the one-week course.
2) The Intensive Workshop which will take place October 9 – 15, 2011 at Istanbul Technical University’s Maslak campus in Istanbul, will address the problems posed by the self-study component at a more advanced level. It will consist of lectures by the instructors, discussion sessions and presentations by the fellows. The process will be participatory. The fellows will have an opportunity to meet with the instructors individually to discuss their research or teaching projects. A subset of the instructors will be available to act as mentors and interested fellows will be assigned a mentor during the program.
Fellows will be encouraged to work in a specific research area of interest to them in macroeconomics or international economics during the course. This may be related to a country that they are familiar with; the process may be used to lead up to a research proposal; it may entail a policy briefing, ideas for curriculum development or a book review. The fellows will be expected to make a presentation on their research topic or on any other related topic that they have expertise on. They are expected to form sub-regional or thematic groups to promote knowledge sharing in research, teaching, and policy–making beyond the duration of the program. Examples of such groups formed during the past cycles of the Global GEM-IWG programs include: GEM group on Time Use, Social Accounting Matrices and CGE Modeling, GEM group on Gender and Poverty, GEM group on Gender Responsive Budgets, GEM group on Gender and Taxation, GEM group on Globalization, Labor markets and Gender Inequity, GEM group of Economists for Full Employment and Employer of Last Resort, as well as the regional GEM groups mentioned above. The fellows will have an opportunity to meet and interact with some of the fellows from the past cycles during the course and the conference.
3) The Symposium on “Engendering Macroeconomic Policy in the Periphery of Europe” will take place on October 17, 2011 also at Istanbul Technical University’s Maslak campus. The fellows are expected to attend the symposium, which will be open to all other researchers/academics, policy-makers/bureaucrats, members of NGOS and the media.
Detailed information on course content, list of instructors, purpose of the course as well as the symposium program will be posted on the Istanbul GEM workshop and symposium web site which can be reached via www.kaum.itu.edu.tr/en/. For information on GEM courses and conferences for previous cycles, please visit www.genderandmacro.org.
COSTS OF ATTENDANCE AND FUNDING
Up to twenty fellows will be funded. For the fellows who are fully funded by the program, the following will be provided: economy round trip air travel, accommodation and meals during the workshop and the symposium, instruction, course materials and symposium participation. Fellows who are self-funded (or partially self-funded) need to cover the costs of accommodation and meals (1200 euros for 9 nights); instruction, course materials and symposium participation (2,400 Euros), and cost of their air travel and local transportation.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
- The deadline for the completed applications is August 8, 2011.
- Kindly note that for applications to be processed all required documents must be submitted
simultaneously via e-mail.
Application requirements are:
a) The completed application form for admission (see below)
b) A Curriculum Vitae
c) A personal statement which should include a description of the applicant’s background and current work in economics, interest and/or background in gender studies, background and /or interest in macroeconomics, background and/or interest in international economics, motivation for taking the course, how s/he plans to use the knowledge, skills and networks gained in the program, and how s/he expects to contribute to the course and more generally to knowledge networking in the future. This statement should be between 500-750 words. The statement should address all these areas.
d) A letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with the applicant’s work in economics.
e) For those whose main language of instruction during their education was not English, some proof of
English proficiency test (e.g., TOEFL) will be preferable, but other proof may be accepted (e.g. a sample of written work in English).
f) For applicants who are currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program or who have obtained a Ph.D. or M.A.
degree in the last two years, a copy of their transcripts in the Ph.D. or the M.A. program.
Items a – c (the application form, C.V., personal statement) should be sent by the applicant to admin@gem-europe.org via email; item d (the recommendation letter (a signed and scanned copy written on the person’s institutional letterhead) should be sent by the recommender to admin@gem-europe.org via email, with a subject line “recommendation for Mr., Ms. ……”. In addition, a pdf copy of items e – f (proof of English proficiency and transcripts in cases which are relevant) should be sent again to admin@gem-europe.org by the applicant.
For inquiries, please contact the Program Coordinators :
Ipek Ilkkaracan Ajas (ilkkaracan@itu.edu.tr)
Ozge Izdes (izdes@economics.utah.edu).
Knowledge Networking Program on Engendering Macroeconomics and International Economics
1ST European Regional Intensive Workshop and Symposium: October 9 – 17, 2011, Istanbul
