Tilburg University Summer School

We offer you intensive academic summer courses (ECTS Accredited) combined with cultural and social activities.

Flexibility and Security: Challenges to Modern Labour Markets and Social Protection in Europe

  • Arrival day: 1 July 2012
  • Course period: 2 July - 6 July 2012
  • Course load: Will be available soon
  • Credits: Certificate of Participation
  • Minimum participants: 20
  • Maximum participants: 25
  • Course coordinator: Sonja Bekker
  • Venue: Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands
  • Target group: We invite PhD students with projects that deal with issues on or related to the Summer School theme to apply for participation.
  • Schedule: can be downloaded here.

Course information
The future of European societies will strongly depend on the realisation of dynamic and inclusive labour markets, with access of all to decent and productive jobs, avoiding segmentation and dualisation. At the same time, collective arrangements for social security, pensions, and welfare are necessary vehicles for social participation and cohesion.
At societal level, the challenge is to overcome the inherent tension and possible zero sum game between on the one hand the increasing flexibility, dynamism and efficiency orientation of present day labour markets, and on the other hand the pressing need for social protection and social order. At the level of the labour market the challenge is to deal with possible tensions between various groups: insiders versus outsiders, old versus new generations, higher and lower educated, and domestic workers versus migrant workers. Moreover, current labour markets still display a gender bias with respect to terms of employment and employment opportunities. At the level of work organisations, with the employment contract at its core, a tension exists between the need for added value, performance and productivity, and the need for legitimate and fair arrangements for income and employment security. At the level of individual workers and their families, tensions regard the reconciliation of work and care as a basic requierement for citizens’ well-being.
At all levels, the balance between flexibility and security, between modern labour markets and welfare arrangements, is among the most pressing challenges for the EU and its member states.

Required Reading
Will be available soon.

The Summer School
The Summer School offers lectures with discussions, assignments and workshops, all presented and supervised by renowned scholars (Ton Wilthagen, Ruud Muffels, Jan van Ours, Wim van Oorschot, René Schalk, Heejung Chung, Janine Leschke, Charissa Freese, Sonja Bekker and others) from various disciplines such as sociology, social policy, economics, organization studies, HRM and labour law. In addition, participating students will have the opportunity to present their PhD-projects and to discuss them in small groups with other participants and scholars. PhD students thus get individual feedback to their projects.

Application Procedure
We invite PhD students with projects that deal with issues on or related to the Summer School theme to apply for participation. We value a multi-disciplinary setting and welcome students from a range of academic disciplines, like sociology, economy, law, political science and (European) social policy. National, as well as cross-national projects are welcomed, theoretical as well as empirical projects, and projects may be based on quantitative or qualitative methodologies. Applications for admission must include:

  • A completed application form;
  • A current resume/curriculum vitae;
  • A statement of academic interests and professional goals;
  • An abstract of your research (before May 1st 2012) and, once accepted to the Summer School, a research paper (before June 8th 2012).
  • Send your application to C.C.Dohmen@tilburguniversity.edu (before 1 May 2012)

Course Fee and additional costs
The course Fee will be 250 Euro. This will include; welcome drink, social program, goodbye dinner and excursion. Travelling expenses and accommodation will be at one’s own expense. You have to arrange accommodation yourself.

Supporting Organisations
  • ReFlecT
  • EDAC
  • ESPAnet

More information
For more information, please send an e-mail to Ms. Dohmen.