Summer Schools

MICROCON held its first Summer School, on data collection, in 2008. The second was on analytical research methods, and was held in July 2010.

MICROCON Summer School 2010 - Advanced Research Methods

Praise for MICROCON's second Summer School, 11-18 July, 2010 - Olympia, Greece

"The Olympia Summer School 2010 on Advanced Research Methods in Conflict-Affected Countries has been an intense and wonderful opportunity to make progress in my research. It provided me with the tools to connect the macro and micro- levels of analysis in a complementary way. This was made possible by a series of cutting-edge lectures, all given by top scholars representing different areas of expertise in conflict research. The lectures opened space for discussion and the presence of scholars coming from various backgrounds enhanced the possibility for cross-fertilising our investigations. The chance to meet lecturers and graduate students in a stimulating environment proved to be a great hub for networking. I am already engaging in a co-authored paper with another participant and keeping in contact with one of the lecturers in order to advance my own research methodology!”

- Sara Pavan, Graduate Student University of Amsterdam student at UvA, researcher at Justitia et Pax the Netherlands and teaching assistant at the Institute of Social Studies.

“The Olympia 2010 Summer Seminar on Advanced Research Methods in Conflict-Affected Countries was a tremendous learning experience on quantitative and qualitative tools of research. Instructors were among the most renowned scholars globally on causes and consequences of violent conflict and on the civil war literature. The cultural and professional mix of instructors (economists, sociologists, political scientists from nearly every continent) adds to the interdisciplinarity of the experience. Any student and/or practitioner of conflict, crime and violence would immensely benefit from the interaction and engagement with this diverse community of experts. The Olympia Summer School was not only a learning experience, but also an opportunity to network and share experiences and thoughts for over a week in the beautiful setting of continental Greece.”

- Benjamin Petrini, Conflict, Crime and Violence Team, the World Bank

"The MICROCON Advanced Research Methods course at the Olympia Summer Seminars was extremely useful. It presented new methodological approaches to researching the effects of conflict and violence and challenged me to expand my thinking about how to tackle my own research questions. The professors were all very helpful and approachable and made an effort to point out to individual students how the course discussions related back to their research topics. It was also great to be surrounded by other students interested in similar issues and there was much to be gained from speaking with them as well, both in and out of class sessions."

- Kai Thaler, researcher, Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town

“It was an exciting experience. With well-experienced lecturers from various Universities, the summer school was enriched with a mix of academic and practical sessions. The feedback session from lecturers during small group discussions was especially useful to direct our research area and methodology. It also provided a platform for us to build networks through formal and informal interactions. All in all, the summer school created an opportunity for learning and making friends with lots of fun!"

- Sindu Workneh Kebede, Doctoral Student , German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Department of International Economics

“Attending the 2010 Olympia Summer Seminar Cycle B: Advanced Research Methods was an important contribution to my graduate training. Although my home university provided excellent preparation in quantitative research methods, it was difficult to find training in the United States that specifically connected these methods to the most challenging situations in the field, such as conflict-prone regions and complex humanitarian emergencies. At Olympia, I was able to learn first-hand from an excellent set of researchers from a variety of disciplines, representing multiple methodologies, and from all over the world. This was a highly rewarding and valuable opportunity, which will hopefully foster more connections between U.S. and European scholars interested in a rigorous scientific study of the complex issues related to violence and conflict.”

- Cali Mortenson Ellis, Departments of Political Science and Public Policy University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Course description

MICROCON's second summer school aimed to offer participants insights into the design of field research, its implementation, and different tools to analyze and interpret results in conflict affected contexts. Advanced quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods used in different disciplines were presented and illustrated with examples from a number of geographic contexts.

Participants had the opportunity to discuss and improve their own work throughout the course. By the end of the course, participants were given a sound grasp of a range of different methodological and analytic techniques, and understood how to apply them to their own research projects.

The course was organised in collaboration with the Program on Order, Conflict and Violence at Yale University, the University of Macedonia and the Navarino Network.

  • Richard Akresh (Ph.D. Yale), Assistant Professor in Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
  • Ana Maria Ibáñez (Ph.D. Maryland), Associate Professor of Economics and Research Director of the Economics Department, University of Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
  • Stathis Kalyvas (Ph.D. Chicago), Arnold Wolfers Professor of political science, Yale University; director of the Program on Order, Conflict, and Violence at Yale
  • Teodora Karamelska, (Ph.D. Sofia), Researcher at the Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Jeremy Seekings (Ph.D. Oxford), Professor of Political Studies and Sociology, Center for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, South Africa and Visiting Professor at Yale University
  • Philip Verwimp (Ph.D. Leuven), Associate Professor and holder of the Marie and Alain Philippson Chair in Sustainable Human Development, Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, Belgium (www.hicn.org) and University of Antwerp.

More information on the course can be found on the Olympia Summer Seminars website.

The course programme is also available.

MICROCON Summer School 2008 - Advanced Methods for Research in Conflict Affected Countries

MICROCON’s first Summer School provided training in innovative multidisciplinary methods in conflict research, and topics included quantitative and qualitative methods, field practices and research ethics. It was organised in collaboration with Yale University’s Program on Order, Conflict and Violence as part of the 2008 Olympia Summer Seminars.

The course lasted one week, paticipants were PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers engaged in research on violent conflict. Each day was run by a leading expert, who lectured on and discussed their specialization. Students presented their research proposals at the beginning of the week and received feedback throughout the course.

The lecturers on the course were:

  • Patricia Justino (IDS and Harvard University - Economics, Quantitative Methods)
  • Stathis Kalyvas (Yale University - Political Science, Theory)
  • Betsy Levy Paluck (Harvard University - Social Psychology, Experimental Design)
  • Philip Verwimp (Fund for Scientific Research - University of Antwerp - Economics, Survey Research)

Schedule

Monday, July 7

Presentations of research proposals/ongoing work by participants

On the theory of civil war and conflict - Stathis Kalyvas

Tuesday, July 8

Poverty and Conflict: theory - Patricia Justino

Wednesday, July 9

Experimental design and methods - Elizabeth Paluck

Thursday, July 10

Survey and questionnaire design for mixed methods field work - Philip Verwimp

Friday, July 11

Research practice, ethical conduct and ethical review - Philip Verwimp and Elizabeth Paluck