The 29th Summer University on Federalism, Decentralisation and Conflict Resolution will take place from 15 August to 2 September 2022. Registration is open now!

Questions of minority protection, separation of powers, or inclusion through power-sharing are crucial to current conflicts in many states around the world – from Belgium to Ethiopia, from Iraq to Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Nepal to Syria. Federalism and decentralisation therefore continue to be discussed as instruments for resolving violent and non-violent conflicts, for dealing with state failure, and for contributing to democratisation.

However, federalisation processes are neither linear, nor do they always result in a fully functional federal system. How can federal and decentralised structures contribute to peace-building and democratisation? What do the cases of Nepal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Iraq teach us about the advantages and disadvantages of federal structures? Which other factors contribute to ending violence and to ensuring a transition to democratic governance in conflict-affected regions? How do federal systems, including in countries such as Switzerland, adapt to new challenges? What is the future of federalism and decentralisation in the 21st century? These and other questions will be dealt with at the next Summer University on Federalism, Decentralisation and Conflict Resolution in 2022.

In addition, a range of activities, including group work and simulations, will enable participants to apply the knowledge gained to real-life cases and discuss the trade-offs and challenges in the application of federal structures.

Prerequisite: Bachelor degree of law, political science, international relations, economics, history, journalism or other related subjects.
Course fee: CHF 250.-. 
ECTS: Each participant is entitled to 10 ECTS (5 ECTS for the block course, further 5 ECTS are attributed for writing the compulsory seminar paper).
Registration: via Email to Yvonne Heiter: yvonne.heiter-steiner@unifr.ch or via MyUnifr. Registrations on a first come first served basis.
Information: for more information please see our homepage www.federalism.ch or contact Yvonne Heiter (yvonne.heiter-steiner@unifr.ch).