This PhD seminar is held by Lucas Chancel (Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po) and supported by Andreas Novy (Associate Professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business). The PhD Seminar is open to social science and climate-science students interested in the interactions between climate change and social inequalities. The seminar reviews the latest empirical and theoretical research on global economic and climate inequalities, focusing on inequality in contributions, harms, and capacity to act. We discuss various methods to measure and analyze these inequalities. The focus is then placed on current industrial policies in renewable energy, with a comparative analysis of strategies employed in China, Europe, and the US. We examine their implications for economic inequalities within and between countries, and how they could reshape global power imbalances in the 21st century.

Students will be able 
•    to better understand contemporary politico-economic processes of multiple dimensions of inequality (global, environmental, ...) and
•    to relate processes of the political economy of inequality to the personal PhD-project.

Regular attendance, one absence permitted

In each session, a lecture by Prof. Lucas Chancel on the readings and their significance for the themes pursued in the seminar will be followed by a class discussion. Attendance is required and participation in seminar discussions is important.

1. Regular attendance (one absence permitted) and active participation in seminar discussions.

2. Short oral presentation on parts of the course literature (15 %)

3. One-page written proposal (10 %)

4. Reflection paper on the public lecture (15 %)

5. Term paper (60 %)

Registration & Application

The Research Seminar Global Inequality and the Climate Crisis will be open for PhD-Students at Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), University of Vienna and Central European University (CEU). Also, Master-Students at University of Vienna and CEU will be able to participate. Participation is limited.

Send your application (including a letter of motivation [1 page max]) and a CV to: polanyi_visitingprofessor@wu.ac.at, by 25/02/2025.

More information on the Vienna Karl Polanyi Visiting Professorship by Lucas Chancel is found on the website of the International Karl Polanyi Society.

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