ECPS Youth

ECPS Youth aims to be a conduit of knowledge (and action) for young people and scholars in the early part of their careers, as well as professionals and the broader public. ECPS Youth promotes democratic governance and develops strategies to combat populism. ECPS Youth utilizes a wide range of media to highlight different perspectives on various issues relating to populism. Our work is organically developed by ideas and projects proposed by our members and contributors. 

One goal of ECPS Youth is to address the lack of academic interest in youth perspectives of populism studies. Many social scientists draw a connection between older voters and support for populism while overlooking young people’s sympathy for populist leaders and rhetoric. By gaining support among youth and young voters, populist politicians ensure their future relevance. ECPS Youth strives to provide young people with a platform where they can develop their cognitive and behavioral skills while reflecting on their attitudes concerning populism. 

We have various platforms to give early career professionals, young researchers, and intellectuals a space to voice and discuss their opinions. Voice of Youth aims to publish works written by young professionals. ECPS Youth Seminars is a platform where various academics and professionals present their works and discuss with ECPS Youth and other participants. ECPS Academy Summer School aims to spread knowledge from experts to the broader public, especially youth and young professionals. As populism is a multi-dimensional topic, learning from every field and realizing that simplifications cause ignorance and conflict is crucial. Accordingly, we are honored to have contributions from the leading scholars in their fields teaching at ECPS Summer School.

Reaching out to the public with customized and efficient content and methods is as essential as achieving academic quality. Hence, ECPS Youth has a sound vision to create specific methods and channels to interact with youth from every background. As a part of this initiative, ECPS Youth is developing new platforms and is interested in hearing from you.

What can you do?

We are keen to have representatives and members from various EU countries. We want to hear what youth on the streets are saying about the current political tides and learn what NGOs are doing to uphold democratic and EU values. We are looking for individuals interested in street interviews, short reports, making short videos, or social media; researchers with an interest in writing; and influencers reaching out to various youth segments and the broader public. If you’re interested, please get in touch. For the moment, we do not have funding; however, if you like to gain experience, are interested in networking, and developing research or social projects, we would like to help you by offering a high-quality space to realize your interests and projects.

If want to publish a short piece at the Voice of Youth, join ECPS Youth as a member, present a project concept that can support EU values, join the ECPS networking email list, or are interested in presenting your work (book, thesis, article) at ECPS Youth Seminars, please contact us at ecps@populismstudies.org Please add the topic of your interest or interests in the subject line of the email.

Voice of Youth

This platform aims to generate a discussion space for youth and young professionals. We publish pieces written by individuals at the master’s thesis to Ph.D. level, writers aged 16-30, short pieces on youth by experts and professionals, and articles from members or representatives of youth organizations.

As another organically growing platform, the Voice of Youth aims to encourage and empower young professionals and youth. It also aims to disseminate the knowledge produced on youth and democracy-related topics. ECPS Voice of Youth is a conversation space for youth, by youth and experts in the field of youth and EU values. We publish articles about various aspects of populism, touching on racism, extremism, nationalism, civilizationalism, and more. We are also keen to publish inspirational pieces on everyday heroes and civil society who support human rights, set a civic example, and inspire others.

What can you do?

You can present your short articles about a text, video, piece of art, literary work, interview, recent incident, or historical case as long as it relates to populism. We are especially interested in publishing essays on the EU region, other regions in relation to the EU, democratization, polarization, nationalism, racism, white supremacy, civil society, youth organizations, youth and social movements, transitional justice, the future of democracy, digital developments, environmental changes and populism, and many other themes concerning populism studies. Please follow the below guidelines:

• Your submission can be between 500-1000 words; in limited cases, we will consider longer pieces.
• The essay should have critical and analytical elements.
• It should address one of many topics relating to populism. For an example, see one of the titles of the research programs at ECPS Programs.
• Remember that this is written for a broad audience. Please use short sentences. Refrain from technical terms, and if this isn’t possible, explain all the terms in clear and comprehensive language.
• Please submit your articles to the Voice of Youth Submission page.

Youth Seminars

The seminar series organized by ECPS Youth invites papers, books, and other presentations by scholars in the early or late stages of their careers. This series aims to increase interest in the works of experts and create a venue for connecting with the broader public. For recordings of these seminars, please see the Youth Hub Channel of ECPS Youth. We are interested in learning from all academics, intellectuals, policymakers, and artists. As a principle, we advocate for the work of young professionals, women, minority backgrounds, and underrepresented groups.

What can you do?

If you like to take an active role in the preparation of seminars, host a seminar, propose a seminar topic and speakers, or present your work, please send an email to ecps@populismstudies.org with the subject line “Seminar Series.”

ECPS Academy Summer School

Each year, in the first week of July, ECPS organizes a five-day, interactive summer school for a handful of outstanding young researchers. They will hear presentations from global experts on populism, and it provides a unique opportunity for them to assess the populist challenge to democratic politics. With a strong focus on European politics, this rigorous program provides a state-of-the-art introduction to a number of key issues in the field of populism studies and democratic governance.

What can you do?

Are you an early career academic researcher in the social sciences or humanities at the Bachelor’s, Master’s, or doctoral level? Are you passionate about European politics and understanding the dynamics that shape them? Are you looking for a way to expand your knowledge under the supervision of leading experts, seeking options to have your work published by a European research institute, or simply needing a few extra ECTS credits for your studies? Please keep your eyes open for the annual ECPS Summer School announcement. If you want to be added to the sign-up email for the summer school, please send an email to ecps@populismstudies.org with the subject line, “Summer School Announcements Subscribe.”