Institutions Think Tank

Course goals

Learning objectives
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Understand the ways in which institutions as formal and informal frameworks for human interaction – laws, contracts, customs, algorithms, etc. – enable or constrain the realisation of an open, democratic and equitable society, as well as determine a society's ability to absorb shocks and its sustainability
• Use and apply key conceptual and methodological tools for pursuing research related to how institutions facilitate (or undermine) open, inclusive, and flourishing societies in facing a variety of challenges
• Design a grant proposal for an interdisciplinary research into a disruption of an institutional field. 
• Present their research convincingly to an audience and jury and respond to questions
• Reflect upon working collaboratively and interdisciplinary.

Content

Students who are not enrolled in the research master Multidisciplinary Economics should contact the course coordinator for enrollment in this course.

Institutions Think Tank provides students from Research Masters programmes related to Utrecht University’s Strategic Research Theme “Institutions for Open Societies” (IOS) with an opportunity for hands-on interdisciplinary research collaboration in connection to this theme. The course aims to equip students with key conceptual and methodological tools for pursuing research related to how institutions serve function (or fail to function) to addressing key societal issues. The course provides research master students with hands-on experience about writing and applying for research grants as well as provides invaluable experience in working collaboratively and in an interdisciplinary way.

Institutions Think Tank combines seminars with student-led research in addressing key issues relating to Utrecht University’s strategic theme Institutions for Open Societies. IOS brings together research into the ways in which formal and informal frameworks for human interaction – laws, customs, networks, organisations, etc. – enable or constrain the realisation of an open, democratic and equitable society, as well as determine a society's ability to absorb shocks and its sustainability. See: https://www.uu.nl/en/research/institutions-for-open-societies.

The course begins with four weeks of lecture-seminars devoted to canonical texts and key concepts in this field of research, focusing on how a specific development (such as the rise of ride-sharing services or COVID-19) disrupts the ability of various institutions to facilitate the openness, inclusivity, and flourishing of societies. The texts, concepts, theories, and methods form the shared background for the research developed by students in the remainder of the course.

In the second part of the course, students work in multidisciplinary research teams to jointly carry out their own research the role of institutions in (failing to) address a specific social challenge. Under the guidance of one of the instructors, each research team produces grant proposal for an interdisciplinary research into an instance of “disruption of the institutional field”. The course concludes with a symposium in which the research teams present their results to a jury of experts.

Prerequisite knowledge
Enrolled in a Research Master programme; students from other MA programmes are welcome but should secure the permission of the course coordinator prior to enrolment.  No specific prior knowledge is presupposed, but students should be able and willing to bring the specialised knowledge from their own field to bear on interdisciplinary research on topics central to the theme “Institutions for Open Societies”.

Prerequisite knowledge can be obtained through:
Coursework in the first semester of the relevant (R)MA programmes.

Intended Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the development of the following Intended Learning Outcomes:
The graduate:
- has broad knowledge of core theories regarding the role of institutions
- has knowledge of multidisciplinary aspects of their own research specialisation
- can present and communicate in English (communication to experts and non-experts)
- can collaborate in an international team, also with academics from other disciplines
- can summarise and identify common themes in the literature on a specific topic, and keep track of recent developments
- can critically appraise literature
- can identify innovative and well-delineated research questions
- can identify in a research proposal the correct methodology to answer research questions
- can acquire and apply insights from other scientific disciplines
- can make their own research relevant for society
- can critically reflect on their own work, and critically reflect on work of others in an appropriate way
- can self-reflect on their development as a researcher

In case online access is required for this course and you are not in the position to buy the access code, you are advised to contact the course coordinator for an alternative solution. Please note that access codes are not re-usable meaning that codes from second hand books do not work, as well as access codes from books with a different ISBN. Separate or spare codes are usually not available.