The Keynesian Working Group is pleased to announce a call for papers for the Third Edition of the YSI Workshop on The Political Economy of Growth and Distribution: The Role of the State in the Age of Geopolitical Transformations.
We invite young scholars to submit abstracts of up to 500 words and, subsequently, articles or drafts showcasing their current research for this workshop, which will be hosted by the University of Siena, Italy, on February 26–27.
Building on the success of previous editions, this Workshop will focus on the changing role of the state in contemporary capitalism, amid ongoing processes of deglobalization and within a context of geopolitical transformation. The state’s renewed prominence in the global economy has become increasingly evident—illustrated by the proliferation of trade restrictions, tariffs, financial sanctions, and other measures that limit the cross-border movement of capital and labor. These developments revive key debates on fiscal and monetary policy, financial governance, trade strategies, and their implications for global inequalities.
By engaging with these issues, the event aims to highlight how state action interacts with global economic transformations to shape growth models, distributional outcomes, and macroeconomic stability. The interdisciplinary scope invites contributions that address both advanced and developing economies, as well as historical and comparative perspectives. We particularly encourage approaches that bridge disciplines, bringing together insights from political economy, macroeconomics, economic history, political science, and the broader social sciences.
The Workshop The Political Economy
The Keynesian Working Group is pleased to announce a call for papers for the Third Edition of the YSI Workshop on The Political Economy of Growth and Distribution: The Role of the State in the Age of Geopolitical Transformations.
We invite young scholars to submit abstracts of up to 500 words and, subsequently, articles or drafts showcasing their current research for this workshop, which will be hosted by the University of Siena, Italy, on February 26–27.
Building on the success of previous editions, this Workshop will focus on the changing role of the state in contemporary capitalism, amid ongoing processes of deglobalization and within a context of geopolitical transformation. The state’s renewed prominence in the global economy has become increasingly evident—illustrated by the proliferation of trade restrictions, tariffs, financial sanctions, and other measures that limit the cross-border movement of capital and labor. These developments revive key debates on fiscal and monetary policy, financial governance, trade strategies, and their implications for global inequalities.
By engaging with these issues, the event aims to highlight how state action interacts with global economic transformations to shape growth models, distributional outcomes, and macroeconomic stability. The interdisciplinary scope invites contributions that address both advanced and developing economies, as well as historical and comparative perspectives. We particularly encourage approaches that bridge disciplines, bringing together insights from political economy, macroeconomics, economic history, political science, and the broader social sciences.
The Workshop The Political Economy of Growth and Distribution III: The Role of the State in the Age of Geopolitical Transformations will offer a valuable opportunity for graduate students and early-career researchers to present their work and receive constructive feedback from colleagues and experts. It will also provide a space for participants to exchange ideas, discuss current research, and explore potential collaborations.
Topics
We welcome theoretical and empirical papers on themes related (but not limited) to the following:
- Power relations and the political economy of the state;
- Fiscal and monetary policy, financial governance, trade strategies, and their impacts on global inequalities;
- Historical perspectives and analysis in political economy;
- Growth and distribution models, demand regimes, and growth drivers;
- International monetary systems, currency hierarchies, financialization, and instability;
- Global imbalances, core–periphery divides, recent trends in the Global South, and regional inequalities;
- Comparative and international political economy, trade and industrial imbalances, and development strategies;
- Class conflict, social blocs, power, and growth coalitions.
Confirmed keynote speakers:
Robert A. Blecker. Professor Emeritus of Economics, American University, Washington, DC, USA, and Fellow, Forum for Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policy (FMM). His research has covered post-Keynesian theory, international trade, open economy macroeconomics, alternative models of growth and distribution, global trade imbalances, export-led growth, US trade policy, the Mexican economy and economic integration in North America. He has published in leading journals including Cambridge Journal of Economics, Economica, Journal of Development Studies, Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, Metroeconomica, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics and World Development.
Annina Kaltenbrunner. Professor of Global Economics at Leeds University Business School. Her research focuses on the hierarchical structure of the international monetary and financial system and its implications for external vulnerability, macroeconomic policy, financial development, and structural change in developing and emerging economies. She is currently working on barriers to local currency lending to developing countries.
Erik Bengtsson. Associate Professor of Economic History at Lund University, Sweden, and a WID Fellow of the World Inequality Lab, Paris. His research focuses on economic inequality and historical and comparative political economy and he has published on these themes in journals such as Past & Present, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Economic History and the Economic History Review.
Marco Veronese Passarella. Professor of Economics at the University of L’Aquila, and Senior Visiting Research Fellow in Economics at Leeds University Business School. His research focuses primarily on macroeconomic models, economic dynamics, monetary economics, international economics, and theories of prices and distribution.
Riccardo Pariboni.  Associate Professor at the University of Siena, Italy. After three years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Economics of Roma Tre University, he was appointed Visiting Professor at the Freie Universität in Berlin and then joined the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies as a Postdoctoral Fellow. His research interests are growth theory, income distribution and Post-Keynesian Economics, also covering environmental issues and labour market dynamics.
Further speakers are still to be confirmed.
Important dates
Abstract submission by December 15.
Acceptance notification by December 20.
III Workshop on the Political Economy of Growth and Distribution:Â February 26-27, 2026.
How to Apply
Young scholars can apply to the call for abstracts here:https://forms.gle/r91SY5UxpjnwEjm36. If selected, you will be invited to present your work. Selections will be made based on merit. Selected students can expect to receive accommodation and participation in the social dinner.
*Young scholars are welcome to attend the event as listeners. Please register using the following form: https://forms.gle/fpGEgR87keYsDfs8AÂ
Contact us for any further queries:
Cinthia de Souza – cinthiands@gmail.com
Francesca Giammorcaro – f.giammorcaro@student.unisi.it
VinÃcius Centeno – vinicenteno@gmail.com
Edoardo Rappa – edoardorappa@gmail.com
