YSI UK Hub Workshop

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented global crackdown. Its emergence is a result of the unequal and ecologically unsustainable ways of life imposed by capitalism. Its rapid expansion reflects the deep integration of global capitalism, but its unequal impact and the asymmetries in public policy responses highlight the inequalities that exist at multiple levels, including class, gender, race and regional inequalities. Simultaneously, not even a global lockdown of the economy for several months was enough to sufficiently deviate global warming. More broadly, the pandemic is a major but certainly not the single effect of the Anthropocene. While carbon emissions of richest 1 percent more than double those of the poorest half of humanity, it is the latter who suffers the most from the consequences of an unsustainable world economy.
In this context, the following years are crucial. Although there are no magic bullets, young scholars can contribute to framing and developing an academic agenda engaged with building an alternative future. To that end, last December, YSI members living in the UK met for a one-day workshop and set an agenda of discussions and events for 2022. Our first in-person workshop will be held next April 2nd and 3rd and will consist of the following three parts:

*Part 1: The generalist young scholar. *

Catching-up with new economic thinking becomes more complicated as we move along the academic pipeline. We are encouraged to focus on our topic and become experts in it, while teaching and administrative responsibilities make it harder to find time to read and elaborate on broad topics beyond those directly related to our research.

In this section of our workshop, a member of the YSI UK hub will introduce a mini lecture and a large seminar to discuss a broad topic within economics. This time, we will discuss development theories of decolonization.

Part 2: The specialist young scholar.

As we become experts in our field we risk speaking to too small audiences. We need to learn how to present our work to colleagues working on distant topics and their feedback has potential to help us go out of the box and find creative solutions for our specific questions. In this part of the workshop, those willing to will present their research and receive comments and feedback from other members of the YSI UK HUB.

Part 3: Playground of ideas. Crafting projects for the YSI UK HUB

The last part of our workshop will be dedicated to write drafts of the different projects we have already agreed on doing as a Hub this year as well as introducing new potential projects. We will work in small teams and create YSI projects during the hub to help each other and make this administrative task more enjoyable and easier.

If you live in London or surrounding areas, apply to join us by filling the application form!!