Human societies constantly change at many levels, from individuals to communities and nation states. Throughout history, and at present, societies become more innovative, more integrated, and more cooperative on some levels, while on others they become more inert, more polarized, and more belligerent. To understand and perhaps even predict these trends and their consequences, we need to capture the complex interplay of underlying cognitive, social, and institutional mechanisms – by integrating theoretical, modeling, and empirical investigations.

PhD students are invited to spend two weeks, among an international cohort of students and faculty, learning to integrate theory and methods from a range of disciplines to model socio-behavioral systems and understand their behavior.

Participants will explore complex interactions of cognitive, social, and technological mechanisms leading to (dis)integration of different societies in historical and contemporary times. They will hear in-person lectures from leading researchers on the dynamics of beliefs and emotions, the role of social network structures, the influence of algorithms and institutions, and their joint influence on collective outcomes and societal robustness.

Hands-on workshops and group research projects using real-world data sets will provide experience modeling complex systems using a range of approaches. In addition to acquiring skills and tools to use in their own research, students will grow their global scientific network and experience the research culture of the EU.

Click here for further information.