International Political Economy

The primary goal of the Research Group on International Political Economy (RGIPE) is to promote academic exchanges on key topics in the field of International Political Economy (IPE). As international economic activities are becoming increasingly entangled with political and security issues, IPE has emerged as a crucial field for a proper understanding of international affairs. Accordingly, this research group aims to serve as a platform for discussing key trends in IPE with the overarching goal of advancing the field of IPE at CERI, in France, and beyond, and to raise awareness of key disciplinary issues within the broader academic community.  

The focus of this research group is centred around the following themes: 

o Political Economy of Great Power Competition
o Beyond State-Centrism in IPE: The Role of Non-State Actors in Foreign Economic Policymaking
o IPE and Emerging Global Challenges: Politization of Development Finance, Climate Change, Technological Innovation

o IPE as a Discipline: Methodological Challenges, Interdisciplinarity, Global Inequalities, Gender Imbalances, Academic Job Market and Publication Strategies.  

FORMAT

The group’s main activities are seminar sessions, accessible to researchers and students based at CERI, other research centres at Sciences Po and other French and foreign universities, as well as the general public. Sessions are conducted in-person or in a hybrid format. The types of content presented in the seminars could include: 

(1) presentation of work in progress or published research
(2) discussion on methodological issues in the field
(3) roundtables on practical problems related to the discipline (or in social sciences in general), such as: global inequalities in IPE, gender imbalances, early career researchers’ access to the academic job market, and publishing strategies.  

In line with the recently announced strategy of CERI’s direction, the underlying principles behind this project are openness and inclusiveness. Consequently, the contributions discussed during the seminars address the latest emerging topics in the field (such as the weaponization of economic interdependence) but also traditional questions that have been debated in the field for decades (such as domestic support for or opposition to trade liberalisation). Similarly, the research group is open to all theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches. The presented research group is also very open to fostering dialogues with scholars from related disciplines whose research addresses topics related to IPE (disciplines such as: history, sociology, economics, law). Next, the seminar sessions are designed to focus on researchers’ current work in progress as well as on already published and widely disseminated contributions. In addition, the research group is committed to geographical inclusiveness, offering discussions on research that spans all world regions. The research group also aims to be attentive to gender balance. Seminars are conducted in French, English, or any other language that ensures the necessary attendance. Lastly, the seminar sessions are intended to welcome speakers of all career levels, who can be based at CERI, other Sciences Po’s centres, and other universities in France and beyond.

Picture : Business international trade and Container logistics export-import harbor to the international port. Copyright CANVA Pro.