Introduction

EPIC set up an international and interdisciplinary research network to improve advanced training of social-science researchers in the EU and to promote interdisciplinary comparative research. It offered participating scientists a unique opportunity to meet and discuss their research with others who focus on similar topics. Moreover, EPIC helped to break the isolation of researchers previously excluded from research networks and to open up valuable new sources of information.

EPIC consisted of several inter-related elements:

• Consortium
• Advanced Research Workshops and research training
• Forum
• Online publications (EPER)
• Ionian Conferences

Consortium

The Consortium was the heart of EPIC and held overall responsibility for its organisation and the planning of other project events. It was made up of a core group of senior researchers from various disciplines within the partner institutions. The researchers have worked extensively on issues of European political economy, ensuring a balanced evaluation of the project.

Advanced Research Workshops and Research Training

EPIC centred on series of intensive and multidisciplinary advanced research workshops for first- and second-year doctoral researchers. The workshops were held at the Achilleon Palace in Corfu and at the European University Institute in Florence. They offered intensive training seminars on core research methodologies in European political economy.

The training supported the establishment of common core themes and professional standards in the field; EPIC therefore provided its students with some of the necessary skills to engage in wider, top-level international research debates.

In this context, 'training' included both formal teaching in the various methodologies and epistemologies of the social sciences as well as seminars, i.e. being exposed to the work and opinions of a peer group. It needs to be stressed, however, that EPIC's training was intended to complement, not substitute, researchers' training in their home institutions.

The workshops became very popular also through their informal atmosphere, in which students work alongside their more senior colleagues. This not only created supportive and constructive debates during the workshops, it was also a unique opportunity for new contacts and friendships outside the project and university environment.

EPIC organised two workshops series for two cohorts of doctoral researchers working on topics related to European political economy. Participants came from various European countries included in the EU framework programme and then associated states (e.g. Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, Israel, Spain, Germany, Sweden, etc.).

Forum

EPIC attempted to develop a forum for research students and representatives of the business and policy-making communities for the discussion of policy issues and policy research. The Forum became part of the research workshops, where Forum members met the students in seminars, presentations and round table discussions. In this way, EPIC managed to expose students to the different research concerns and approaches of the various communities.

The European Political Economy Review (EPER)

EPIC developed an online journal, edited and maintained by EPIC students. The journal, which publishes articles to this day is called European Political Economy Review and serves two main purposes: students receive training in research editing and offer young researchers an opportunity to publish their own work. To access EPER's homepage, please follow this link: European Political Economy Review.

Ionian Conferences

The main objective of the Ionian Conferences was to bring together a small group of outstanding young researchers from different disciplines within the social sciences from the different European countries, to create a forum for the discussion of the dynamics of change in the European Union.

The conferences were hoped to contribute to academic throughout Europe by creating and deepening contacts between young European social scientists, senior researchers and policy-professionals: They formed a base for ongoing comparative research, research networking and for the dissemination of the results of such research.

They differed from the Advanced Research Workshops, as they were individual research conferences. In addition, they focused on more specific aspects of European political economy. Hence, these conferences were suitable for young researchers who were at the final stages of their doctoral research and who would continue to work on issues related to European political economy.

There were three Ionian Conferences throughout EPIC's lifespan. They were jointly organised with the British Council in Greece, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Goethe Institut.

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