The PolSoc Department becomes the epicentre of the latest debate in political and social sciences with the Doctoral Workshop 2026

The Department of Political and Social Sciences of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra held a new 2026 edition of its Doctoral Workshop on March 11 and 12. The workshop was inaugurated by the coordinator of the doctoral programme, Luis Ortiz Gervasi, and began with an opening keynote by Professor Elias Dinas, of the Swiss Chair of Federalism, Democracy and International Governance at the European University Institute. Dinas explored how the legacies of dictatorships continue to influence the norms and ideologies of today's democracies. The session gave rise to an intense subsequent discussion where the persistence of certain political values ​​over generations and the capacity of democratic institutions to transform these legacies were debated.

This year's workshop stood out for its high participation by both students and faculty. While the doctoral students were the protagonists presenting their research and debating their peers, the faculty members were actively involved as senior discussants. This transversal dialogue between junior and senior researchers allowed for a critical exchange of ideas in areas in Political Theory, Comparative Politics & Political Behaviour, Family Formation & Fertility, Migration and diversity, Government, organisations and public policy, Gender violence and Intergenerational Harm, Migration & Gender, Gender & Politics, Political Economy & Labour Markets, Inequality and Social Protection, Health Inequalities, and Environmental Social and Political Science. One of the most dynamic moments was the poster exhibition in the Atrium Roger de Llúria, where the first-year students presented their thesis proposals.
The closing of the workshop featured a joint session between the Doctoral Workshop and the Research Forum Professor Katrin Auspurg, from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, who analysed the factors that determine public support for carbon taxes. The debate with the attendees focused on the perception of climate justice and how the design of compensation policies can be key to the acceptance of ambitious environmental measures.

It also included the awarding of prizes to the best posters, a recognition of the effort and quality of the research being carried out within the department. The awarded students were Laura Sparascio (1st prize), Aranka Scherping Alarcón (2nd prize), Demetra Santagati (3rd prize) and Àlex Velert Eres (4th prize). 

The coordinator of the doctoral programme closed the event by thanking the coordination team and the engagement of both communities—students and professors—in strengthening the department's research fabric.