In memory of the scholarly work and political engagement of the critical economist Jörg Huffschmid, we are issuing this call for submissions to the competitive award named after him, which seeks to recognize outstanding work in the field of Political Economy; the Jörg Huffschmid Award is currently in its sixth iteration. It aims to encourage young scholars, in particular, to continue the tradition of critical thought which Jörg represented so outstandingly.
Jörg Huffschmid, who passed away in December 2009 at the age of 69, combined astute analyses with a critique of capitalism and political reason in his work. As one of the founders of the Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik, the EuroMemo Group and a member of the scientific advisory board of Attac and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, his personal, political and scholarly life pursued a socially just society, challenging the supposed absence of alternatives suggested by mainstream economics. Accordingly, the four organizations have issued the award together since 2011.
The prize is open to graduating theses at PhD, Magister, Master and Diploma levels. Doctoral theses will be awarded with a prize of 1,500 euros, others with 500 euros. The work should be related to the field of Political Economy, and deal with, for example, the following topics:
• financial market instability and measures to regulate financial markets
• the scope of monetary policy in the face of asset price bubbles and intensified currency competition
• problems of fiscal, trade and industrial policy
• labour relations in transnational production networks
• alternatives to austerity and privatization
• new imperialism and geopolitical conflicts, militarization and dangers of war
• political economy of digitalization and platform capitalism
• issues and approaches in feminist economics / the care economy
• consequences of global warming and problems of a social and ecological transformation
• economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic
• contradictions of European integration and associated conflicts about migration, the rule of law and the 'green deal'
Theses are strongly encouraged that apply an approach combining different disciplines, integrating economics with approaches from social and political science.
We will consider submissions that have been accepted by a European institution of higher education since April 2019 in German or English. Submissions by employees of one of the four organizations and members of the respective scientific councils will not be considered. Applications are only accepted in electronic form, to be sent before or at the very latest on 1 April 2021 to the following address:
Please attach the following:
• Covering letter
• 800-word abstract demonstrating a link to the scholarly work of Jörg Huffschmid
• The work itself
• CV
• Academic references provided as part of the graduation process (assessment by supervisors, examiners ...)
Members of the Jury:
Heide Gerstenberger, scientific advisory council of Attac, University of Bremen;
Arno Gottschalk, Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik, member of Bremische Bürgerschaft – Landtag der Freien Hansestadt Bremen;
Jörg Hafkemeyer, scientific advisory council of Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Universität der Künste Berlin;
Laura Horn, EuroMemo Group, University of Roskilde;
Anne Huffschmid, Free University Berlin;
Jeremy Leaman, EuroMemo Group, Loughborough University;
Birgit Mahnkopf, scientific advisory council of Attac, Berlin School of Economics and Law;
Thomas Sablowski, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung;
Mechthild Schrooten, Arbeitsgruppe Alternative Wirtschaftspolitik, City University of Applied Sciences Bremen;
Consultants: Bärbel Rompeltien and Rainer Rilling (fellow of Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung)
The awards ceremony is planned for November 2021 in Bremen (Germany).
Contact and further information: Thomas Sablowski, thomas.sablowski@rosalux.org