From 7 to 9 September, the Max Planck Summer School on the ‘Political Economy of Conflict and Redistribution’ took place at the Harnack-Haus in Berlin.
The military clashes in and around the Strait of Hormuz clearly illustrate how, in a closely interconnected global economy, even regional conflicts have the potential to threaten global prosperity. Picture: © NASA
In light of the geopolitical changes, the Summer School on “The Political Economy of Redistribution and Conflict” addressed topics that could not have been more topical. The issue of conflict, in particular, has become even more acute and contentious in recent years. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that many of the academic papers and presentations focused on this topic. At the same time, the Summer School covered a wide range of methodological approaches, reflecting the diverse disciplinary backgrounds of the participants, who came from the fields of political economy, political science research on international relations and other disciplines.
The academic organisers – Kai A. Konrad (Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance and CEPR), Dan Kovenock (Economic Science Institute, Chapman University), Sara McLaughlin Mitchell (University of Iowa) and Dominic Rohner (Geneva Graduate Institute, University of Lausanne and CEPR) – presented the findings of their current research in a series of presentations or provided overviews of academic work on specific scientific themes. Kai A. Konrad, on his part, delivered a presentation entitled “The Role of Space in the Formation of Alliances”. In two presentations, Mitchell approached the topic from the perspective of how border conflicts influence disaster relief and explored the question “Why Has Peacekeeping Declined Globally?”. Kovenock addressed “Topics in Multi-Battle Contests”. This year’s keynote speech was delivered by Anita R. Gohdes (Hertie School, Berlin’s University of Governance). She shed light on the highly pressing topic of “Social Media During Conflict in the Age of AI”. On the final day, Dominic Rohner concluded the three-day workshop with a presentation entitled “Is there a Peace Formula?”.
The doctoral students taking part were given the opportunity to present their work and discuss it with colleagues and experts in group work and ‘reflection sessions’ and subsequently were able to place their own research within a broader context. The supporting programme in Berlin city centre also provided an even more personal and informal setting for the exchange of ideas.
September 2026