Workshops

Two older male presenting people looking out and speaking to others.
From left: Professor James Robinson and Professor Steven Pincus at a Spring 2026 Institutions Workshop.
Long a hallmark of the University of Chicago tradition of rigorous scholarship and discussion, as well as the free and open exchange of ideas, workshops and seminars convened by the Institutions Initiative bring together faculty, researchers, and students to advance research and challenge findings in pursuit of field-defining excellence.
Seminars

Held during Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters, this faculty-driven interdisciplinary workshop series to explore the global institutional stability with input from invited speakers who study various dimensions of institutional failure and success. Through these conversations, attendees will better understand how and in what ways institutions shape society and future prosperity.

Summer Workshops

Based on our PhD curriculum, the Global Outreach Institute is a summer intensive course that brings graduate students, post docs, and early-career faculty from across the world to Chicago for an immersive introduction of methods and approaches to the study of institutions. 

2027 will mark the inaugural program. Please refer to this webpage for Summer Workshop announcements and updates.