Economic POlicies for the Global bifurcation - Doctoral Network

Due to human activities, at stake is the habitability of the planet and our capacity to invent effective, inclusive and democratic trajectories that preserve or restore the viability of the planet. To overcome the limits of mainstream economic paradigms, EPOG-DN aims to develop a community of economists able to work with other disciplines and a range of sectors and stakeholders, to address these ecological challenges. EPOG-DN investigates the trajectories leading towards a strong sustainability, i.e. scenarios considering social, economic and ecological objectives as not substitutable. To this end, EPOG-DN introduces the concept of Global Bifurcation (GB), defined as a series of processes which are systemic and multidimensional in nature. To face the complexity of the GB, EPOG-DN proposes an original approach based on: (a) a sociotechnical perspective and critical questioning of the role of innovation and technologies; (b) a socioeconomic perspective involving the development of macroeconomic scenarios; (c) a socioecological perspective to enable consideration of how social organisations and citizens can contribute to the GB, (d) the interaction between these sub-field to develop a systemic approach.

EPOG-DN involves academic, governmental and intergovernmental institutions, local authorities, NGOs, financial and non-financial corporations. PhDs are jointly supervised by an economist and a supervisor from another field. Disciplines involved include economics, sociology, geography, political sciences, engineering, life and earth sciences. They benefit from international mobility in relation to their research: at the institution of the joint supervisor and a secondment at a non-academic partner. The training includes collective activities and activities tailored to individual needs, which cover interdisciplinary approaches and methods; promote discussions with stakeholders from different fields and sectors, and enhance transferable skills and professional development.