The key theme of EIPCC is the investigation into effective and innovative forms of policymaking particularly in contested contexts. It covers research on the four dimensions of: Public Policymaking; Socio-economic Development and Effective Policymaking; Socially Innovative Policymaking, and Policymaking in Conflicted and Contested Orders. Contestations may arise due to the globalization of economic and social relationships and its consequences for the economic, social and even physical wellbeing of societies; the significant structural and political challenges in the course of ageing societies or international migration; new political forms of contestation such as populist or even extremist parties; and unresolved, violent conflicts.
Andreas Goldthau, holder of the Franz Haniel Professorship for Public Policy at the University of Erfurt and one of the initiators, explains: "The Young Researchers' College sees itself as a platform that brings together international young researchers with a focus on (or from) the Global South. And we are very pleased to now have a structured and EPPP-certified programme for early career researchers."