Call for EAAE Reading Circles 2026–2027

The European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) is pleased to announce the launch of its Reading Circles initiative, coordinated by the EAAE Early Career Researchers (ECR) Committee.

Reading Circles are small groups of 8–12 EAAE members who meet regularly throughout the academic year to discuss a selected book, a set of journal articles, or a methodological topic. They bring together members with expertise on the subject and those who wish to learn more, fostering knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and professional development across generations of agricultural economists.

Structure and Process

  • Circles will run for one academic year (renewable by interest).
  • Meetings are expected monthly and held virtually, though in-person meetings are encouraged when possible.
  • Each Circle will appoint a lead, serving as liaison with the EAAE-ECR Committee, and rotate facilitation among members.
  • Topics can include theory, methodology, empirical applications, or outreach themes (e.g., resilience economics, machine learning applications, policy deliberation).
  • Each Circle will produce a short annual activity report (max. 800 words) for the EAAE-ECR Committee by June 2026.

Reading Circles may lead to outputs such as joint papers, book reviews, contributions to EAAE journals (Q Open, EuroChoices), podcasts, or workshop proposals.

Additional Opportunities for Reading Circle Participants

To support and highlight the work of Reading Circle members, the EAAE offers:

  • Presentation at EAAE Conferences: Dedicated sessions for Reading Circles at annual EAAE meetings.
  • Visibility on EAAE Platforms: Promotion of Circle activities and outcomes on the EAAE website and social media.
  • Mini-Webinar Hosting: Each Circle could organize a public webinar or panel discussion on their chosen topic.
  • Certificates of Participation: Official certificates that participants can include in CVs or applications for scholarships and positions.

The initiative is open to all EAAE members but at least two postdocs or PhD students should participate in each group.

For more information, please contact the EAAE secretariat.

 

Important Dates

  • Registration deadline: 31 March 2026
  • Notification of group formation: 30 April 2026
  • Kick-off meetings: from June 2026 onwards

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining a Reading Circle, please fill in the relevant registration form:

  • For Circle Proponents/Leaders: (see questions below)
  • For Circle Participants: (see questions below)

The EAAE-ECR Committee will match applicants and support the launch of Reading Circles for 2026/2027.

 

Draft Questionnaires

  1. For Circle Leaders / Proponents

Block 1: Personal Information
Q1. Full Name (Text entry)
Q2. Email Address (Text entry, email validation)
Q3. Affiliation (University / Research Institute / Other – text entry)
Q4. Current Position (Multiple choice: PhD Student, Postdoc, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Researcher, Other [text])

 

Block 2: Expertise and Topic Proposal
Q5. Which areas of expertise best describe you? (Multiple choice, select all that apply)

  • Agricultural Policy
  • Environmental Economics
  • Trade and Value Chains
  • Farm/Production Economics
  • Development Economics
  • Methods & Modelling
  • Consumer behaviour (agri-food marketing)
  • Other [open text]

Q6. Please describe in a few sentences the topic/theme you propose for the Reading Circle. (Text entry – long)

Q7. Why are you motivated to lead a Reading Circle? (Text entry – long)

 

Block 3: Organization and Commitment
Q8. Have you facilitated or coordinated academic groups before? (Single choice)

  • Yes, frequently
  • Yes, occasionally
  • No

Q9. I agree to prepare a short (max 800-word) annual activity report for the EAAE-ECR Committee. (Single choice, required)

  • Yes
  • No

 

  1. For Circle Participants

Block 1: Personal Information
Q1. Full Name (Text entry)
Q2. Email Address (Text entry, email validation)
Q3. Affiliation (University / Research Institute / Other – text entry)
Q4. Current Position (Multiple choice: PhD Student, Postdoc, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Researcher, Other [text])
Q5. Year of PhD completion (or expected completion) (Text entry – year)

 

Block 2: Research Interests and Motivation
Q6. Which areas of expertise best describe you? (Multiple choice, select all that apply)

  • Agricultural Policy
  • Environmental Economics
  • Trade and Value Chains
  • Farm/Production Economics
  • Development Economics
  • Methods & Modelling
  • Consumer behaviour (agri-food marketing)
  • Other [open text]

Q7. Which topics would you be most interested in discussing in a Reading Circle? (Multiple choice, select up to 3)

(Text entry – long)

Q8. Please describe in a few sentences why you are interested in joining a Reading Circle. (Text entry – long)

 

Block 3: Participation and Commitment
Q9. What do you hope to gain from participating? (Multiple choice, select all that apply)

  • Learning new methods or theories
  • Networking with peers and senior scholars
  • Exploring new research directions
  • Developing joint outputs (papers, proposals, reviews, podcasts, etc.)
  • Other [text]