“The Summer Institute in Economic Geography is an extraordinary event. It is somewhere in-between a state-of-the-art convention for economic geography (where it stands today and where it needs to evolve) and a rite of passage for early career scholars (once one gains a sense of “location” in something as fluid and difficult to grasp as an epistemic community). Valuable, indispensable, and highly recommended.”

Michiel van Meeteren, doctoral student, Department of Social and Economic Geography, Ghent University, Belgium

“I attended the 2012 Summer Institute in Zurich, and it continues to rank among the most important professionalization experiences I have ever had. Not only did I form enduring intellectual connections and personal friendships—often with economic geographers in other subfields whose work I would not have encountered otherwise—but I gained a far better sense of how my work might help advance the discipline as a whole. As an intensive, multi-day experience with a select group of scholars, the workshop spurred a depth of engagement and discussion not possible at most conferences—I have often referred to its design for ideas on how to facilitate more substantial, genuinely transformative academic exchanges.”

Sarah Knuth, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, University of Michigan

“It was an honor to participate in the Summer Institute in Economic Geography in Zurich! I have never thought that I could communicate face-to-face with those big names printed inside the top journals of economic geography. Over the years, the summer institute has built a bridge between western and non-western economic geographers, allowing me and other young participants have the precious chance to introduce our work. Most of all, I have built solid friendships with some young scholars with shared research interests, with continuing benefits for me. With best wishes for the future of our Summer Institute in Economic Geography!”

Juncheng Dai, PhD, Lecturer, Cultural Economics Research Institute, Central University of Finance and Economics, China

“The Summer Institute provided me with invaluable tacit knowledge. As a graduate student finishing my PhD, the program helped me not only to conceptualize the field of economic geography, but also to imagine my own place within it. Early conversations with peers that I met in Madison during that week in 2006 continue on to this day.”

Marion Werner, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, SUNY-Buffalo

“The Summer Institute has become a right of passage in economic geography. It’s the can’t-miss, traveling genius loci where young scholars in the field can forge connections across continents that produce conference panels, special issues and other collaborations for years to come. It’s been less than a year since I attended and it’s already responsible for one conference panel, and a special issue is in the works.”

Mark Kear, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona