PEOPLE & PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Founder and Executive Director: Gabriel Rockhill
Associate Director: Jennifer Ponce de León
Associate Director in Paris: Pierre-Antoine Chardel
Program Administrator and Primary Contact: Rosa Dolet <criticaltheoryworkshop@protonmail.com>
Program Assistants: Jared Bly, Constanza Filloy
Interns: Luke Ohr, Liam Woods
Partner Institution: Laboratoire d’Anthropologie Politique (CNRS / EHESS), formerly Institut interdisciplinaire d’anthropologie du contemporain
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
Ericka Beckman, Roland Boer, Stephan Cho, Derek Ford, Clara Lecadet, Helmut-Harry Loewen, Aymeric Monville, Christina Petterson, Jennifer Ponce de León, Eli Portella Perreras, Salvador Rangel, Gabriel Rockhill, Julian Sempill, and Randall Williams. For a list of past speakers click here.
LOCATION
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, France & Online
The Summer School is hybrid and both programs are identical (with the exception of the informal social events in Paris).
SCHEDULE
Our 15th-Annual Summer School will take place from July 3 – July 21, 2023. All of the times listed are for Paris (CEST / GM+2). The sessions generally take place 4 times a week at the end of the day in order to allow participants time during the day to do research, visit museums, take French classes, etc. Given the intellectual and cultural resources available in Paris, the Workshop is specifically structured in this way so that participants can maximize their research time and take full advantage of everything that the city has to offer. To view some of the videos of past events, click here. For additional information and responses to frequently asked questions, click here. The program is preliminary and will soon be filled in with the details of which confirmed speakers (see above) will participate on specific dates.
WEEK I
I
7/3/23
5–7 p.m.
Gabriel Rockhill and Jennifer Ponce de León, “The Contemporary State & Stakes of Critical Theory: The Problem of the Intellectual Labor Aristocracy”
7-8:30 p.m.
Pot d’accueil or opening cocktail in Luxembourg Gardens
II
7/4/23
5–7 p.m.
Clara Lecadet and Salvador Rangel, “The Borders of Capital: Towards a Global Understanding of Migration & Labor Struggles”
Material:
Clara Lecadet, “Europe Confronted by Its Expelled Migrants: Politics of Expelled Migrants’ Associations in Africa”
III
7/5/23
5–7 p.m.
Gabriel Rockhill and Jennifer Ponce de León, “The Bourgeois Cultural Apparatus & the Arts of Anti-imperialist Liberation”
Material:
TBA
IV
7/6/23
5-7 p.m.
Film screening and discussion regarding “Korean Cinema & the Peace Movement” with Derek Ford and Stephan Cho
Material:
TBA
WEEK 2
I
7/10/23
5–7 p.m.
Eli Portella Perreras, “”Marxist Theories of Imperialism and the Critique of Capitalism”
Material:
Eli Portella Perreras, “The Weapon of Theory Reconsidered”
II
7/11/23
5–7 p.m.
Roland Boer and Christina Petterson, “From Postcolonial Theory to Anti-colonial Action: Western Intellectual Trends & the Socialist Project”
Material:
Christina Petterson, “The Second World: Cold War Ideology and the Development of Postcolonial Criticism”
Roland Boer, “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics: A Concise Guide”
III
7/12/23
5–7 p.m.
Invited Speaker:
Randall Williams, “Shitting BRICS: On the Erosion of US Control and the Quest for Logistical Power”
Material:
TBA
IV
7/13/23 (exact date and times will vary depending on participants’ groups)
5–7 p.m.
Working Groups
Participants’ Research Presentations in Small Groups
WEEK 3
I
7/17/23
5–7 p.m.
Helmut-Harry Loewen, “Critical Theory & Fascism in the 21st Century”
Material:
Helmut-Harry Loewen, “History Lessons for Antifascists,” CounterPunch (2023).
Gabriel Rockhill, “Fascism: Now You See It, Now You Don’t!” CounterPunch (October 12, 2020).
II
7/18/23
5–7 p.m.
Aymeric Monville, “Neo-capitalism and the Limits of ‘French Theory'”
This event will be a book launch co-sponsored by Iskra Books
Material:
Aymeric Monville, Neo-capitalism according to Michel Clouscard (Madison, WI: Iskra Books, 2023).
III
7/19/23
5–7 p.m.
Ericka Beckman, “Latin American Literature & Marxist Critique”
Material:
Ericka Beckman, “Latin American Literature and Dependency Theory Today”
IV
7/20/23
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Working Groups
Final Participants Conference

PROGRAM FEE & FINANCIAL AID
There is a sliding scale down to zero based on income. Scholarships and financial aid are available. Please click here for more details.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
There is a rolling admissions policy, and early applications are welcome. The final deadline for the Paris program is April 30 for the upcoming summer (and June 15 for the online program, whose content is nearly identical).
APPLICATION
The application is available here in two formats: pdf and word. If possible, electronic copies of the application should be e-mailed directly to <criticaltheoryworkshop@protonmail.com>.
