20/10/2026
State institutions and people working towards just and inclusive governance need both an understanding of multi-level governance fundamentals and the means to act on it. This is especially urgent today, in a divided and fragmented world facing global threats.
It is the mission at the heart of the International Centre of the Institute of Federalism's new project: 🔸 Inclusive and effective multi-level governance 🔸
This project is not only a chance to reflect on the big challenges of our time. It also provides an opportunity to address the technical, practical, and everyday issues that make good governance work: issues just as critical as the big constitutional questions, such as who is responsible for dealing with household waste, social services, and environmental governance.
The project is funded by the Swiss Development & Cooperation
for four years (2027–2030). It offers tailor-made expertise, specialized courses, and Summer Universities to take place in 2027 and 2029. We are also glad to be working with the Forum of Federations to build the first certified online course on federalism for practitioners. We are excited to start this new journey.
To carry out this project, our IRCC team has been restructured around specific geographical and technical expertise. Dr Rekha Oleschak Pillai, a lawyer, covers the Asia region. Dr Verena Richardier, a sociologist, covers institutional issues from the perspective of the human and social sciences, with a focus on West African countries, while Matteo Pal, a new addition to the Institute, specializes in democratic innovations, particularly in the context of multi-level governance in Switzerland. Finally, Professor Eva Maria Belser, Director of the International Centre and professor of constitutional law, brings to the project a comparative perspective grounded in several decades of teaching and research.
Stay in touch, we will keep you updated on our activities and results!
