Viktoria Sochor awarded postgraduate grant for research stay at European Union archives in Florence
MPhil student in European Politics and Society Viktoria Sochor has been awarded a Postgraduate Vibeke Sørensen Grant by the European University Institute in Florence to undertake a research stay at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU).
Viktoria was awarded the grant for her MPhil thesis titled 'The “Bureaucratic Community”: How to Explain Bureaucratic Change and Development? An EU Administrative Law History from the High Authority to the European Commission (1951 to 1967)'.
With her thesis, Viktoria aims to examine how and why fundamental administrative choices for the internal organisation and structure of the High Authority were initially made. Specifically, she focuses on the legal histories and administrative influences of the six founding members France, West Germany, Italy, and the Benelux states.
She explains: Knowing the “roots” of the early administrative framework can help to understand following or even contemporary developments in the administrative system of the EU since the initial administrative set-up usually created a path-dependency. Therefore, the (administrative) histories of the European Coal and Steal Community and the European Economic Community are still alive in many ways.
She is one of only ten early career academics to receive the grant and will be staying at the archives in Florence from August until the beginning of October 2024.
The grant scheme was established in 1993 by the then-President of the European University Institute, Emile Noël, with support from the European Commission. It was renamed in 1997 to honour the memory of Dr Vibeke Sørensen (1952 – 1995), an alumna of the EUI’s Department of History and former staff member of the HAEU.
Viktoria said:
“It is wonderful news to receive a Vibeke Sørensen Grant from the European University Institute for my MPhil thesis. I look forward coming to Florence soon and also to get to know the EUI community and other grant scholars from different countries with their research projects on European integration.”
Viktoria is also one of 92 scholars who has recently been elected as a postgraduate member of the Royal Historical Society (RHS). The RHS created this new category of membership, to recognises the particular experience of higher degree students.
The RSH was founded in 1868 and is the UK’s leading society working for historians and history and has more than 6,500 members.
Viktoria said:
"To be elected as postgraduate member of the Royal Historical Society is a great privilege. I look forward contributing to the Royal Historical Society, a diverse and interdisciplinary community of scholars working in the field of history.
“The Royal Historical Society offers a wide range of lectures, panel discussions, conferences and training workshops which will undoubtedly enrich and support my studies and research.”
