Most academic reports never get read by the people in power. This workshop is about doing it differently — writing so that a minister opens the email, gets the point in under a minute, and forwards it to experts with instructions to act.

What we cover:

• Problem Tree Analysis — a method for working with officials to define the real problem, not the one that’s convenient to assume. Walked through with a live case (Caritas CARLA).
• CEU Policy Lab model — how to build a structure where students work directly with ministries and lobby groups on real policy briefs. Cases: the WKÖ “Should I stay or should I go?” project, and the letter to the Austrian Ministry of Economics & Labour on work visas for non-EU graduates.
• Policy writing — writing for your audience, not for journal reviewers. Why academic language kills a policy document. How to layer your output: email → tech note → full report. How to design charts that land in 10 seconds.

Who it’s for: researchers, PhD students, public policy students, think-tank analysts, and anyone who doesn’t want their work to die as an unread PDF.

Facilitators:

• Valentin Seidler — economist and historian, Director of the CEU Policy Lab. Advisor to the Austrian Foreign Minister on Africa Strategy; consultant to the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ) and IOM Austria on migration. Background includes Red Cross (Africa, Asia, Central Europe) and IAS Princeton.
• Javid Huseynli — CEU alumnus (Public Administration), external project consultant for WKÖ Austria. Currently developing policy recommendations on retaining international students in Austria.
• Anna Kaplanishvili — CEU student at the Policy Lab. Author of the letter and tech note to the Austrian Minister of Economics & Labour lobbying for improved work visas for non-EU students. Invited speaker at the inter-ministerial expert group on integration questions led by the Austrian Chancellery.

Organised by

CEU Institute for Advanced Study