The workshop “Polycentric Neoliberalism: Networks, Adaptions, and Ideas", which took place on the 17 and 18 of June at the SCRIPTS Villa in Dahlem, served as a space for reflection and discussion on recent advances in global scholarship on neoliberalism.

The concept seeks to synthesize two often-separated dimensions of neoliberalism: the policymaking process and the intellectual movement. The core assumption behind the polycentric approach is that neoliberalism—whether as an intellectual current or a policy agenda—operates as a multi-scale movement with multiple centers (or nodes) that both compete and complement one another in shaping neoliberal discourse and practice. This dynamic can be observed in the diffusion of market-oriented ideas in Latin America, as well as in the implementation of such policies in places like Indonesia and Singapore.

Some key takeaways from the workshop include:

1. The importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in addressing shared problematics; 
2. The notion that theoretical advances in the study of neoliberalism can inform the analysis of other ideologies—and vice versa; 
3. Recognition that scholarship on neoliberalism still has significant room for development. 

"We are deeply grateful to senior scholars such as Dieter Plehwe, Karin Fischer, Hagen Schulz-Forberg, and Tobias Rupprecht for sharing their invaluable insights." says workshop organizer and SCRIPTS Affiliate Project Doctoral Researcher, Maximiliano Jara Barrera.

Read the full programme of the workshop here.