As part of the 16th European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC), the Master Class on EU Cohesion Policy will be held for PhD students and early-career researchers for the sixth time. Applications are being sought from PhD students and early career researchers (defined as being within five years of the date on their PhD certificate or equivalent) undertaking research related to European Cohesion Policy to attend the 2018 University Master Class. The Master Class is a unique format to connect aspiring researchers and will include presentations of papers by the participants as well as lectures and panel debates with policymakers, EU officials and senior academics to improve understanding of, and research, on EU Cohesion Policy. In particular, the Master Class will serve to discuss recent research on European regional and urban development and EU Cohesion Policy; enable PhD students and early career researchers to exchange views and network with policymakers, EU officials and senior academics; raise awareness and understanding of the research potential in the field of EU Cohesion Policy. The Master Class will take place from 7th to 11th October 2018 in Brussels (SQUARE, rue Mont des Arts) and is organised and led by the European Commission, DG for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Regional Studies Association (RSA) in cooperation with the European Regional Science Association (ERSA) and the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP).  Participants 30 attendees from EU Member States and non-EU countries will be invited to attend and will have their travel and accommodation booked and paid for. Membership of the RSA, ERSA or AESOP is not a requirement for participants. Application process Applications must complete the application form and include an abstract that falls under one of the following broad themes: 1) Reshaping governance and institutional relations 2) Territorial cohesion and cooperation; 3) Policy effectiveness in response to development challenges for European regions. The application deadline is 9th May 2018, 15.00 (GMT) or 16.00 (CET). For more details, please go to www.regionalstudies.org/conferences/conference/2018-master-class-on-eu-cohesion-policy