In this introduction to the special issue, we provide a brief overview of the two distinct but connected meanings of the phrase 'varieties of capitalism in crisis': (1) the crisis of empirical political economies under conditions of capitalist diversity; and (2) the crisis of the institutionalist approaches dominant within the literatures on capitalist diversity, which have displayed a near-total lack of reflection on the implications of the post-2007 period for the frameworks being employed and the assumptions they are based upon. From this starting point, via a discussion of the papers in the special issue, we consider key aspects of what could constitute an alternative conceptual apparatus: uneven development, variegation, and labour. We conclude by calling for greater dialogue and reflexivity across all of the literatures which study capitalist diversity, for we still have much to learn from each other.

This article emphasises the essentially political nature of corporate governance regulation and argues that the transformation of corporate governance regulation is part of a broader political project of economic restructuring and market-making in the EU. The first part of the analysis focuses on the transformation of company law and corporate governance in the last decade. Here, the article illustrates how company law has become increasingly focused on the rights of shareholders, while worker rights have been relegated to the area of social policies and labour law. The study also traces the shift from a legislative programme centred on company law harmonisation towards a regulatory approach based on minimum requirements and mutual recognition, increasingly geared at adjusting the governance of corporations to the demands of liberalised capital markets. The second section then reflects on the current developments in corporate governance regulation in the context of financial and economic crisis.

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A global zombie outbreak constitutes a hypothetical event in world politics that could likely lead to the collapse of civilization At the same time, the very threat of such a global catastrophe offers a unique experimental terrain on which to investigate various possible changes and developments in human interaction in social, economic and political processes. In this article, we discuss our experience with using a global zombie outbreak-based simulation in International Relations teaching and our attempt at measuring the learning outcomes, taking our point of departure in the existing literature on active learning. Following an outline of the objectives, set-up and parameters of the simulation, we evaluate the results of the survey we have conducted amongst the student participants and discuss the learning outcomes we have discerned.