Events

Ethnic-Racial Socialisation in Racially / Ethnically Minoritised Families in Europe

04/02/2026 - 05/02/2026, Essen

While research on ethnic-racial socialisation is well-established in the United States, it is still in its infancy in Europe. This workshop brings together researchers from Europe working in this field to discuss the state of research and methodological aspects.

Norms Adherence and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs): The Case of Bangladesh

03/02/2026, Essen

Participation in peacekeeping operations implies engagement with peacekeeping norms including respect for democratic rule, balanced civil-military relations, and gender mainstreaming. At the example of Bangladesh’s involvement over the past five decades, Rashed Uz Zaman discusses to what extent such norms have shaped the country’s armed forces and what this means for the foreign policy of…

Collaboration between Universities and Industry in the Global North and the Global South: Similarities and Differences

28/01/2026, Essen | hybrid

One of the dimensions of the ‘Third Mission’ of academic institutions is collaboration between universities and companies. Based on the examples of Germany and Mozambique, this workshop reflects on and discusses patterns of collaboration in the Global North and the Global South, exploring similarities and differences.

Africa in Great Power Competition: China, the USA, and Global Governance

16/01/2026, Essen

In this lecture, Qingxiu Bu examines Africa’s pivotal role in the evolving great power competition between the USA and China, exploring various aspects such as trade, investment, governance, and technological dynamics. The event is open to policymakers, academics from different disciplines, and practitioners to foster dialogue.

International Cooperation, Inclusion and Democracy in Higher Education in Brazil and Latin America

15/01/2026, Essen

Organiser: UA Ruhr Liaison Office Latin America

What significance does higher education have in Latin America, and Brazil in particular? What challenges does it face? In this lecture, Professor Sandra Regina Goulart Almeida, President of Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil) and a renowned expert in Brazil’s higher education landscape, will discuss the influence of international…

The Politics of Limits: Sustainability and Democracy in Times of Changing Climates

08/12/2025 - 09/12/2025, Essen

Could freedom and equality in democratic societies be at odds with restricting economic growth for the sake of sustainability? This interdisciplinary conference explores the relationship between republican restrictions of individual freedom and possible economic limitations, and the relationship between democratic justice and economic growth (at the level of both ideas and practices).

Ordinary Men. Perpetrator Memory in Spanish Culture

04/12/2025 - 05/12/2025

How do Spanish literature, film, and culture represent perpetrators in the context of the Civil War and Franco Dictatorship? Building on the ‘Ordinary Men’ thesis, the conference explores the concepts of complicity, bystanding, and perpetration in Spanish cultural memory.

Ceremonial Opening | College for Social Sciences and Humanities

01/12/2025, Essen

Closed event – invited guests only

Founded in 2021 as part of the Research Alliance Ruhr, the College for Social Sciences and Humanities has taken shape as an Institute for Advanced Study, with a design that is unique in Germany: it brings together outstanding international visiting scholars, permanent research professors, and mid-career researchers ‘under one roof’. By the end of 2025, most of…

Deep Dive into ICCS 2022 – Advanced Data Analysis of Large-Scale Assessment Data in R

28/11/2025, Essen

This workshop offers (early-career) researchers the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the methodological foundations and the analysis of large-scale assessment data (in particular ICCS). It is organised by the Civic Education Research Lab, a PostdocLab working group.

Social Memories and Collective Identities in the Context of Genocide

25/11/2025 - 26/11/2025, Essen

This transdisciplinary workshop challenges different approaches to social memories and collective identities in the context of genocidal social practices. It seeks to develop a nuanced understanding of memory and identity that goes beyond essentialised conceptions of perpetrators, victims, and bystanders.