Conferences and summer schools

Feminist Spring School on Labour and Social Law, 16 to 20 March 2026

Does labour and social law have a gender? What role does it play in maintaining or reducing inequalities? How can it support equal (family) employment and care work? What role does gender play in companies, trade unions and other structures? How are the interactions of discrimination and inequalities addressed? And what strategies can contribute to a fairer world of work?

If you would also like to discuss these questions, but not just from a legal perspective, then apply to take part in the Feminist Spring School on Labour and Social Law.

The event is aimed at students with a legal background. A scholarship will be awarded for participation. Applications can be submitted until 14 December 2025.

Location: European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

Language: German

Workshop, 26-27 March 2026

An increasing number of democracies around the world are subject to processes of 'autocratisation' or 'democratic backsliding'. Within the European Union, several states are affected by multifaceted authoritarian tendencies. In Hungary and in Poland, right-wing governments have dismantled democracy and the rule of law, with Slovakia since 2023 having embarked on a similar path of autocratisation. In Germany, the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to win the upcoming general elections in some Eastern states and is likely to put democracy under pressure. One more recent non-European example is the United States under President Donald Trump's second presidency, where, for example, media pluralism and the independence of the judiciary have come under threat.

While research has mostly analysed processes of autocratisation and, in particular, actors driving these processes, actors resisting those attempts have been largely neglected (Gamboa 2022). Hence, opposition to autocratic tendencies has received disproportionately less academic attention than the actions of autocratic incumbents. This workshop centres on all forms of opposition to trends of populism, autocratization and democratic backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe (including Germany), with the aim to enhance our still limited theoretical and empirical knowledge on opposition activities. It is guided by two major questions:

1) Who are the opposition actors?
2) At which levels do these opposition actors operate?

To apply, please submit an abstract of max. 300 words plus a brief biographical note (max. 100 words) by 5 December 2025.

Location: European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

Language: English

Teacher conference for PASCH and DSD schools from 15-17 April 2026

Teaching BIDS brings together German teachers from PASCH and DSD schools to discuss current
challenges in the classroom, receive practical impulses and strengthen the exchange with the Viadrina.

The conference is aimed at German teachers at PASCH and DSD schools worldwide as well as multipliers in schools abroad. Registration is possible until 31 March 2026.

Language: German
Location: European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

Networking event from 23 to 24 April 2026

The European University Viadrina and the Social Science Institute of the SWPS University of Warsaw are jointly organising the networking event DOING DEMOCRACY in Frankfurt (Oder) and Słubice. Two half days full of inspiration, dialogue and networking - across the German-Polish border. With DOING DEMOCRACY, the European University Viadrina and the Centre for Democracy Research at SWPS University are creating a space in which academia and civil society can work together on the future of democracy. Promoting and analysing democracy has become more urgent and sometimes more difficult. This is precisely why there is a need for spaces in which NGOs and academia can share knowledge, identify needs, strengthen each other and shape new forms of cooperation in the long term.

The event is aimed at organisations that are committed to political education, community building, democratic participation, human rights protection, extremism prevention and / or social cohesion in eastern Germany. The event offers the opportunity to share experiences and concerns, gain new impetus and find partners who pursue similar goals - across working fields and national borders.

The networking event focuses on dialogue and exchange: associations, alliances, initiatives, researchers and students present their work and concerns in advance in a simple poster format. Working groups are organised based on the topics. This creates thematic dialogue spaces in which experiences from practice and academic perspectives come together - for example on questions of democratic resilience, social participation or engagement in rural areas.

Participation is free of charge and is funded by the Europeam Reform University Alliance (ERUA), the European University Viadrina, the SWPS University of Warsaw, the state of Brandenburg and the city of Frankfurt(Oder), among others.

Call for Posters & Participation:
Registration by 8 March 2026 via the registration form and submission of a poster to doing.democracy@europa-uni.de (poster template available for download here).

Location: European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) and Collegium Polonicum Słubice

Save the Date: Conference, 10-12 September 2026

Participation - Opportunities, Challenges and Limits of a Democratic Mediation Practice

Objectives, content, methods and forms of history education are on the programme of the interdisciplinary conference of the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies (VCPU) for multipliers of historical-political education in museums, memorials, schools and universities.

Location: European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder)