12. November 2025 | 19 Uhr |   Alte Aula 

mit Prof. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Prof. Tori Ekstrand, Prof. Karin Amos 

Around the world, academic freedom is increasingly coming under pressure -- from political, ideological, and institutional forces alike. Recently, even from the United States we receive daily reports of restrictions. In Germany, too, it has been the subject of a highly debated and politically contested field in recent years. Central to these discussions are questions on whether science should remain separate  from politics, or whether – particularly in the fostering of democracy – the two are inextricably connected.

The College of Fellows is organizing a panel discussion titled “Academic Freedom Under Pressure: Global Challenges and Transatlantic Perspectives”. Participants are Prof. Victoria "Tori" Smith Ekstrand (UNC, Hussman School of Journalism and Media, media law and free expression, Fulbright-Schuman scholar in Tübingen in 2025-26), Prof. Cynthia Miller-Idriss (American University, Washinton, DC, School of Public Affairs and School of Education; Justice, Law & Criminology, New Horizons Fellow in Tübingen in 2025-26) and Prof. Karin Amos (University of Tübingen, Educational Science, General Pedagogy, international comparative education research and intercultural pedagogy, human rights). 
The panel will address the state of academic freedom in the United States and Germany, and will take an in-depth look at the many forms and dimensions of threats to academic freedom and how they manifest themselves across different disciplines, as well as historical developments, legal aspects, and political influence in a climate in which far-right governments and movements are on the rise in many parts of the world.
With this event, the College will launch a new scholarship program for postdoctoral researchers from the United States. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Institutes for Advanced Studies at the Universities of Freiburg, Konstanz, and Tübingen will create 14 positions for visiting researchers whose research has come under pressure. 

Intercultural Encounters Beyond Racist Politics
Event in the context of Tübingen's Science & Innovation Days 2024 on the topic: „Besser Streiten. Gemeinsam arbeiten wir dran.“ | #SIDays24 | www.sidays.com

This event is part of our Focus Group “FarRight Threats to Democracy”

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024, 14:00–15:30 pm
Location: Alte Aula

Keynote speech by Prof. Andreas Zick, University of Bielefeld, followed by a panel discussion with Q&A session.

Who decides on who belongs to our society? How can we ensure that origin is not framed as a source of potential conflict, but is valued as a feature of diversity? Among other things, the panel will examine experiences of everyday racism, the perception of intercultural conflicts and demands for integration. In a discussion (in English) with Prof. Andreas Zick and international research fellows, we will talk about the enrichment that societies experience through living together with people from different cultures.
 

Professor Lynne Tirrell (University of Connecticut): "Toxic Speech: Resisting Extremist Rhetoric"
Lecture by Professor Lynne Tirrell (University of Connecticut) as part of the Science&Innovation Days at the University of Tübignen, followed by a panel discussion with Dr Rolf Frankenberger (University of Tübingen, Institute for Research on Right-Wing Extremism) 

Lecture abstract:
Speech can be toxic in many ways, to many degrees, and it can cause a variety of different harms. This talk focused on the toxic dimensions of right-wing extremist rhetoric, for two purposes. First, to understand its mechanisms, and second to identify ways to resist and promote resistance. The approach focused on discursive practices rather than one-off speech acts, emphasizing patterns of speech that enact norms shaping how we treat each other, how well we can thrive, and we function as citizens. When a society is besieged by the drumbeat of hate in everyday speech and in political pronouncements, what can the average citizen do? This question was explored together, with a clear eye on what is at stake.

Also check out this event here: www.sidays.com/events/toxische-sprache

#SIDays23
"Resilienz. Gemeinsam arbeiten wir dran."

Guest Lecture by Professor Jan Willem Duyvendak (Director of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, Amsterdam)
"The Return of the Native. Navigating between nostalgic nativism and hopeful liberalism"

At the beginning of the winter term we invited all international fellows and interested university members to the College of Fellows semester opening event. Duyvendak, building on his co-authored new book The Return of the Native (Oxford University Press, 2023), explored the extraordinary rise of nativism in liberal settings, paying particular attention to nativist narratives that intertwine islamophobia, racism, populism and nostalgia. He discussed the rise of nativism in France, the US and the Netherlands, focusing on striking similarities and small differences.

Following the guest lecture, Professor Dorothee Kimmich (Tübingen) and Professor Boris Nieswand (Tübingen) joined Professor Duyvendak on the podium for a discussion, and the College of Fellows presented its programme and activities it offers to international fellows. The concluding reception offered the opportunity to exchange and network with other Fellows and scholars from Tübingen over drinks.

About Jan Willem Duyvendak:
Jan Willem Duyvendak is Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Since 2018, he is also director of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (NIAS-KNAW). In 2021, he was elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and in 2022 of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
More information here: www.jwduyvendak.nl