How can the humanities and social sciences provide orientation in times of social and technological upheaval? This question was the focus of the kick-off event of the new framework programme "Orientation for a Changing World" of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), which took place in Berlin on 18 and 19 May.
Representatives from science, politics, the funding landscape and practice discussed the future prospects of the humanities and social sciences. The public part of the kick-off event was opened by Federal Minister Dorothee Bär, who presented the new GSW framework programme with four pillars of research funding.
The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) was also represented at the event: Professor Dr Beate Küpper from the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences joined Professor Dr Ulf Brunnbauer (Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies; IOS) and Professor Dr Ute Frevert (Max Weber Foundation) in a panel discussion on "Humanities and social sciences in the current world situation: threats and potentials of free research" to discuss the challenges and opportunities of free scientific research.
In addition, the HSNR presented itself with a stand of the project network Knowledge Network Right-Wing Extremism Research (Wi-REX), in which the university is involved. The externally-funded project, which is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, aims to strengthen the network of right-wing extremism research and strengthen it in the long term.
