Abstract

The project will address the role of social sciences in social and political debates at a conference on March 26-27, 2026. Colleagues from psychology and other social sciences are invited to discuss issues relating to the transfer of social science findings into political planning and decision-making processes. The conference will focus on current topics related to the promotion of democracy and threats to democracy, including attacks on academic freedom. Various thematic panels will discuss, among other things, how scientists can effectively contribute to social debates in the face of profound social transformation processes in order to strengthen the contributions of social science and psychological expertise to public opinion formation and political decision-making. In addition, the conference will address issues relating to the further development of social science and psychology education at universities and other institutions in order to systematically prepare students to actively participate in social and societal processes. The conference will also discuss structural vulnerabilities to ideological attacks as well as strategies for resilience and resistance. In addition to invited speakers from various academic and political contexts and open registrations, young academics and relevant colleagues are explicitly invited to attend the conference.