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Call for applications for doctoral scholarships

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:19:39 +0100

The doctoral programme "De-Globalisation and Global Decoupling (DeGlobE)" is currently offering up to 10 doctoral scholarships funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation. We are looking for committed graduates who would like to pursue a doctoral project on de-globalisation and global decoupling. The application deadline is 02.05.2026.

Lecture: The eternal tragedy of German foreign policy

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:15:00 +0200

Over a period of more than two centuries, only two outstanding statesmen succeeded in shaping Germany into a stabilising and regulating centre of Europe: Klemens Wenzel Lothar von Metternich and Otto von Bismarck.

The lecture examines the question of why other political actors failed despite having comparable prerequisites. It will also shed light on why the Federal Republic of Germany has still not succeeded in assuming a similar organising role within the European Union.

Date: 01 July 2026, 18:15-19:45
Location: C01, Room 0012

All interested parties are cordially invited.

Europe's demystification - free trade, international law and peacekeeping in a multipolar world

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:00:00 +0200

Where is geopolitical Europe heading and how can it remain capable of acting in a world in upheaval? Panel discussion with author and political scientist Daniel Marwecki (books: Absolution? Israel und die Deutsche Staatsräson (2024) and Die Welt nach dem Westen (2025)).

Discussion: Keeping (discourse) spaces open at universities

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:20:41 +0200

As part of a panel discussion, various professors from the faculties and the Students against the Right want to discuss this with the audience from the perspectives of various disciplines and status groups. The central question is how discourse spaces can be kept open in the face of increasing attacks on academic freedom, but also on university autonomy.

We are delighted that Professor Dr Sophia Hoffmann, a member of our research group, will also be taking part and contributing her expertise in the field of international politics and conflict research.

All interested parties are cordially invited - come along and join the discussion!

Global Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Dialogue: Young Scholars’ Workshop on Geoeconomics at the University of Erfurt

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:19:25 +0200

Across panels on industrial transformation, strategic state intervention, infrastructure, global production networks, and resource politics, participants engaged with a wide range of empirical cases and conceptual approaches. Contributions spanned nearly all world regions, highlighting how geoeconomic dynamics unfold in diverse political and economic contexts.

A defining feature of the workshop was its exceptionally open and constructive discussion culture. Interdisciplinarity was not only present but actively practiced: political economy, sociology, geography, and technology-oriented perspectives were combined with diverse methodological approaches. This diversity underscored a key takeaway: understanding geoeconomics and shifting state–business relations require fundamentally global and interdisciplinary thinking.

The workshop also demonstrated the importance of early-career perspectives in advancing the field, fostering innovative ideas and sustainable academic exchange. We had the chance to include the workshop in the Kick off event of our doctoral program "De-Globalisation and Global Decoupling (DeGlobE). Together with the “Erfurt Research Center for Geoeconomics” (EFGeo), the workshop highlighted Erfurt’s growing role as a hub for cutting-edge research.

Launch event of the DeGlobE doctoral programme: panel discussion on the market, the state and (de)globalisation

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:24:15 +0200

The event was opened at Haus Dacheröden in Erfurt by Professor Sophia Hoffmann and Professor Goldthau, co-spokespersons of the Centre. In his subsequent thematic introduction, Professor Stefan Schmalz (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) explained key developments and areas of tension in the current dynamics of (de)globalisation, leading into the subsequent discussion. In the ensuing exchange, aspects such as geopolitical and geo-economic factors influencing current globalisation processes, perspectives and conditions of a possible re-globalisation and the role of key players such as China, the USA and Europe in the current global economy were discussed.

The panel included: Professor Stefan Schmalz (Professorship of Labour and Economic Sociology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Liv Dizinger (Structural Policy subject area, DGB Hessen-Thüringen), Dr Melanie Müller (Africa and Middle East Research Group, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) and Mark Brehmer (International Team Leader, IHK Erfurt).

We look forward to continuing our work together and to exchanging ideas with all those who deal with issues of globalisation and its current transformations!

Publication: Article by Oliver Kessler in Global Studies Quarterly

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:13:51 +0200

In this article, Professor Dr Oliver Kessler proposes an approach inspired by conceptual history. Based on the discussion surrounding the concept of geoeconomics, he shows how two previously distinct rationalities, economy and security, are merging and how this process also reveals the change in the liberal order.

Information event on doctoral scholarships

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:00:00 +0100

In order to provide the best possible support for those interested, there will be an information event on 19 March 2026 at 7 pm. The event will deal with questions about the application process. The event will be led by Madeleine Böhm, Academic Coordinator of the programme.

Prior registration via e-mail is required. Participants will then receive the access data by e-mail in good time.