Events
The At-Risk Scholar Support offers a wide range of workshops, talks and other kind of events that address various research- and career-related issues and are intended to support at-risk scholars with pursuing their professional life in exile. Furthermore, at-risk scholars have access to informative events which give guidance on practical issues of life in Germany.
At the same time, the At-Risk Scholar Support would like to draw your attention to events that are highlighting topics dealing not only with the complex experiences of exile and migration but also spotlight specific crises and explore how societies deal with migration and ongoing transformation.
Upcoming Events
Ringvorlesung
Afghanistan im Fokus
Afghanistan ist geprägt von jahrzehntelangen politischen Umbrüchen, internationalen Interventionen, innergesellschaftlichen Spannungen – und einem bemerkenswerten zivilgesellschaftlichen Engagement, das weit über aktuelle Schlagzeilen hinausreicht. Mit der Ringvorlesung „Afghanistan im Fokus“ werfen wir einen differenzierten Blick auf Geschichte, Gegenwart und Zukunftsperspektiven des Landes.
In Kooperation mit Dr. Soraya Sobhrang, Shikiba Babori, Moschda Ebrahimi und weiteren Expert*innen aus Journalismus, Wissenschaft und Aktivismus widmet sich die Reihe Themen wie Frauenrechten, Bildung, Exil, Kultur, regionaler Politik und sprachlichen Identitäten.
Die Veranstaltungen bieten Raum für kritischen Austausch, vertiefende Einblicke und persönliche Begegnungen – für alle Studierenden, die sich für globale Zusammenhänge, postkoloniale Perspektiven und afghanische Stimmen interessieren.
Von sprachpolitischen Einführungen über Podien mit Exil-Wissenschaftlerinnen bis hin zu Filmabenden und Diskussionen: Die Reihe zeigt Afghanistan als Ort von Konflikten, aber auch von Widerstand, Vielfalt und Zukunftsfragen.
Perspectives: LECTURE
»‘Academic Humanitarianism’ as Emergent Dispositive: A Critical Appraisal of Europe’s Scholar Protection Programmes, 2016-2024«
13 November 2025, 5 p.m. - International House (Kringsweg 6)
The venue is wheelchair accessible and the lecture will be held in spoken English.
Academic communities worldwide are going through dire times, experiencing severe threats to civic and human rights and their ability to engage in critical research and teaching. At the same time, the last decade has seen concerted efforts on the part of universities, civil society organisations, public and private institutions to mobilise resources for the protection and support of displaced scholars.
Through our research, we aim to gain a better theoretical understanding of how the logic of ‘humanitarian reason’ gets mapped onto the academic field. Drawing on Foucault’s work, we develop a dispositive analysis of the complex formation that Yarar/Karakaşoğlu have termed ‘academic humanitarianism’.
Our study is based on extensive empirical research dedicated to the analysis of the discursive, material and knowledge practices articulating this newly emerging dispositive. Particular attention is paid to the frames that policy actors mobilise to navigate the tensions around conflicting rationales for ‘scholar rescue’ programmes. Moreover, we critically discuss the role that the creation of categories such as the ‘at-risk scholar’ plays in academic humanitarian interventions and processes of knowledge production. The EU SAFE fellowship programme serves as a case study to examine the range of technologies employed to regulate access to support mechanisms, the pastoral power embodied in hosting/mentoring relations, and the cooperation-competition nexus governing the relationships between network actors such as universities, NGOs, and exiled scholars, but also as a departure point for thinking potential lines of empowerment and re-subjectification.
Esra Erdem
Esra Erdem is Professor of Social Economics at Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin. She served as Principal Investigator (PI) on the BMBF-funded research project Sage-SAGE! (2021-2024), investigating institutional development strategies and career opportunities for exiled scholars at Universities of Applied Sciences.
Publications in the field of Critical University Studies include “Emergent Repertoires of Resistance and Commoning in Higher Education” (South Atlantic Quarterly, 2019, co-authored); “Free universities as academic commons" (in: The Handbook of Diverse Economies, 2020); “Exiled scholars at Universities of Applied Sciences: New Opportunities and Structural Challenges for an Engaged Academy” (in: SAGE-Hochschulen im Strukturwandel, 2025, co-authored).
Homepage:
https://www.ash-berlin.eu/hochschule/lehrende/professor-innen/prof-dr-esra-erdem/
Zafer Yılmaz
Zafer Yılmaz is Associate Professor at Ankara University and a research fellow at Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin. His work critically examines the global rise of authoritarianism, the deepening crisis of democracy, and the far-right's growing hegemony. He has published widely on populism, authoritarian rule, and the authoritarian restructuring of the Turkish state in both academic journals and collective volumes. Among his books are The Spirit of New Turkey: Resentment, Domination and Destitution, Erdogan’s Presidential Regime: From Exceptional Republic to Parcelled State, and The Gloom of the Right: Authoritarian Leaders and the Stolen Rebellion (in Turkish), which interrogate the social, affective, and institutional dynamics of authoritarianism in Turkey and beyond.
Life of Researchers in Exile – Conflicts and Encounters
At-Risk Researchers: Playback Theatre Workshop 08-09 December 2025
We are offering an innovative one and a half day-long workshop from 08-09 December 2025 addressing the central topic of mental health in the context of escaping war and/or political repression.
The workshop is open to all at-risk researchers at universities in North Rhine-Westphalia. It aims at providing participants with a safe space in which to reflect on the challenges of living and working in exile. Participant numbers are limited to 12.
The workshop will be facilitated by Russian and Ukrainian peace activists and artists Anastasia Vorobyeva, Yuliia Terentieva and Valentin Hoffmann, who work with the method of Playback Theatre, a form of improvisation theatre which enables dialogues and encounters in diverse contexts by using a set of creative tools. After a longer phase of getting to know each other, participants will work together on different forms of expression used in Playback Theatre. This creates a forum for participants for sharing their complex experiences in a very personal way. The acquired forms of expression are then used as mirrors for the shared personal stories, which leads to enriching changes of perspective. Since the topic of mental health has garnered more and more attention, particularly in the academic context, we would like to offer this innovative format to at-risk researchers for the first time. For more information on Playback Theatre, please see: https://linii.de/page46995391.html#main
Registration is open to at-risk researchers via a.drautzburg-scherr@verw.uni-koeln.de until 26 October 2025. You are welcome to direct all your questions on the workshop to the same address.
Reimbursement: travel expenses exceeding the Deutschlandticket (2nd class travel only), hotel accommodation for 1 night (08 to 09 December), catering in Cologne (coffee, lunch, dinner).
Contact:
Dr Anja Drautzburg-Scherr
University of Cologne / International Affairs
a.drautzburg-scherr@verw.uni-koeln.de
Perspectives: POETRY READING
»„Ich vermischte die Stimmen“ — Gedichte und Texte von Esther Dischereit auf Deutsch, Hebräisch, Arabisch und Jiddisch«
In Kooperation mit dem Institut für Sprachen und Kulturen der islamisch geprägten Welt
16 December 2025, 6 p.m. - International House (Kringsweg 6) / hybrid
The venue is wheelchair accessible.
ALL-EYES-ON-GAZA
Lyriklesung und Gespräch über die Situation in Israel, Palästina und Deutschland. Moderiert von Stephan Milich (SKIW)
Esther Dischereit
Esther Dischereit gehört als Lyrikerin, Erzählerin, Essayistin, Theater- und Hörstückautorin sowie Literaturkritikerin zu den herausragenden Stimmen deutsch-jüdischer Literatur der zweiten Generation nach dem Holocaust. Unter anderem erhielt sie 2009 den Erich-Fried-Preis, von 2012 bis 2017 lehrte sie als Professorin an der Universität für angewandte Kunst in Wien. Zuletzt erschien 2024 ihr Roman "Ein Haufen Dollarscheine" bei MaroVerlag. Esther Dischereit liest neue und ältere Gedichte und Kurzprosa und spricht mit Stephan Milich über die Situation für Kultur, Gesellschaft und Wissenschaft nach dem 7. Oktober.
Event Series of the Cologne International Forum
Past Events
Stress, Mental Health and How to Build Up Your Resilience / Deep Relaxation Practice
19 September 2025, 2pm - 5pm
Anne Petersen, psychological psychotherapist
Stress, Mental Health and How to Build Up Your Resilience
This 1.5-hour workshop is designed to support at-risk scholars who are pursuing their research at the university. It focuses on understanding mental health, managing stress, and building resilience. Besides an informative presentation by psychotherapist Anne Petersen, there will be space for interactive exercises, discussions, and practical tips. Participants will learn strategies to cope with challenges, enhance their well-being, and foster resilience in their academic and personal lives. If you feel comfortable, there will opportunities for sharing experiences. Of course, this is completely voluntary.
Deep Relaxation Practice
After the first part of the workshop we will offer a more practical approach to stress relief. In this second part you will be guided through breathing exercises, gentle movements and deep relaxation techniques (e.g. progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training). You won’t need to bring equipment as we will provide you with mats. However, please make sure to wear comfortable clothing. This part will last approx. 1 hour.
Contact: Judith Nebe j.nebe@verw.uni-koeln.de
SALON: LECTURE
Ahmet Yikik & Aylin Walder
»Elif Shafak. A Sociological Exploration of Gender and Migration.«
2 July 2025 - 6 p.m., International House (Kringsweg 6)
The venue is wheelchair accessible and the lecture will be held in spoken English.
Ahmet Yikik: The work of Elif Shafak, a British author of Turkish descent, delves deeply into migration and gender issues. In this presentation, I will shed light on so-called "deviant" individuals and social groups through Elif Shafak's narrative landscape. I will discuss how Shafak’s fiction contributes to expanding the concept of being "human" by addressing issues of gender and migration. In essence, I aim to lay the groundwork for re-imagining social concepts through literary works.
Please register here.
More information on Events held by the Cologne International Forum can be found here.
SAR NRW: Seminar
Dr. Uta Brunner
“The German academic landscape for internationals” (University of Düsseldorf)
17 June 2025; 11 a.m. – 12.30 p.m, online seminar
A variety of institutions with diverse objectives and interests characterize the German research landscape. In this seminar, participants learned about the German higher education system, non-university research institutions as well as possible entry positions and funding opportunities for international junior scientists. In addition, the seminar also presented career prospects beyond research positions.
More information on the SAR NRW Programme can be found here.
First Workshop for At-Risk Scholars ‘Life of Researchers in Exile – Conflicts and Encounters‘
12 to 13 May 2025
From 12 to 13 May 2025, the workshop ‘Life of Researchers in Exile – Conflicts and Encounters‘ took place for the first time at the International House of the University of Cologne.
This innovative one-and-a-half-day workshop addressed the important topic of mental health in the context of fleeing from war and/or political repression, pursuing a holistic and action-oriented approach.
Cologne Bonn Academy in Exile: Workshop
"Life in Exile of Researchers – Conflict & Encounters"
2 and 3 December 2024 - University of Bonn
On December 2–3, 2024, the Cologne/Bonn Academy in Exile hosted an enriching and thought-provoking workshop facilitated by Anastasia Vorobyeva, Yuliia Terentieva, and Valentine Hoffmann at the University of Bonn. These experienced professionals brought their expertise in Playback Theater to guide the Fellows through a journey of storytelling, emotional exploration, and shared reflection. Playback Theater, an improvisational art form where personal stories are enacted on the spot, was the central methodology, fostering connection, healing, and understanding among participants.
The workshop introduced the Fellows to the principles and techniques of Playback Theater while providing a safe and inclusive environment for dialogue. Over the two days, participants engaged deeply with themes of resilience, personal and collective challenges, and visions for the future. The group explored emotions and experiences in the context of war and displacement, delving into personal stories that highlighted moments of overcoming adversity.
PERSPECTIVES: Lectures
“Challenges for democracy in post-migrant society”
Winter Semester 2024/25
A lecture series of the Institute for Languages and Cultures of the Islamic World (ISKIW) and the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology (DSS) of the University of Cologne
The lecture series organized by the Institute for Languages and Cultures of the Islamic World (ISKIW) and the Department of Sociology and Social Psychology (DSS) at the University of Cologne addressed challenges to democracy in post-migrant societies in light of current political developments. These include human rights violations and ideologies of inequality, authoritarianism in its various forms, antisemitism, and anti-Muslim racism.
The January events took place in cooperation at the Cologne International Forum.
4. Workshop on Racism Criticism
19 June 2024 - Cologne International Forum, International House (Kringsweg 6)
Due to current societal developments and needs, the Vice Rectorate for Anti-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities has decided to examine structures in which racism can be institutionally reproduced – regardless of individual intentions. The goal is to initiate a long-term, anti-racist and participatory process that will enable the transformation of structures at the University of Cologne in such a way that inequalities of opportunity are reduced. The Racism Critique Workshop aims to systematically identify current problem areas related to structural racism at the University of Cologne and develop areas for action.
The 4th Racism Critique Workshop took place at the Cologne International Forum on June 19, 2024.
More information about the Racism Criticism Workshop can be found here.
Lecture Series:
“Woman, Life, Freedom – Emancipatory Potentials”
Summer Semester 2023 and Winter Semester 2023/24
Since 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the Iranian morality police in September, Iran has been in turmoil. Many are hoping for a revolution - in this interdisciplinary lecture series, we would like to discuss what this could mean and what means are available. We will focus on the different sides of the protest, the public expressions of discontent and the need for change in the past and present. We will find out how people in Iran have resisted now and in recent decades. We discuss possibilities and demands. We look at how citizens from Iranian families in Germany - but increasingly people without a history of migration as well - are showing solidarity. And we shed light on the potential of Iranian society.
FLUCHTPUNKT:
How exclusive is the university?
Winter Semester 2022/23
Critical Questions about Equality and Diversity at German Universities
A public event series at the universities of Cologne, Bochum, Düsseldorf, and Siegen in the summer semester of 2022 and the winter semester of 2022/23, conceived and moderated by migration and racism researcher Mark Terkessidis and under the patronage of the rectorates of the participating universities.
The events are intended to provide a space for critical reflection on existing university structures with regard to researchers and students with a refugee background, but also to raise the question of how universities generally deal with, or should deal with, diversity.
How must universities adapt to a society increasingly shaped by mobility, migration, and also flight? How must universities be designed so that all people can find their place on an equal footing, regardless of their prerequisites, backgrounds, biographies, or even their appearance?
The lectures in the series address previous experiences, necessary structural changes, privileges, and racism.
More information about FLUCHTPUNKT: How exclusive is the university? can be found here.