Thinkathon and workshop “Europe as a global actor: Which competences do we need in a world in crisis?”

The thinkathon and workshop bring together experts, employers and stakeholders with students from M.A. and B.A. programmes in the social sciences and humanities, which focus specifically on the interdisciplinary study of Europe in a transregional perspective. These include programs in European Studies, Global Studies, Political Science and International Relations, Cultural Studies, Sociology, Geography or History.

Travel expenses may be covered for a limited number of participants from Arqus universities!

The workshop

What kind of knowledge and competences do stakeholders outside of academia consider most relevant from their perspective? What do they expect from graduates of such programs? Which challenges do they consider as upcoming and pertinent in the near future, which they would hope universities are dealing with and future staff members will have to navigate?

The hybrid workshop combines an opening keynote lecture and a roundtable with interactive World Cafés. In these focus groups, experts meet with students, providing them on the one hand with insights into careers in their field, and on the other hand identifying together new challenges and themes students and scholars in the field shall address in the future. The World Cafés are hosted by experts from political organisations and think tanks, foreign policy and international development agencies, business and public service. Furthermore, insights into careers in academia, doing a PhD at Arqus partner universities are offered.

The workshop shall not only help identify new challenges for research and training in the social sciences and humanities with an interdisciplinary and transregional focus in Europe, but also foster career perspectives and enhance the professional networks of future graduates of these programs at Arqus partner universities.

Venue and format

The event will take place on site in Leipzig and online. Keynote and roundtable, as well as some of the World Cafés will be offered online in addition to the on-site event.

Preliminary schedule (Central European Time)

9:30–11:00 | Keynote and Discussion

11:00–11:30 | Coffee Break and Introduction into the World Cafés

11:30–12:30 | World Cafés

12:30–13:30 | Lunch Break

13:30–14:30 | World Cafés

14:30–15:00 | Coffee Break and Exhibition of results

15:00–16:00 | Plenary concluding discussion

Interested in getting involved?

Join us and enrich the thinkathon! If you are interested in participating, send a short email to janine.klaege[at]uni-leipzig.de with the following details:

• Name
• Institution
• Current status and your interest in the workshop
• Specifying whether you plan to take part on-site (and if you apply for travel expenses) or online

For further information, contact the organisers at the Global and European Studies Institute:
Dr. Steffi Marung (marung[at]uni-leipzig.de)
Dr. Janine Kläge (janine.klaege[at]uni-leipzig.de)