Date: 4 - 8 August 2025
Organizer: Prof. Dr. Karoline Reinhardt
The Passau Summer School for Applied Ethics (PASSAE) is a one-week interdisciplinary event organised by the Chair in which current issues in applied ethics are discussed. Starting in 2024, it will take place annually in the summer and is aimed at students from all disciplines at the University of Passau and international students.
The second edition of PASSAE in 2025 will be entitled History & Memory: Ethical Dimensions. The central question is how to deal responsibly with historical events and memories. Lectures by international experts and joint discussions in working groups will introduce participants to the subject matter and provide space for dialogue. Science communication and a cultural supporting programme are also part of the event.
Date: 31 August - 2 September 2025
Organizer: Prof. Dr. Karin Stögner, Elke Rajal
The biennial mid-term conference of Research Network 31 (RN31) of the European Sociological Association, focusing on "Ethnic Relations, Racism, and Antisemitism," is a highly esteemed event within the international academic community. Passau has been selected as the host city for the next conference in August/September 2025. Read more...
Date: 10th - 11th October 2025
Organizers: Dr. Melanie Radue, Prof. Dr. Wolfram Schaffar (Chair for Development Politics)
This interdisciplinary workshop brings together scholars from the University of Passau and other national and international universities. This workshop explores how media and political actors construct and amplify perceived threats, often targeting minority groups through selective reporting, negative framing, and the viral dynamics of online networks. The workshop focuses on the mechanisms by which these moral panics arise and spread in Germany and other regions, e.g. Southeast Asia or Eastern Europe, examining the interplay between media systems, political actors, and (digital) communication networks. It brings together scholars from various disciplines to discuss comparative research findings, methodological perspectives, such as network and framing analysis and practical counter-strategies. Key questions include: How do moral panics develop in different contexts? What role do media and politics play in reinforcing or mitigating polarization? How can interdisciplinary methods help analyse these phenomena?
Date: 6th - 7th March 2026
Organizers: Prof. Dr. French Lorely (Pacific University, USA), Prof. Dr. Marina Ortrud Hertrampf (Professorship of Romance Literature and Culture with a focus on France)
This two-day colloquium brings together twelve scholars from Europe and North America across literary, visual, and performing arts disciplines. Together, they will share research and develop a theoretical framework for interpreting the works of Romani writers and artists who center dreams, hopes, and utopias in their work. An exhibition on the life and work of Austrian Romani artist and Holocaust survivor Ceija Stojka will run in the University of Passau library from February 28 to March 26, 2026. The colloquium will also feature a concert and reading by French Romani flamenco guitarist and writer Miguel Haler. Additional planned events include performances by Amenza Ketane (featuring Hojda Stojka), poetry by Simona Anozie, and a reading by Austrian writer Samuel Mago. With its interdisciplinary scope, international voices, and the blending of scholarship and artistic practice, the colloquium offers a rich and inspiring experience for all participants.
