Democracy research in dialogue: :
HMWK discussion series was a guest in Fulda

Wiesbaden/Fulda. How can democracy research strengthen the future of democracy? This question formed the starting point for the third edition of "Democracy Research in Dialogue", a series of talks organised by the Hessian Ministry of Science, which took place on Thursday, 6 November 2025 at Fulda University of Applied Sciences.

Science Minister Timon Gremmels commented: "Democracy research thinks ahead, especially in a situation in which we are concerned about the endangerment and fragility of democracy. This broad view of research allows us to understand the major developments and trends, beyond the excitement of daily news. We are living in troubled times and democracy is under threat. Unfortunately, there are also increasing forces in Germany that do not respect fundamental rights, do not honour our constitutional institutions and do not follow democratic and fair rules. We are all called upon to stand up for our democracy. Democracy research offers us an objective, academic basis for this important task."

Minister of Science Timon Gremmels spoke with Prof Dr Karim Khakzar, President of Fulda University of Applied Sciences, the Vice President for Research and Transfer, Prof Dr Martina Ritter, as well as researchers Prof Dr Eva Gerharz, Prof Dr Claudia Wiesner, Prof Dr Benjamin Ewert and Alexander Wiegel and the audience.

Prof Dr Martina Ritter, Vice President for Research and Transfer, acted as facilitator. Prof Dr Claudia Wiesner introduced the discussion with a keynote speech on the topic "Researching democracy - understanding the future".

The participants in the course saw it as the responsibility of research to provide support at a time when orientation is often deliberately made difficult by misleading and false factual claims. Democracy has legal certainty and strong institutions. In order to carry this form of government into the future, it must be made crisis-proof. Formats that are accessible to a broad public and at the same time strengthen science, such as the "Democracy in Dialogue" discussion series, could contribute to this.

Prof Dr Karim Khakzar. President of the Fulda University of Applied Sciences explained: "Universities are places where knowledge is created and at the same time spaces where democracy is practised. Hessian universities are democratically self-organised and enjoy a high degree of autonomy. All university members have the opportunity to help shape the future and development of our university. However, this also means taking responsibility and standing up for values. As an educational institution, we naturally not only practise this in self-management, we also try to encourage our students to take responsibility for our society as part of their university studies and thus support them in their personal development. Even the major research projects at Fulda University of Applied Sciences focus on topics such as social justice, participation and shaping through participation - important foundations of our democracy. Fulda University of Applied Sciences wants to support this dialogue and show that research can make a difference on the ground."

Prof Dr Martina Ritter, Vice President for Research and Transfer at Fulda University of Applied Sciences, said: "Democracy is created where people engage in dialogue with each other. It not only manifests itself in political institutions, but also in the social spaces of our everyday lives. This is where questions of coexistence can be negotiated and new ideas of participation can be developed. What is interesting for research is how such processes can be made visible and accessible, as the future of democracy will increasingly depend on how we manage to integrate different perspectives and interests and remain in dialogue with those affected. Democracy research thus becomes a bridge between research and society."

The series of talks organised by the Hessen State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts (HMWK) brings research and politics together with citizens in order to set an example for the free democratic exchange of opinions, to communicate research to citizens and to showcase the diverse landscape of democracy research in Hessen. The talks are part of the "Strengthening Democracy Research in Hesse" program of the Hessian Ministry of Science. In six funding lines, the program strengthens the networking of Hessian actors as well as strong democracy research with great transfer potential. It also includes a doctoral prize, a regular conference and the Paulskirchen Professorship for Democracy Research.

How democracy research contributes to shaping a democratic future can also be seen in the two projects with which the Fulda University of Applied Sciences is involved in the "Strengthening Democracy Research Hesse" programme, developing strategies for peaceful, inclusive and democratic coexistence in the future: Fulda University of Applied Sciences is active in the Hessian knowledge network "Inclusive and barrier-free democracy" via the department of social work, specialist field of rehabilitation and participation in relation to social spaces. Fulda University of Applied Sciences is also involved in the development of the Hesse Monitor "Democratic Conditions in Hesse" and thus contributes to a systematic survey of the political appointments of Hessian citizens.

Information on the participants in the panel discussion:
Prof. Dr Martina Ritter is Vice President for Research and Transfer at Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Professor of Sociology, Political Sociology and Social Space Research at the Department of Social Work at Fulda University of Applied Sciences.

Prof. Dr. Eva Gerharz is Professor of Sociology with a specialisation in globalisation at Fulda University of Applied Sciences, heads the Fulda Graduate Centre of Social Sciences (FGCSS), a doctoral research centre with a specialisation in social sciences, globalisation, European integration and interculturality, and is spokesperson for the DFG-FIP "Shaping Future Society - The Mutual Constitution of Future Oriented Practices and Communtiy" (SaFe).

Prof Dr Claudia Wiesner is Professor of Political Science at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences and a member of the Board of Directors of the Point Alpha Research Institute. She heads the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence "Europe in the World". Prof Wiesner is involved in the project "Democratic States in Hesse" in the Hessen-Monitor funding line.

Prof Dr Benjamin Ewert is Professor of Politics for Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences at the Fulda University of Applied Sciences and spokesperson for the DFG-FIP "Making e-Participation Usable for Transformations: Exploring fields of application, influencing factors and effects" (eParT).

Alexander Wiegel is a Master's student in the Department of Applied Computer Sciences at Fulda University of Applied Sciences and a member of the AstA. He was awarded the Hessen Ideas Scholarship 2025 for his app "valueBell"