FULDA INTERNATIONAL AUTUMN SCHOOL

This year's Fulda International Autumn School, which took place from 24 to 28 November 2025, brought together a diverse group of researchers, doctoral candidates, students and international experts for an inspiring week of exchange, collaboration and interdisciplinary research. Under the guiding theme of "The Future of Applied Social Sciences", the participants explored the question of how research can navigate global complexities and at the same time contribute to sustainable social change.

The Fulda International Autumn School, organised by Norina Fischer, Prof. Eva Gerharz and Prof. Kirsten Nazarkiewicz from the Fulda Graduate Centre of Social Sciences - supported by the SaFe Research Initiative and SUNY Cortland - offered a dynamic space for reflection, dialogue and methodological testing related to practice.

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Day 1: Opening & first keynote

The Fulda International Autumn School began with a guided tour of the historic city centre of Fulda, which gave participants the opportunity to get to know the most important sights and exchange ideas in an informal atmosphere. They were then warmly welcomed by Eva Gerharz and Norina Fischer, who officially opened the week and introduced the program.

The first keynote "Transdisciplinary Knowledge Production: Opportunities and Challenges" was held by Petra Dannecker (University of Vienna). She emphasised the growing importance of research approaches that combine academic and social perspectives, thus setting the tone for the week's content.

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Specialisation of research through workshops

A central element of the Fulda International Autumn School was the work in three parallel workshops that ran throughout the week:

- Bringing Research to Applied Settings with Joseph Anthony (SUNY Cortland)
In this workshop on transferring academic findings into socially relevant practice, participants identified the extent to which their individual research projects can have an impact outside of research. They analysed the practical and organisational contexts of their research and learned different writing strategies to make their work accessible to a wider audience.

- Science Fiction as Future-Oriented Participatory Research with Alissa Starodub (Fulda University of Applied Sciences)
How can utopian futures be imagined - and co-created through research? These were the questions addressed by the participants in this workshop. By using science fiction as a method, it became clear that research is not a linear process and that creative openness can manage to produce unexpected but valuable results.

- The Multimodal Turn with Judith Albrecht (University of Münster)
This workshop opened up new perspectives on learning and knowledge beyond purely text-based methods. Participants worked with the kit developed by the Multimodal Appreciation and Evaluation research group, used it to work on their own research projects and discussed challenges, new values and possible forms of collaboration.

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Critical perspectives on society, knowledge and practice through keynotes

Each afternoon of the Fulda International Autumn School featured a (hybrid) keynote address that addressed current debates in the applied social sciences:

- "Applied Social Sciences in Action: Working for Public Clients or for the Public Good?"
by Christiane Dienel (nexus institute) highlighted the political dimension of applied research using inspiring examples of projects and teamwork.

- "New Orders. Analysing and Fighting Rising Fascism"
by Natascha Strobl offered a detailed analysis of contemporary authoritarian tendencies.
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- "Interculturalising, Decolonising and Democratising Science? Reflections from Latin America and Beyond"
by Anna Meiser (LMU Munich) addressed global knowledge inequalities and the challenges of transforming academic institutions.

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Interactive plenaries & film screening

Interactive plenary sessions complemented the keynotes and created space for collective reflection and creative exchange:

- "Queering the Rural: A Transdisciplinary Participatory Intervention"
with Carola Bauschke-Urban explored queer realities of life in Fulda and the surrounding rural regions. The participants learnt how important safe spaces are and what differences pass between urban and rural life for queer people. The ongoing project "Acceptance and Diversity Fulda" provided the basics.

- "Touring Sophia's Garden: Reflections from the Field"
with Mechthild Nagel (SUNY Cortland) presented a project that combines philosophical education for elementary school children with university teaching. In groups, the participants reflected on ethical issues that are central to social well-being but are often underrepresented.

- "From Insight to Impact: Understanding and Improving Teamwork in Glocal and Virtual Contexts"
with Luisa Conti (University of Jena) addressed collaboration in globalised, digital and intercultural contexts. Participants were given tools related to practice for building trust, valuing diversity and designing inclusive research environments.

There was also a film evening with a screening of Kichobaki: What Remains? introduced by Judith Albrecht. As an example of multimodal ethnographic anthropology, the film explored Tanzania's colonial heritage, the traces of German colonial rule and the role of local communities in knowledge production.

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Final day: synthesis & outlook

The last day of the Fulda International Autumn School provided the opportunity to summarise the week's findings. In the final sessions, the workshop groups presented their results and reflected on methodological, conceptual and practical challenges.

The concluding panel discussion "Navigating Complexities: Applied Sciences for the Future" encouraged a critical discussion of the role of the social sciences in times of global transformation. A joint networking lunch formed the informal degree of the week.

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For several years, the Fulda International Autumn School has served as a central platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, academic exchange and professional development. This year's edition underlined the importance of innovative methods, transdisciplinary dialogue and socially relevant research and once again strengthened Fulda University of Applied Sciences' role as a hub for forward-looking applied social sciences.

The organisers would like to thank all assistants, participants and partners for an extraordinarily enriching and inspiring week."