WZB - Berlin Social Science Center

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Garden of stones in Hong Kong
Dkart / E+ / Getty images

Speculative Urbanism and the New Volatility of City Life

In the series "Great crisis "Great Crisis of Capitalism – A Second Great Transformation?" Michael Goldman, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, will explain the origins of the global obsession with urban infrastructure, its transnational spread, and its relationship to the 2008 financial crisis and current regime of urban financialization. Venue: WZB, May, 23., 5.p.m. To the invitation.

Events of the Berlin Colloquium

Researcher are cordially invited to join the Berlin Colloquium, organized by the WZB Center for Global Constitutionalism and Humboldt-University Berlin. The Colloquium discusses work in progress by leading contemporary scholars of global and comparative public law, who discuss their work with participants. The focus of most contributions involve central concepts and ideas relating to public law (such as sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, human rights) generally or as as they play out in specific institutional and doctrinal contexts.

WZB goes Oxford

WZB wins the bid for an international alumni conference

The WZB has won the call for applications for an international alumni meeting issued by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The prize is endowed with 40.000 Euros. The prize money will be used to fund a WZB alumni conference entitled “The Social Sciences in Times of Brexit” at the University of Oxford on
June 14 and 15, 2018.

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Lichtkugel mit Lichtstrahlen
gettyimages/Amith Naq Photography
Iran nuclear deal - an up-to-date analysis

Donald Trump's risky withdrawal

The US decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal is "extremely risky", says WZB expert Alexandros Tokhi. Domestically, it could bring back hardliners with dubious nuclear ambitions. Internationally, it seems that the prospects for nuclear non-proliferation are significantly worsened by Donald Trump’s decision. Read his analysis on the WZB blog Orders Beyond Borders.

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Stethoskop auf Miniglobus
iStock / Getty Images Plus

Global Health Lecture Series

Global Health organizations constantly strive for the scientific legitimation of their work. Yet, what counts as evidence in Global Health, and who sets priorities? A new seminar series explores these questions.

Insights from Australia

Mothers' work and children's weight

Longer working hours of mothers don't automatically result in children's higher body mass index. In the contrary: up to a certain amount, maternal employment can be beneficial for children's health. This is the key finding by WZB researcher Jianghong Li and her international collaborators who analyzed longitudinal data from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort Study known als "Raine Study".

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Fahrradkurier fährt für die Firma Deliveroo Essen aus
iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus

Regulating Labor in the Gig Economy

How to regulate the platform economy? Is it possible to require the platform companies to become employers? These questions were tackled on a WZB panel discussion.

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John Ruggie
David Ausserhofer
A.SK Social Science Award 2017

John G. Ruggie

The American political scientist John G. Ruggie has been awarded the A.SK Social Science Award 2017. The award is one of the most renowned international prizes in the social sciences.
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Kinder

Double Shift helps refugee children

The morning’s lessons are for the Jordanian children, in the afternoon it’s the Syrians’ turn. Jordan is using a model called Double Shift in order to provide schooling for refugee children. How is a small country able to overcome such a huge challenge? The WZB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) undertook a joint research project to examine the Jordanian school system.  The results are documented on the Double Shift website. 

WZB in the media

Süddeutsche Zeitung, 19 May
„Brücke in den Job“
ARD, Monitor, 17 May
„Bildungssystem: Wie der Boom der Privatschulen die Spaltung der Gesellschaft fördert“
BBC World Service, 12 May
Gespräch u. a. mit Martin Krzywdzinski

Media coverage

Research

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center investigates fundamental societal issues. Our focus is on education and work, migration, democracy and autocracy, international politics and law. At the WZB researchers from various disciplines work together – mainly from sociology, political science, economics, law and psychology.