News | WZB

Daniel Ziblatt Appointed as Transatlantic Bridge Professor

29 Oct 2026

We are pleased to announce that Daniel Ziblatt will continue his collaboration with the WZB as a Transatlantic Bridge Visiting Professor. Having served as Director of the WZB Department Transformations of Democracy from 2020 to 2026, Professor Ziblatt now joins the “WZB Center for Civil Society Research” through a fellowship funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

Kohli Price to Raewyn Connell

26 Oct 2026

She did not invent the concept of “hegemonic masculinity,” but she did name it. Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell, a leading figure in the field of critical men’s studies, will receive this year’s Kohli Prize. The award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 3, starting at 5 p.m. at the WZB; the laudatory address will be delivered by sociologist Aeneas Zi Wang from Nanjing University.

Representation and Compromise

11 Aug 2026

David Ausserhofer

Dissent and compromise are essential to democracy. Political parties must debate and fight over the future direction of policy and the best solutions to societal issues. But they must also be able to reach compromises in parliament and within a coalition: on shared policies, on new laws or on amendments to existing legislation. ‘Representation & Compromise. Bringing Voters’ Preferences to the Floor’ is the title of Pola Lehmann’s new book.

Challenges to the International Order: Causes and Consequences

15 Oct 2026

The International Order Under Pressure—Ideas for a New Direction

09 Oct 2026

Impressions from the public dialogue and opening of the 2nd Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference 2026 at the Akademie der Künste on Pariser Platz, Berlin.

Always on the Move: Jutta Allmendinger Turns 70

24 Sep 2026

Until two years ago, she was the President of our institute, and she had a significant influence on it: the sociologist and education researcher Jutta Allmendinger. Yet her voice was, and still is, heard far beyond the WZB. Our thanks and congratulations on her milestone birthday on 26 September 2026 are written by Heike Solga, Director of the WZB’s Department of Skill Formation and Labor Markets.

2nd Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference

04 Sep 2026

Today, the 2nd Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference 2026 opens its doors. Here you find the program for the conference, titled “Challenges to International Orders: Causes and Consequences”.

Robert Gorwa Receives 2026 ERC Starting Grant

03 Sep 2026

Congratulations, Robert Gorwa! The WZB researcher has been awarded a grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his research project “ALIGNING AI.” This is the second consecutive Starting Grant awarded to WZB research.

International Order Under Pressure – Is It Time for Readjustment?

01 Sep 2026

Today, the public dialogue between Odile Renaud-Basso, Norbert Röttgen and Katherine Tai on changing global power dynamics takes place at the Akademie der Künste. The discussion marks the start of the 2nd Annual Interdisciplinary WZB Conference 2026.

A System Under Pressure

13 Aug 2026

Democracy enjoys broad support in surveys. However, as a new study shows, support for democratic rights and procedures becomes unstable in times of crisis.