Academia and Activism p2p

What is the current relationship between academia and activism? What kind of relationship would we like to see? Where should the two fields be separated, and where could their collaboration be made more fruitful?

These are questions addressed by the project “Academia and Activism: Discussing Productive Collaborations” at Leuphana College. The project team, consisting of Steffi Hobuß, Andy Brogan, and Lena Eckert, is less concerned with establishing definitive boundaries between the two fields. Rather, the project explores the manifold perspectives on this topic.

The relationship between academia and activism is complex and cannot be discussed without context. While activists are relatively free and self-determined in shaping their relationship with academia and research, academics have to deal with more complex considerations: after all, depending on their position and field of research, they must consider academic standards, commitments, and structural dependencies. Many researchers communicate very cautiously to avoid being accused of activism—because such an accusation often implies a delegitimisation of the research results or even of the researcher themself. Academia, according to a widespread claim, should be “neutral” and therefore must not be associated with activism.

But what does “neutral” mean? Should sustainability scientists keep quiet when their research shows that certain solutions are more appropriate and urgent than others? Or should political scientists refrain from communicating scientific evidence that the AfD is a threat to democracy? It is no coincidence that this very party is calling for the abolition of unpopular fields of research such as Gender Studies or Postcolonial Studies, accusing them of “activism” and “ideology.”

The examination of the relationship between academic and activism repeatedly raises the question of academic freedom: What should academia be allowed to do and what should it not? To what extent, in what form, and under what conditions should academics be allowed and expected to engage in civil society debates? How can society promote fruitful and necessary connections between academia and activism without encouraging the anti-academic instrumentalization of the accusation of activism?

The project provides space for all these questions. Some of the results will be shown in a video installation, framed by two events. Everyone is warmly invited to stop by and join the conversation!

Video Installation Opening Hours

Dec 10, 2025: 4:30-8:00 pm

Dec 11, 2025: 10:00-6:00 pm

Dec 12, 2025: 10:00-16:00 pm

Panel Discussion: Academia and Activism in the Context of Democracy (German)

Dec 10, 5:00-6:30 pm

What do current developments in terms of democracy have to do with the relationship between academia and activism? How are current discussions about academia and activism connected to democratic values? What are responsibilities, possibilities and constraints of the two areas? This will be discussed by:

- Sarah Engler, Professor for Comparative Politics at Leuphana

- Jürgen Zimmerer, Professor for Global History at Hamburg University and head of the Research Center “Hamburg’s (Post)Colonial Heritage”

- Jonas Korn, sustainability scientist, activist and co-founder of the Commons Centre Lüneburg

The discussion will be moderated by Steffi Hobuß.

Closing Workshop: The Project’s Findings and their Implications (English/German Mix)

Dec 12, 1:00-2:30 pm

Based on the video installation and short contributions from the project team, we would like to start a conversation: Where do we position ourselves in relation to academia and activism? What do we need from both, and what are their limits? How can and do we want to talk about their relationship?

There will be enough time both before and after the events to visit the installation. The videos contain English subtitles.

If you have questions, please contact Lena Eckert: lena.eckert@leuphana.de

The project “Academia and Activism” is funded by Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK) in the line “Zukunftsdiskurse” of the funding programme „zukunft.niedersachsen“.