News from the Cluster
ASEAN Secretary-General Visits Freie Universität Berlin for Dialogue on Regional Stability and Global Cooperation with Cluster of Excellence SCRIPTS
On 17 February, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), visited Freie Universität Berlin for an academic exchange hosted by the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS)”.
17.02.2026
Call for Applications: Visiting Researcher Stays at the SCRIPTS Forum 2026
The SCRIPTS Forum invites early career researchers to apply for visiting researcher stays in Berlin. Deadline: 8 March 2026
03.02.2026
Gwendolyn Sasse on what it would take to end the War in Ukraine| The Guardian
In a Guardian op-ed, Gwendolyn Sasse analyses the political and diplomatic conditions required to end Russia's war against Ukraine, focusing on international coordination and prospects for a sustainable peace.
03.02.2026
New Publication: Deep Contestations of the Liberal International Order
We are pleased to announce that the book Deep Contestations of the Liberal International Order (Oxford University Press, 2026) is now published and freely accessible online in open access .
02.02.2026
Podcast: SCRIPTS at "Exzellent erklärt"
“Exzellent erklärt” explores how research and diplomacy work together
29.01.2026
New Blog Post: Why Propaganda Matters More Than Ever for Autocracies
In a new interview, political scientist Alexander Libman discusses how propaganda functions as a core instrument of contemporary authoritarian rule.
27.01.2026
Academic Accelerator Fellowship – Call for Applications (2026 Cohort)
SCRIPTS invites applications for the Academic Accelerator Fellowship, a 12-month support program for doctoral researchers from regions and communities underrepresented in academia. The application deadline is February 28, 2026.
21.01.2026
Anette Eva Fasang Elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
The Presidium of the German National Academy of Sciences has elected Anette Eva Fasang, Principal Investigator at Scripts and Professor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, as a new member of the Leopoldina.
20.01.2026
New SCRIPTS working paper: High Hopes and Broken Promises (HIBO): A Decolonial Qualitative Life Course Study with Young Adults in Senegal Description of Study Design and Data Collection
SCRIPTS working paper No.63 by Anette Fasang, Noella Binda Niati , Mariéme Ciss, Assa Kamara, and Nancy Ndour
16.01.2026
New working paper: Populism and the Political Language of Illiberalism in India: Demonetisation and the Speech Acts of the Prime Minister
SCRIPTS working paper No.62 by Sushmita Nath
17.12.2025
New Blog Post: To What Extent do Citizens Around the World Support the Liberal Idea of Non-Discrimination in Access to the Labor Market?
SCRIPTS Blog Post No. 81 by Jürgen Gerhards & Johannes Giesecke
16.12.2025
How AI Is Reshaping Global Politics: An Interview with Genia Kostka
Artificial intelligence is not only transforming technological processes but also reshaping political power structures worldwide. In the interview, Prof. Genia Kostka (SCRIPTS) discusses the political dynamics of digital technologies, authoritarian and democratic modes of governance, and China’s growing role in global digital politics.
02.12.2025
New Blog Post : "Queuing for Utopia: The Expo Script at Work in Osaka 2025"
How do nations perform on the world stage—and what strategies of image management do liberal and non-liberal states employ at World Expos?
12.11.2025
Is There a Legitimacy Gap in Liberal Democracies? SCRIPTS Blog Post by Heiko Giebler
Liberal values remain strong across the globe – but trust in liberal democracies is fading. A new analysis by Heiko Giebler draws on data from the PALS survey to uncover what this growing legitimacy gap tells us about the state of democracy today.
05.11.2025
Workshop “Contestations of the Liberal Scripts”
Scholars from SCRIPTS, HUJI, and partner institutions engaged in two days of vibrant debate on shifting liberal orders, security, and inclusion.
03.11.2025
