Current Fellows' research
- Homo Academicus – Homo Politicus: An Academical-Political Biography of Philip E. MoselyPhilip Edward Mosely (1905-1972) has been remembered as the “the Cold War’s organization man.” The world’s leading Sovietologist, he was at the center of shaping what came to be known as Russian and East European studies.
- Europe as an (Impossible) Task: Thinking Emancipation in Relation to Václav HavelThe goal of this project is to produce a manuscript on the politics of emancipation and the ethics of responsibility in the works of Václav Havel.
- Global Relations over the Next DecadeJames C. O’Brien will ask what kind of possibilities for international cooperation will emerge after the current period of instability. It is clear that there will be no restoration of the old “normal” (which never was normal).
- On the Conceptual Apparatus of ‘World Literature’: Eastern European AlternativesThis project critically examines some of the central assumptions and concepts informing the current discourse on world literature in the English-speaking world.
- Mensch und Phantasie. Untersuchung der anthropologischen Grundlage von José Ortega y Gassets KulturphilosophieDas Forschungsprojekt beschäftigt sich mit der Philosophischen Anthropologie und Kulturphilosophie des spanischen Philosophen José Ortega y Gasset.
- On the Spirit of Europe: A Philosophical and Economic Quest for Europe’s SoulTomáš Sedláček will be applying the final touches to his new book, The Spirit of Europe. What is the enduring “spirit” of Europe, and how can its rediscovery guide the continent through its current challenges and toward a more meaningful future?
Jobs and Open Calls
News
- What Is the Meaning of Freedom, Timothy Snyder?So many of us seem to be scrambling to understand where the world is heading. Decade-old certainties seem to crumble before our eyes. Perhaps we are reaching the moment that Karl Marx predicted when all that is solid…
- New Fellows Joining the IWM in NovemberWe are delighted to introduce the four visiting fellows listed below, who will be joining the Institute in November. Learn more about their fellowships and research projects by clicking on their names. For interview…
- Introducing Our 2025-2026 Europe's Futures FellowsThe Institute for Human Sciences is proud to announce the 2025/26 cohort of Europe’s Futures fellows. This year’s ten fellows, who are joining the Institute for non-residential fellowships, will become part of a…
Upcoming events
- Conferences and Workshops
- Tanja Maljartschuk und Juri Andruchowytsch präsentieren die „Ukrainische Bibliothek“Other
- Fellows' Colloquium with Paul StubbsSeminars and Colloquia
- Monthly Lecture mit Martin SchürzLecture
Recent Media
Upcoming events
- Conferences and Workshops
- Tanja Maljartschuk und Juri Andruchowytsch präsentieren die „Ukrainische Bibliothek“Other
- Fellows' Colloquium with Paul StubbsSeminars and Colloquia
- Monthly Lecture mit Martin SchürzLecture
News
- What Is the Meaning of Freedom, Timothy Snyder?So many of us seem to be scrambling to understand where the world is heading. Decade-old certainties seem to crumble before our eyes. Perhaps we are reaching the moment that Karl Marx predicted when all that is solid…
- New Fellows Joining the IWM in NovemberWe are delighted to introduce the four visiting fellows listed below, who will be joining the Institute in November. Learn more about their fellowships and research projects by clicking on their names. For interview…
- Introducing Our 2025-2026 Europe's Futures FellowsThe Institute for Human Sciences is proud to announce the 2025/26 cohort of Europe’s Futures fellows. This year’s ten fellows, who are joining the Institute for non-residential fellowships, will become part of a…
Current Fellows' research
- On the Conceptual Apparatus of ‘World Literature’: Eastern European AlternativesThis project critically examines some of the central assumptions and concepts informing the current discourse on world literature in the English-speaking world.
- Platform(ing) Illiberalism? Online Influencers, Digital Platforms, and the Illiberal Public Sphere in Central and Eastern EuropeDonald Trump’s victory in the November 2024 US presidential election has sparked fears that illiberal and authoritarian actors around the world will be further emboldened as a result, including in Central and Eastern Europe—a region which has been grappling with the rise of far-right
- Emancypantki: A Forgotten Herstory Reimagined“Emancypantki: A Forgotten Herstory Reimagined” is a book project uncovering the lives, struggles, and ideas of Polish women who fought for emancipation at the turn of the 20th century.
- Transitional Justice for Russia and Accountability in the Age of ImpunityThe 20th century established a moral project of confronting mass violence and systemic injustice through processes of remembrance, justice, and coming to terms with the past under the concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung.
- The Rich and Their Quest for ImmortalitySchürz’s book project focuses on the concentration of wealth in the hands of tech billionaires, and their dreams of achieving immortality. Death is the great equalizer in an unequal world. Even for the richest, it puts a limit on an otherwise almost limitless life.
- Humans Behind AI: Analyzing Low-Skilled Job Opportunities on Crowdworking PlatformsThis project explores how the expansion of artificial intelligence is transforming the digital labor market through the rise of crowdworking platforms. AI systems require large volumes of human-labeled data for training, so demand is growing for microtasks.
Recent Media
Jobs and Open Calls
The IWM is a community of scholars pursuing advanced research in the humanities and social sciences.
For four decades, the Institute has promoted intellectual exchange across disciplines, between academia and society, and among regions of the world. It hosts more than a hundred fellows each year, organizes public exchanges, and publishes books, articles, and digital fora.