Current Fellows' research
- Staging the Border: The Symbolic Creation of the Danube Monarchy in Southeastern Europe before 1791Borders and border regions have attracted intensified scholarly interest, shaped by historiographical developments and 20th-century conflicts. This project examines how the European–Ottoman frontier in the early modern Balkans was perceived, visualized, and staged.
- Czesław Miłosz, ‘Kultura,’ and Ketman: Dissimulation and Dissidence Across the Polish DiasporaCzesław Miłosz’s 1953 book The Captive Mind made Ketman—a term originally derived from Islamic law, describing the duty of believers to conceal their true beliefs when threatened with persecution—a byword for the myriad strategies of self-effacement used by the
- Un-Making and Re-Making the Nation: The Anti-Democratic Effects of ‘Red-Brown’ Political Communication in ItalyDrawing from political theory, media and communication studies, and linguistic anthropology, Vito Laterza examines how the Italian “red-brown” movements that developed from anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests strategically blend left-wing rhetoric and far-right ideologies.
- 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).
- Human-Centered AI: Culturally Responsive AI-Enabled Mobile Applications for Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in KenyaThis project explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled mobile applications can better support female micro-entrepreneurs operating in Kenya’s informal economy.
- Universal and Vernacular, Abstract and Decorative: Non-Figurative Art from KyivIn March 1918, the artist Alexandra Exter opened a private art studio in Kyiv. Her teaching methodology combined extremely radical formal experiments with folk art, especially Ukrainian decorative traditions.
News
- Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2026 Emma Goldman AwardsOn 5 March, the IWM hosted the annual Emma Goldman Awards, co-organized with the independent, Netherlands-based FLAX Foundation. The awards are named after feminist Emma Goldman (1869-1940), who is considered one of the…
- Did Vienna Invent the Modern World, Richard Cockett?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 MarchThis month, we welcome nine new fellows to the Institute. Learn more about their fellowships and research projects by clicking on their names. For interview requests or media inquiries, please reach out to iwm-pr@…
Upcoming events
- Fellows' Colloquium with Hanna YankutaSeminars and Colloquia
- Monthly Lecture with Michael StewartLecture
- Panels and Discussions
- Fellows' Colloquium with Vito LaterzaSeminars and Colloquia
Recent Media
Upcoming events
- Fellows' Colloquium with Hanna YankutaSeminars and Colloquia
- Monthly Lecture with Michael StewartLecture
- Panels and Discussions
- Fellows' Colloquium with Vito LaterzaSeminars and Colloquia
News
- Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2026 Emma Goldman AwardsOn 5 March, the IWM hosted the annual Emma Goldman Awards, co-organized with the independent, Netherlands-based FLAX Foundation. The awards are named after feminist Emma Goldman (1869-1940), who is considered one of the…
- Did Vienna Invent the Modern World, Richard Cockett?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 MarchThis month, we welcome nine new fellows to the Institute. Learn more about their fellowships and research projects by clicking on their names. For interview requests or media inquiries, please reach out to iwm-pr@…
Current Fellows' research
- Staging the Border: The Symbolic Creation of the Danube Monarchy in Southeastern Europe before 1791Borders and border regions have attracted intensified scholarly interest, shaped by historiographical developments and 20th-century conflicts. This project examines how the European–Ottoman frontier in the early modern Balkans was perceived, visualized, and staged.
- Czesław Miłosz, ‘Kultura,’ and Ketman: Dissimulation and Dissidence Across the Polish DiasporaCzesław Miłosz’s 1953 book The Captive Mind made Ketman—a term originally derived from Islamic law, describing the duty of believers to conceal their true beliefs when threatened with persecution—a byword for the myriad strategies of self-effacement used by the
- Un-Making and Re-Making the Nation: The Anti-Democratic Effects of ‘Red-Brown’ Political Communication in ItalyDrawing from political theory, media and communication studies, and linguistic anthropology, Vito Laterza examines how the Italian “red-brown” movements that developed from anti-lockdown and anti-vaccination protests strategically blend left-wing rhetoric and far-right ideologies.
- 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).
- Human-Centered AI: Culturally Responsive AI-Enabled Mobile Applications for Women Micro-Entrepreneurs in KenyaThis project explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled mobile applications can better support female micro-entrepreneurs operating in Kenya’s informal economy.
- Universal and Vernacular, Abstract and Decorative: Non-Figurative Art from KyivIn March 1918, the artist Alexandra Exter opened a private art studio in Kyiv. Her teaching methodology combined extremely radical formal experiments with folk art, especially Ukrainian decorative traditions.
Recent Media
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.