Alliancefor Critical
Scholarship inSolidarity
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In addition to the General Assembly, KriSol’s first annual meeting includes workshops, panel discussions, working group meetings, and plenary sessions. The annual meetings will takes place at different locations; this year, it will be held at Ruhr University Bochum.
Please find ↗ a short questionaire here regarding participation in the annual meeting and the general assembly. Participation is restricted to KriSol members.
The upcoming General Assembly will elect a new Committee of Concerns ans a new Speakers Council, so we would like to provide information on running as a Speakers Council candidate. Here is the Link to ↗ FAQs SK Candidacy.
In accordance with the KriSol statutes, the agenda for the General Assembly will be sent out two weeks before the meeting.
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
11:00–12:45 p.m. Working Group Meetings (concurrent)
– Attacks on Civil Clauses and the Militarization of Science—What Role can KriSol Play in Alliances to Defend “Peaceful” Science? (Militarization Working Group, Moderator: Jan Regler, open to all)
For decades, “civil clauses” at many universities have ensured that research serves “peaceful,” non-military purposes. But in the wake of the “Zeitenwende,” they are coming under increasing pressure: In Bavaria, there are plans to completely abolish the civilian clause by law; at other universities, there is a threat of the clause being reworded to give universities more leeway for “security-related” or military research.
In this discussion, we want to collectively examine terms such as “civil,” “peaceful,” and “security-related,” analyze narratives used to legitimize military research, and reflect on counter-narratives. We’ll explore successful and failed campaigns, seek out allies at universities, examine the connection between research funding and militarization—and consider what role KriSol can play in alliances with the peace movement and the Palestine solidarity movement.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– KriSol AI Strategy (Digital Infrastructure Working Group, open to all members)
As the working group on digital infrastructures, we propose drafting a KriSol manifesto or strategy paper on artificial intelligence, which is intended to serve as a basis for interventions in academia and the arts/culture. At the meeting, we will present some existing positions and, together and in small groups, discuss our approach to AI, its role in KriSol’s work, and broader political and societal contexts. The goal of our joint discussion in Bochum is to develop a roadmap for establishing our position and planning potential interventions. We warmly invite interested colleagues to contribute and participate in the discussion. It’s also possible to simply listen in.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– Critical and Solidarity-Based Scholarship: Decolonial and Migrant Perspectives and Interventions (Internal meeting)
Scholarship remains a field shaped by hegemony, in which the recognition and validation of knowledge and those who possess it are both forms of capital and of politics. Our aim is, on the one hand, to contribute to collective reflections on possible alternative scholarly practice, and on the other hand, to create a space for exchange over experiences related to power dynamics within academic contexts.
We consider adopting an intersectional position, one to be understood as non-white, as necessary not only to highlight how the discourse of knowledge is associated with whiteness but also to strengthen migrant perspectives from and within the German context.
The panel aims to be a starting point to develop a position and reflection paper to be shared within KriSol, with the aim of enabling a broader discussion.
– KriSol’s Political Impact (Political Strategy Working Group, Moderation: Sonja Brentjes, open to all)
Since its founding, KriSol has contributed to discourse on academic policy in Germany in diverse ways. This has included activities such as proposing a declaration on antisemitism as an alternative to the Bundestag resolution in 2024, advocating for events in academia and culture against the genocide in Gaza, and challenging cancellations that affected invitations to colleagues or entire events.
There were cooperations with organizations in Germany and abroad against political repression, including the anti-fascist campaigns “Wissenschaft Gegen Faschismus” and “Widersetzen,” as well as coorganization of demonstrations against Israeli campaigns of extermination. Legal counsel and support were offered to colleagues and students.
This meeting is intended to discuss our work to date, provide insight for new members, and discuss potential political goals for KriSol in the near future.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
3:00–4:45 p.m. Panels / Workshops (concurrent)
– Austerity at Universities. Critical Scholarship has no Scope for Cost-Cutting (Universities Defunding Working Group, contributions from Sarah Karim, Kathrin Peters)
German Universities are under pressure. They are accused of being left-wing or “woke,” of being sites of structural anti-Semitism. And now their state funding is being cut almost nationwide. Meanwhile, the ceilings of buildings on campus are collapsing. It is urgently necessary to politicize the debate surrounding the current budget cuts at universities. Politicization means not simply accepting the austerity measures unquestioningly, but asking how universities should be funded, what forms of teaching and research we would like to see, and what role universities should play in the society of the future.
In this panel, we would like to explore the relationship between universities and austerity from various academic perspectives. We will collectively gather accounts of people’s experiences and, in a second step, discuss possible strategies of resistance.
– Introduction to the Safe Use of Web Browsers (Digital Infrastructure Working Group, contribution from Mohamed Barakat)
Many internet portals attempt to construct so-called digital twins of their users. This is done under the guise of personalizing various services. Increasingly, however, AI is being trained on this data not only to predict users’ preferences—such as which video will be suggested next or played automatically—but also to manipulate their behavior. Due to insecure web browsers, these platforms can track users across the entire internet. Using secure web browsers is therefore essential to prevent the creation of digital twins and to browse the internet more safely. Following the input, we’ll discuss the topic together.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– KriSol and Academic Responsibility in the Face of Occupation and Genocide (Continuation of the event series, organized by the eponymous working group)
As an organization of scholars and cultural practitioners, we find ourselves confronted with a situation in which relationships with Israeli institutions are being maintained or intensified, while the destruction of the educational infrastructure in Gaza and the isolation and military harassment of universities, schools, and education workers in the West Bank and Jerusalem remain ignored or even denied.
We invite you to join us in discussing how KriSol should position itself and act as an organization in light of this ever-widening destruction. The goal is to develop a strategy that compels our institutions to fulfill their responsibilities and adhere to international law and human rights. In this workshop, we aim to work concretely on a campaign.
– Legal Challenges (Workshop with contributions from Ralf Michaels and Nahed Samour; moderated by Inga Mathes)
Restrictions on the freedom of assembly, sharpened criminal and immigration laws, encroachments on academic freedom and university autonomy, and the imposition of conditions on funding—attacks on solidarity with Palestine and on critical scholarship regularly take legal shape. This workshop provides information on current developments by legislators and the executive branch, as well as on legal strategies to counter them. It also serves as a forum for sharing practical experiences with the law and the rule of law that may be useful to others.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
5:15–8:00 p.m.
Invocations/Provocations from the KriSol Advisory Board
This session is intended to provide Advisory Board members with the opportunity to present succinct invocations or provocations on a chosen topic in order to initiate discussion on challenging or stigmatized issues among KriSol members. Submissions may address KriSol’s core concerns—including academic freedom, the delegitimization of (critical) scholarship and the withdrawal of funding, securitization, faschization, the criminalization of protest, and restrictions on freedom of expression, as well as—in opposition to these developments—practices of resistance and solidarity. (Featuring Michael Barenboim tba.)
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
Plenum: Reflection on Working Principles (with representatives from the Committee for Concerns)
We would like to use this plenary session to report on the work and findings of the Committee for Concerns and to facilitate a shared discussion. The main topics will be KriSol’s Working Principles [see here: ↘ https://krisol-wissenschaft.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Arbeitsprinzipien_EN_KriSol_Juni2025.pdf] and the Committee’s Rules of Procedure, combined with an analysis of members’ experiences as well as our own observations and experiences that we have gathered over time. We would like to explain what these observations and experiences mean, from our perspective, for our organization, KriSol, and discuss the resulting questions with members.
The aim is to reflect together on how communication, interaction, and structures within the organization can be further improved.
The plenary will take place in hybrid format. The link will be sent along with the invitation to the general assembly.
Saturday, 10 October 26
All events on Saturday will take place in hybrid format. The link will be sent along with the invitation to the general assembly.
9.30–11.30 a.m. Plenum: How to KriSol: How do we Build Sustainable, Discrimination-Sensitive Organizational Structures? (Circle Structure Working Group)
The working group on organizational development (AG Circle Structure) will present their draft for a membership-led, decentralized, sociocratic structure for KriSol based on KriSol’s working principles. They will moderate the discussion and collect and document members’ feedback and questions. The aim of the plenary is to inform a concrete structural plan that takes into consideration key functional areas of the organization as well as its strategic purpose and aims.
11.45 a.m.–5 p.m. General Assembly
In accordance with the KriSol statutes, the agenda for the General Assembly will be sent out two weeks before the meeting.
5.15 p.m.–6.30 p.m. Plenum: To Conclude is to Continue
During this plenary session, topics can be reviewed and formats for the next annual meeting can be developed. This plenary session is organized by the organizing team of the annual meeting and the newly elected Speakers Council; not least, and above all, it serves as the festive conclusion to the annual meeting.
Location:
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Universitätsstraße 150
44801 Bochum
Hörsaal HGB 10
Getting to campus: ↗ https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/de/anreise-zum-campus
We can provide childcare. Please let us know your special needs.
jahrestreffen@krisol-wissenschaft.org
Language:
Unless otherwise specified, the annual meeting will be conducted in spoken German; contributions in spoken English are welcome at any time. We will provide whispered translation during the General Assembly. For the other events, participation will be organized in both German and English, depending on demand.
Online Participation:
Some events during the annual meeting, as well as the full General Assembly, will be offered in a hybrid format (see the respective event descriptions for details). For organizational reasons, online participation in the parallel panels on Friday requires registration at jahrestreffen@krisol-wissenschaft.org is required by 6:00 p.m. on October 8, 2026. Registered KriSol members will receive the links to all video conferences in advance of the annual meeting. Along with the invitation to plenary sessions and the General Assembly—which will be sent separately—a link to Plena and the general assembly will also be provided.
Accomodation:
Single rooms at the ↗ Hotel B&B Bochum City (accessible, barriere-free access) have now been reserved under the code “Krisol.” The price is 79.90 EUR per single room, including breakfast. The room allocation will be held until 28 days before arrival, September 12
Further recommendations: ↗ Hotel Claudius (accessible, barrier-free access), ↗ B&B Hotel Bochum Hbf-Süd, ↗ B&B Hotel Bochum Hbf-Nord
The ↗ Bunk Hostel in Essen offers affordable accommodations (27 EUR); the hostel is located near Essen Central Station, and from there it’s about a 10-minute trip to Bochum Central Station.
In addition to the General Assembly, KriSol’s first annual meeting includes workshops, panel discussions, working group meetings, and plenary sessions. The annual meetings will takes place at different locations; this year, it will be held at Ruhr University Bochum.
Please find ↗ a short questionaire here regarding participation in the annual meeting and the general assembly. Participation is restricted to KriSol members.
The upcoming General Assembly will elect a new Committee of Concerns ans a new Speakers Council, so we would like to provide information on running as a Speakers Council candidate. Here is the Link to ↗ FAQs SK Candidacy.
In accordance with the KriSol statutes, the agenda for the General Assembly will be sent out two weeks before the meeting.
Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
11:00–12:45 p.m. Working Group Meetings (concurrent)
– Attacks on Civil Clauses and the Militarization of Science—What Role can KriSol Play in Alliances to Defend “Peaceful” Science? (Militarization Working Group, Moderator: Jan Regler, open to all)
For decades, “civil clauses” at many universities have ensured that research serves “peaceful,” non-military purposes. But in the wake of the “Zeitenwende,” they are coming under increasing pressure: In Bavaria, there are plans to completely abolish the civilian clause by law; at other universities, there is a threat of the clause being reworded to give universities more leeway for “security-related” or military research.
In this discussion, we want to collectively examine terms such as “civil,” “peaceful,” and “security-related,” analyze narratives used to legitimize military research, and reflect on counter-narratives. We’ll explore successful and failed campaigns, seek out allies at universities, examine the connection between research funding and militarization—and consider what role KriSol can play in alliances with the peace movement and the Palestine solidarity movement.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– KriSol AI Strategy (Digital Infrastructure Working Group, open to all members)
As the working group on digital infrastructures, we propose drafting a KriSol manifesto or strategy paper on artificial intelligence, which is intended to serve as a basis for interventions in academia and the arts/culture. At the meeting, we will present some existing positions and, together and in small groups, discuss our approach to AI, its role in KriSol’s work, and broader political and societal contexts. The goal of our joint discussion in Bochum is to develop a roadmap for establishing our position and planning potential interventions. We warmly invite interested colleagues to contribute and participate in the discussion. It’s also possible to simply listen in.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– Critical and Solidarity-Based Scholarship: Decolonial and Migrant Perspectives and Interventions (Internal meeting)
Scholarship remains a field shaped by hegemony, in which the recognition and validation of knowledge and those who possess it are both forms of capital and of politics. Our aim is, on the one hand, to contribute to collective reflections on possible alternative scholarly practice, and on the other hand, to create a space for exchange over experiences related to power dynamics within academic contexts.
We consider adopting an intersectional position, one to be understood as non-white, as necessary not only to highlight how the discourse of knowledge is associated with whiteness but also to strengthen migrant perspectives from and within the German context.
The panel aims to be a starting point to develop a position and reflection paper to be shared within KriSol, with the aim of enabling a broader discussion.
– KriSol’s Political Impact (Political Strategy Working Group, Moderation: Sonja Brentjes, open to all)
Since its founding, KriSol has contributed to discourse on academic policy in Germany in diverse ways. This has included activities such as proposing a declaration on antisemitism as an alternative to the Bundestag resolution in 2024, advocating for events in academia and culture against the genocide in Gaza, and challenging cancellations that affected invitations to colleagues or entire events.
There were cooperations with organizations in Germany and abroad against political repression, including the anti-fascist campaigns “Wissenschaft Gegen Faschismus” and “Widersetzen,” as well as coorganization of demonstrations against Israeli campaigns of extermination. Legal counsel and support were offered to colleagues and students.
This meeting is intended to discuss our work to date, provide insight for new members, and discuss potential political goals for KriSol in the near future.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
3:00–4:45 p.m. Panels / Workshops (concurrent)
– Austerity at Universities. Critical Scholarship has no Scope for Cost-Cutting (Universities Defunding Working Group, contributions from Sarah Karim, Kathrin Peters)
German Universities are under pressure. They are accused of being left-wing or “woke,” of being sites of structural anti-Semitism. And now their state funding is being cut almost nationwide. Meanwhile, the ceilings of buildings on campus are collapsing. It is urgently necessary to politicize the debate surrounding the current budget cuts at universities. Politicization means not simply accepting the austerity measures unquestioningly, but asking how universities should be funded, what forms of teaching and research we would like to see, and what role universities should play in the society of the future.
In this panel, we would like to explore the relationship between universities and austerity from various academic perspectives. We will collectively gather accounts of people’s experiences and, in a second step, discuss possible strategies of resistance.
– Introduction to the Safe Use of Web Browsers (Digital Infrastructure Working Group, contribution from Mohamed Barakat)
Many internet portals attempt to construct so-called digital twins of their users. This is done under the guise of personalizing various services. Increasingly, however, AI is being trained on this data not only to predict users’ preferences—such as which video will be suggested next or played automatically—but also to manipulate their behavior. Due to insecure web browsers, these platforms can track users across the entire internet. Using secure web browsers is therefore essential to prevent the creation of digital twins and to browse the internet more safely. Following the input, we’ll discuss the topic together.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
– KriSol and Academic Responsibility in the Face of Occupation and Genocide (Continuation of the event series, organized by the eponymous working group)
As an organization of scholars and cultural practitioners, we find ourselves confronted with a situation in which relationships with Israeli institutions are being maintained or intensified, while the destruction of the educational infrastructure in Gaza and the isolation and military harassment of universities, schools, and education workers in the West Bank and Jerusalem remain ignored or even denied.
We invite you to join us in discussing how KriSol should position itself and act as an organization in light of this ever-widening destruction. The goal is to develop a strategy that compels our institutions to fulfill their responsibilities and adhere to international law and human rights. In this workshop, we aim to work concretely on a campaign.
– Legal Challenges (Workshop with contributions from Ralf Michaels and Nahed Samour; moderated by Inga Mathes)
Restrictions on the freedom of assembly, sharpened criminal and immigration laws, encroachments on academic freedom and university autonomy, and the imposition of conditions on funding—attacks on solidarity with Palestine and on critical scholarship regularly take legal shape. This workshop provides information on current developments by legislators and the executive branch, as well as on legal strategies to counter them. It also serves as a forum for sharing practical experiences with the law and the rule of law that may be useful to others.
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
5:15–8:00 p.m.
Invocations/Provocations from the KriSol Advisory Board
This session is intended to provide Advisory Board members with the opportunity to present succinct invocations or provocations on a chosen topic in order to initiate discussion on challenging or stigmatized issues among KriSol members. Submissions may address KriSol’s core concerns—including academic freedom, the delegitimization of (critical) scholarship and the withdrawal of funding, securitization, faschization, the criminalization of protest, and restrictions on freedom of expression, as well as—in opposition to these developments—practices of resistance and solidarity. (Featuring Michael Barenboim tba.)
Hybrid format available upon request; please register.
Plenum: Reflection on Working Principles (with representatives from the Committee for Concerns)
We would like to use this plenary session to report on the work and findings of the Committee for Concerns and to facilitate a shared discussion. The main topics will be KriSol’s Working Principles [see here: ↘ https://krisol-wissenschaft.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Arbeitsprinzipien_EN_KriSol_Juni2025.pdf] and the Committee’s Rules of Procedure, combined with an analysis of members’ experiences as well as our own observations and experiences that we have gathered over time. We would like to explain what these observations and experiences mean, from our perspective, for our organization, KriSol, and discuss the resulting questions with members.
The aim is to reflect together on how communication, interaction, and structures within the organization can be further improved.
The plenary will take place in hybrid format. The link will be sent along with the invitation to the general assembly.
Saturday, 10 October 26
All events on Saturday will take place in hybrid format. The link will be sent along with the invitation to the general assembly.
9.30–11.30 a.m. Plenum: How to KriSol: How do we Build Sustainable, Discrimination-Sensitive Organizational Structures? (Circle Structure Working Group)
The working group on organizational development (AG Circle Structure) will present their draft for a membership-led, decentralized, sociocratic structure for KriSol based on KriSol’s working principles. They will moderate the discussion and collect and document members’ feedback and questions. The aim of the plenary is to inform a concrete structural plan that takes into consideration key functional areas of the organization as well as its strategic purpose and aims.
11.45 a.m.–5 p.m. General Assembly
In accordance with the KriSol statutes, the agenda for the General Assembly will be sent out two weeks before the meeting.
5.15 p.m.–6.30 p.m. Plenum: To Conclude is to Continue
During this plenary session, topics can be reviewed and formats for the next annual meeting can be developed. This plenary session is organized by the organizing team of the annual meeting and the newly elected Speakers Council; not least, and above all, it serves as the festive conclusion to the annual meeting.
Location:
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Universitätsstraße 150
44801 Bochum
Hörsaal HGB 10
Getting to campus: ↗ https://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/de/anreise-zum-campus
We can provide childcare. Please let us know your special needs.
jahrestreffen@krisol-wissenschaft.org
Language:
Unless otherwise specified, the annual meeting will be conducted in spoken German; contributions in spoken English are welcome at any time. We will provide whispered translation during the General Assembly. For the other events, participation will be organized in both German and English, depending on demand.
Online Participation:
Some events during the annual meeting, as well as the full General Assembly, will be offered in a hybrid format (see the respective event descriptions for details). For organizational reasons, online participation in the parallel panels on Friday requires registration at jahrestreffen@krisol-wissenschaft.org is required by 6:00 p.m. on October 8, 2026. Registered KriSol members will receive the links to all video conferences in advance of the annual meeting. Along with the invitation to plenary sessions and the General Assembly—which will be sent separately—a link to Plena and the general assembly will also be provided.
Accomodation:
Single rooms at the ↗ Hotel B&B Bochum City (accessible, barriere-free access) have now been reserved under the code “Krisol.” The price is 79.90 EUR per single room, including breakfast. The room allocation will be held until 28 days before arrival, September 12
Further recommendations: ↗ Hotel Claudius (accessible, barrier-free access), ↗ B&B Hotel Bochum Hbf-Süd, ↗ B&B Hotel Bochum Hbf-Nord
The ↗ Bunk Hostel in Essen offers affordable accommodations (27 EUR); the hostel is located near Essen Central Station, and from there it’s about a 10-minute trip to Bochum Central Station.
Facing the Authoritarian
Drift: Art Schools
as Sites of Critique
Facing the Authoritarian
Drift: Art Schools
as Sites of Critique