Dealing with current and future challenges to society is the focus of the newly formed Forschungsinstitut Gesellerschaftlicher Zusammenhalt (FGZ), a network of eleven academic institutions located in ten German Federal States. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding this endeavour for four years, and the Leibniz Universität Hannover is involved significantly through its Research Centre ‘TRUST - Transdisciplinary Rural and Urban Spatial Transformation’.
Together more than 100 scientists from different disciplines will develop proposals applicable to practice, based on empirical studies as well as large-scale comparisons, that help dealing with current challenges to society. Research topics, which are investigated in a European context and beyond, include identities and regional experiences, inequality and solidarity, media and a culture of conflict, or polarisation and populism. Research challenges include changing and diverging rural and urban living environments, an altering culture of communication due to new media, and questions of belonging and identity in pluralistic society.
In a one and a half year long pre-phase, the FGZ worked out its concept and governing structure. Starting 1 June, 2020, the begins to realize its extensive research and transfer programme which includes more than 70 sub-projects and supra-institutional areas of work. Next to the Research Centre TRUST of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Technische Universität Berlin, the Universities of Bielefeld, Bremen, Frankfurt, Halle-Wittenberg, Konstanz und Leipzig as well as the Soziologische Forschungsinstitut Göttingen, the Leibniz-Institut für Medienforschung Hamburg and the Institut für Demokratie und Zivilgesellschaft Jena complete the network.
The FGZ sub-institute Hannover investigates the challenges of societal cohesion from a spatial, regional perspective ranging from local milieus to European comparisons. The ongoing coronavirus crisis highlights the importance of considering spatial differences when dealing with societal challenges. As a co-operative partner, the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association contributes their expertise in the areas of spatial development and knowledge transfer to the project.
Note for the editor:
For further information please contact Jens Ibendorf, Managing Director at TRUST, via ibendorf@trust.uni-hannover.de respectively +49 163 64 15 090 or Pia Siemer, Public Relations, Forschungsinstitut Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt, via pia.siemer@uni-leipzig.de respectively +49 341 97 37 882.
This press release was written in German and originally published by the Leibniz Universität Hannover on 31 March, 2020.
