Both researching and teaching on religions are sensitive undertakings. This is particularly true when these activities address the entanglements of religions with violence, discrimination, and forms of exclusion or inaccessibility. These topics are politically contested and may have (re-)traumatizing effects on researchers and teachers, interlocutors, and students. Moreover, university teaching itself is not free from discrimination and structural barriers and can therefore (re-)produce such experiences. As a result, scholars of religion face challenges that extend far beyond the subject matter when teaching what they research. This workshop provides a space to exchange ideas and experiences on research and teaching projects that engage with sensitive topics in the study of religions. This includes, but is not limited to, topics such as: The roles of religions in contexts of war, displacement, and forced migration. Religious discourses and practices in perpetration, legitimation, prevention, and coping with abuse and gender-based violence. Entanglements of religions with social inequalities, including class, migration status, etc. Exclusion, marginalization, and processes of inclusion of persons with disabilities and other minoritized identities within religious practices, spaces, and communities. Religious justifications of violence, trauma, and mechanisms of meaning-making and resilience in post-conflict settings. Ethical and methodological challenges of researching vulnerable populations in religious contexts. The workshop aims to reflect on how such work can be carried out in ways that minimize potential harm—to researchers and teachers themselves, to interlocutors and research partners in the field, and to students—and to discuss strategies for responding when harmful effects nevertheless arise. The workshop is aimed at early-career scholars, including doctoral researchers and postdoctoral scholars, and particularly those who also teach on the sensitive topics they research. Participants are invited to present their research projects or teaching concepts, discuss them with peers, and receive feedback from invited experts. Early career scholars interested in presenting their research projects and/or teaching concepts in this context are invited to apply to participate in the workshop. Applicants should submit a project description of no more than 400 words. This includes an explanation of why the workshop is important to you and your project, and what you can contribute. Additionally, please provide a short biography of no more than 250 words. Please note that workshop places are limited. There is no participation fee. Accommodation and meals will be provided, but participants are responsible for covering their own travel expenses. The workshop will take place on June 5-7, 2026, at the University of Bonn (Germany), and the working language will be English. Applications should be submitted to ramona.jelinek-menke@uni-bonn.de by March 09, 2026.

In this project, we are rethinking university learning: we combine community building, game-based learning, and creative design and show that teaching content can also be explored in a playful way. In this way, students (and teachers!) acquire important interdisciplinary skills for a cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary university education by further developing imaginative, creative, and cooperative world building, which is an innovative and distinctive teaching and learning format in university didactics, for the design, application, and (re)conception of individual teaching and learning spaces in the spirit of research-based learning. As a student, you can take on different roles with us, discover new worlds, develop your own ideas, exchange ideas with others, and co-create university teaching and learning tools. Get to know us, the project, and the community at our first game night! Contact for registration: Luca Voges, lvoges@uni-bonn.de.  First event:  Kickoff Community Building When? Sunday, February 8, 2:00-7:00 p.m. Where? IMPULSE House for Intellectual Innovation and Creativity, Adenauerallee 131, 53113 Bonn

The Bonn International Fellowship (BIF) program at the University of Bonn has approved funding for an international research stay at the FIW. The host of the fellowship is Dr. Maria Ullrich, who researches negotiation processes on the configuration of borders in the Mediterranean region from a social science perspective.  As part of the fellowship, Prof. Lobna Ben Salem from the University of Manouba, Tunisia, will be a guest at the University of Bonn. She is a literary scholar who also works on the Mediterranean region. The planned stay is scheduled for the period from April 20 to May 8, 2026. An intensive academic exchange is planned during this time. During her stay, Prof. Ben Salem will be in close contact with the FIW-based ZivDem project, the Bonn Platform Forced Migration Studies and the BICC (Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies). The Bonn International Fellowship promotes international scientific exchange and enables renowned researchers from abroad to contribute their expertise to the Bonn research landscape and develop new collaborations. The stay is intended to deepen existing research networks and provide impetus for interdisciplinary collaboration.

From January 9 to 11, 2026, we will be developing prototypes for analog games together at the Niemöller conference center in Hesse. Anyone who wants to invent new games is welcome to participate. The bpb:board game jam is an event organized by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb). Polarization and populism, authoritarianism and wars, AI and fake news – society is under considerable pressure on several levels. Mistrust of politics, its actors, and institutions is increasingly evident at the ballot box and jeopardizes the consensus on democratic values. Board games, card games, and role-playing games can offer many points of contact and opportunities for communication to think about these issues together and engage in conversation.  👉 How the bpb:board game jam works🔹 Barcamp: Exchange on current challenges to democracy and playful approaches to communication🔹 Development of game ideas alone or in groups🔹 Creation of a playable prototype over the weekend What exactly will emerge is still open: the focus is on mutual exchange and creative work. The event will be accompanied by Lukas Boch from the BoardGame Historian project and the Bonn Lab for Analog Games and Imaginative Play. At a glance:📅 January 9, 12 noon, to January 11, 2026, 4 p.m.🌍EKHN Martin Niemöller Conference Center, Am Eichwaldsfeld 3, 61389 Schmitten📌Apply by December 29, 2025 at www.bpb.de/gamejamWe look forward to receiving many exciting contributions!