Humboldt Governance Lab
Better Evidence. Stronger Democracy.
We offer events related to our current research priorities.
Past Events
21 November 2025
Young Voters and the Far Right:
Understanding and Responding to a Growing Challenge
Venue:
The Lovers & Leaders Space
Torstraße 101
10119 Berlin
This event brings together researchers, policy-makers, journalists, and civil society organizations to discuss new insights into young people’s political engagement and the rise of far-right parties across Europe. We will explore why far-right appeals resonate with some young voters and discuss evidence-based strategies to strengthen democratic resilience.
3:00 – 3:00 PM New Research Insights
Opening Remark:
Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin
Research Spotlights:
- Dr. Ðorđe Milosav | HU Berlin – The youth gender gap in support for the far fight
- Prof. Dr. Sara Hobolt | LSE – Climate change and support for the far right
- Prof. Dr. Toni Rodon | UPF Barcelona – Youth, depopulation and political geography
- Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn | Uni Amsterdam – Urban-rural divide, education & far right support
- Prof. Dr. Michał Krawczyk | Uni Warsaw/European Commission – Countering fake news
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin – How digital literacy reduces populist appeals online
3:00 – 4:15 PM Roundtable: Countering Far-Right Appeals Among Young People
Moderator:
Dr. Markus Kollberg
Panelists:
Dr. Markus Kollberg
Panelists:
- Dr. Lena Gumnior | MdB, Bündnis90/Grüne
- Prof. Dr. Sara Hobolt | LSE
- Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver | HU Berlin
- Prof. Dr. Theresa Kuhn | University of Amsterdam
- Andrei Arnst | Headmaster, Neuenhagen Secondary School
- Max Hilse | Löbau lebt e.V. and Görlitz District Youth Council
A discussion on communication, education, and engagement strategies to build democratic
resilience among young people.
4:15 – 5:00 PM Networking Reception
Informal reception with drinks and light refreshments.
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15 July 2025
Workshop on Deliberative Innovations
Location:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institut für Sozialwissenschaften Universitätsstr. 3b
10117 Berlin
Room 004
Time:
8:45 AM to 2:15 PM
8:45 – 9:00 AM Registration & Coffee
9:00 – 9:15 AM Welcome
9:15 – 10:15 AM Panel 1: Democratic resilience
- Making the case for democracy: A field-experiment on democratic persuasion
- Presenter: Alex Wuttke | LMU Munich
- Discussant: Frederick Gremler | Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung
- The impact of citizens’ assemblies on democratic resilience: Evidence from a field experiment
- Presenter: Tim Wappenhans | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Discussant: Sebastian Ziaja | GESIS
10:15 – 10:30 AM Coffee Break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Panel 2: Democratic Attitudes
- The Effects of Participatory Democracy on Political Attitudes
- Presenter: Mariana Carmo Duarte | University of Lisbon
- Discussant: Tim Wappenhans | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Debating Germany’s National Security Strategy: How do Citizen Dialogues on Foreign and Security
Policy affect Political Trust? - Presenter: Sarah Brockmeier-Large | PRIF – Leibniz-Institut für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung
- Discussant: Thomas Nawrath | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Can local mini-publics invigorate democracy? A field experiment on community-wide effects of a
randomized citizen council - Presenter: Sebastian Ziaja | GESIS
- Discussant: Frederick Thieme | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch Break
1:00 – 2:00 PM Block 3: The future of citizens’ assemblies
- How citizens envision citizen assemblies and other participatory tools
- Presenter: Vanessa Buth | University of Münster
- Institutionalizing citizen assemblies in Germany
- Presenter: Felix Petersen | University of Münster
2:00 – 2:15 PM Closing remarks for the academic workshop
After the academic workshop, you are cordially invited to join the policy dissemination event funded by VolkswagenStiftung (in German).
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Afterwards
Public Roundtable: Can citizens’ assemblies strengthen representative democracy?
Findings from practical research
Location:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Lichthof Ost
Unter den Linden 6
10117 Berlin
Time:
3:30 – 5:30 PM
Recommendations for policy makers from four transdisciplinary research projects
- Hallo Bundestag
- A Next-Generation Randomised Citizen Council for Encouraging Political Participation at the Local Level (NexCiCo)
- The INCITE-DEM Democracy Labs
- lospfade
Can citizens’ assemblies strengthen democracy?
- Ruprecht Polenz CDU | former Member of Parliament
- Katharina Liesenberg | Founder of Es geht LOS!
- Felix Arndt | Head of the Citizens’ Assembly Unit, Administration of the German Bundestag
- Heike Klüver | Professor of Comparative Political Behaviour, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Hannah Göppert | Open Society Initiative (moderator)