What are St.Gallen’s political scientists conducting research on?

A five-part lecture series will shed light on the results of research into societally relevant topics, which range from the labour market, elections, education and migration to the energy turnaround, digitalisation and terrorism, as well as to the change in political processes and challenges for democracy. The public series will start on 25 April.

hand drawn texture globe with blank social media diagram on digital tablet computer as internet concept and bokeh exposure Elements of this image furnished by NASA

17 April 2019. How is research into current political challenges conducted at the University of St.Gallen? Insights into their research will be provided by post-docs and an assistant professor from the Department of Political Sciences of the University of St.Gallen, as well as by a guest lecturer. In this series, they will also answer the question as to the value that their results have for decision-makers, citizens and everyday life.

Ethnography, energy turnaround and world politics
The first evening – on 25 April – will be devoted to ethnology. Dr. Julian Eckl, a postdoc involved in various research projects in the field of global health, will report on the insights and challenges which political ethnography entails as a research method.

The second evening will focus on the energy turnaround. Dr. Philipp Thaler, postdoc for Energy Governance, will present the latest results of this research into the Europeanisation of Swiss energy policy on 2 May. He will outline the options and challenges of the (non-)integration of the Swiss energy market in the EU.

On 9 May, Prof. Dr. Oliver Westerwinter, Assistant Professor of Political Science, will discuss how world politics changed after the end of the Cold War and what implications this change has for the solution of global problems. He will also answer the question as to whether private-public partnerships undermine or complement multilateral agreement between states.

Turkey and the internet
On 16 May, Dr. Katharina Hoffmann und Dr. Ole Frahm, postdocs for International Relations, will characterise Turkey as a foreign policy player and an important partner of European countries. They will demonstrate what influence actors in the field of the economy and of civil society exert on Turkey's foreign policy in a climate of authoritarian change.

In the second part, Dr. Irem Güney-Frahm, postdoc and SNSF fellow at the University of St.Gallen until June 2018, will discuss the impact of Turkey's accession process to the European Union on gender equality in Turkey, focusing on the transformative potential of the EU with regard to a socio-cultural change of the accession candidate.

On the last evening, on 23 May, Dr. Veronique Wavre, postdoc in Comparative Political Science, will explain how ownership structures relating to the internet infrastructure can impact on free net access, and will present the results of the latest field research in Uganda, among other things.

Picture: Adobe Stock/everythingpossible

Dates
Thursdays, 6.15 to 7.45 p.m., Room HSG 58-022 (Tellstrasse 2)
25 April	When science immerses itself in practice. Experiences of a participant observer in Geneva and other arenas of global health policy Dr. Julian Eckl, postdoc with various research projects in the field of global health
2 May	The future of the Swiss energy market in Europe. Integration or isolation? Dr. Philipp Thaler, postdoc for Energy Governance
9 May	World politics beyond the UN. Curse or blessing? Prof. Dr. Oliver Westerwinter, Assistant Professor of Political Science
16 May	Insights into present-day Turkey – issues of foreign policy and gender policy Dr. Katharina Hoffmann and Dr. Ole Frahm, postdocs for International Relations, as well Dr. Irem Güney-Frahm, postdoc and SNSF fellow at the University of St.Gallen until June 2018
23 May	Who owns the internet? Telecommunications and government control Dr. Veronique Wavre, postdoc for Comparative Political Science