NORFACE GOVERNANCE Mid-term Conference
Norface GOVERNANCE is planning to hold its first mid-term Conference on September 22-24 in Vienna.
22.09.2022 - 24.09.2022
University of Vienna
Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien
Vienna

Norface GOVERNANCE plans to hold its first mid-term conference in Vienna on September 22-24.
The conference will be open to all GOVERNANCE programme members (PIs and team members). It will be the first time all 14 Governance research consortiums get together to discuss their research progress. Therefore, all governance members are invited to participate in the conference.
The projects will have the opportunity to present preliminary findings, offer each other feedback for the remainder of their projects, and connect with colleagues from other consortia. Furthermore, on-site consortium meetings at the University of Vienna may be possible. The conference is free of charge. If the COVID-19 pandemic still restricts travel and events, we will revert to a virtual conference.
Prof. Dr. Carolien van Ham and Prof. Dr. Hanspeter Kriesi are confirmed as keynote speakers. We look forward to hearing their perspective on Democratic governance in a turbulent age. The conference will also host other relevant stakeholders from science and politics. It will take place at the University of Vienna.
Thursday, September 22 | |
17.00 - 18.30 | Early-Career Skill Session “Theory Development” (Registration necessary: LINK TBD) |
19:00 | Informal Get-together & Registration “Einstein – das genial Lokal” Rathauspl. 4, 1010 Vienna |
Friday, September 23 | |
08.00 - 08.45 | Registration |
08.45 - 09.00 (Big HS) | Welcome and Opening Prof. Sophie Lecheler (Governance Programme Coordination) & Prof. Hajo Boomgaarden (Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna) |
09.00 – 10.30 (Big HS) | Keynote Speeches “What can we learn from autocratization processes globally to strengthen democracy in Europe?” by Prof. Dr. Carolien van Ham (Radboud University Nijmegen) “Is there a crisis of democracy in Europe?” by Prof. Dr. Hanspeter Kriesi (European University Institute) |
10.45 – 12.00 | PANEL 1.1. Changing Rules & Norms in Welfare States (SR 1) PANEL 2.2 Populism and the Far-Right (SR 2) PANEL 3.1 Digital Media and AI as Political Tools (SR 3) |
12.00 - 13.00 | Lunch Break |
13.00 – 14.15 SR 1 | Stakeholder Workshop “Translating research into sustainable policy products” (Registration necessary: LINK TBD) |
14.30 – 15.45 | PANEL 1.2. Unequal Distribution, Divides and Polarization (SR 1) PANEL 2.1 Understanding Political Polarisation across Europe (Big HS) PANEL 3.3 Technology vs. Democracy (SR 2) PANEL 5.1 Evolving Democratic Legitimacy (SR 3) |
16.00 – 17.15 (Big HS) | Roundtable Discussion “Is disinformation threatening electoral integrity and what can be done about it?” Prof. Dr. Claes de Vreese (Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Society, University of Amsterdam), Paige Morrow (Senior Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19), Jürgen Heissel (Director of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media) Dr. Maximilian Schubert (META; Public Policy Lead Austria & Switzerland) |
17.30 - 18.40 (Big HS) | Art Performance “The Conservatory of Populism” Helena Botto (POPBACK) |
19:00 | Conference Dinner at “Habibi & Hawara” Wipplingerstraße 29, 1010 Vienna |
Saturday, September 24 | |
09.00 - 10.15 | PANEL 2.3 A Crisis of Trust and Solidarity (SR 1) PANEL 4.1 New Perspectives on Political and Civic Engagement (SR 2) PANEL 5.2 Understanding Global and EU Institutions (SR 3) |
10.30 – 11.45 | PANEL 1.3 Challenges to Democratic Governance and European Economies (SR 1) PANEL 3.2 Citizens vs. Online Hate, Misinformation, and Inequality (SR 2) PANEL 4.2 “Common” Values and Democratic Behaviours Across Europe? (SR 3) |
from 12.00 | Consortium Meetings |
Here you can download the Mid-term Conference Program.