Within the scope of our research project, we have organized and attended various workshops with other colleagues. These meetings have always encouraged exchange and led us to new ideas. For the months of May and June, we thought about a different format. In collaboration with the Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies ‘Multiple Secularities’ in Leipzig, as well as the Institute for the Studies of Culture at Leipzig University, we invited two guest lecturers.

Public lecture with Zafer Yilmaz (Potsdam)

On the 31st of May, Zafer Yilmaz, who is living and working in exile in Potsdam at the moment, gave a lecture on ‘The Authoritarian-Islamic Populism, Islamisation, and Politics of Welfare in Turkey’. He talked about the changes in the Turkish civil society that have occured since the defeated coup in 2016, and about the general re-Islamisation of the country through the AKP. His lecture was followed by a lively discussion. We were all very satisfied with the outcomes of this evening. The following day offered us the possibility of a more intense exchange with Mister Yilmaz and the sorting out of further pursuing our cooperation.

  

Colloquium presentation with Klaus Dörre (Jena)

With a presentation on ‘Vom Proletariat zum Präkariat’ (‘From proletariat to precariat’), Professor Klaus Dörre visited us in the end of June, the context of the colloquium „Marx | 1818 | 2018“ which is organized by the Institute for the Study of Culture. The presentation of the pertinent and critical capitalism researcher (theory of land seizure) who has dedicated his academic work to the study of poverty, inequality and the labour movement, included important summaries of his latest publications. Not only the strong interest with which the students and members of the institute followed the presentation, but especially Professor Dörre’s thought provoking words made this evening a successful one. After his presentation, we agreed upon further cooperation and a return invitation.

Translation: Charlotte Nate