IAS News

An interdisciplinary seminar series Our ‘Irrational’ Past, organised by Dr Dino Jakušić, is coming back in 2025/2026! The series brings together a number of interdisciplinary scholars in order to reflect on the history, misconceptions, and presuppositions that underlie the state of academic disciplines as they exist today. The aim is to challenge commonly accepted narratives regarding how our disciplines historically developed into their present shape. We will also investigate how theories and worldviews of the past which we would no longer accept still play a role of unquestioned presuppositions within contemporary science and academia.

While the speakers for the 25/26 seminars are still being organised, please feel free to check out the talks from 24/25Link opens in a new window.

Moreover, if you are interested in presenting, or would like to suggest a speaker for the upcoming series please contact Dino Jakušić.

Dr Dino Jakušić (IAS P2K) has recently published an article entitled Christian Wolff and Positive Academic Freedom Link opens in a new windowfocusing on how academic freedom was conceived of during German Enlightenment and what we can learn from it today.

“In this article I argue that it is possible to find a positive account of academic freedom or of “freedom to philosophise” within Enlightenment thought. I focus on the case of Christian Wolff and his discussion of libertas philosophandi. I start by contextualising Wolff’s life and philosophy and discussing the negative aspect of his freedom to philosophise. I then present a case for an additional positive version understood as epistemic autonomy. Finally, I explain Wolffian epistemic autonomy within the context of his wider theory of cognition."

Dr Hannes Houck’s prestigious ERC award builds on a series of competitive funding successes, including a Royal Society University Research Fellowship and a EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship, co-funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme. Dr Houck is also recognised as a member of the EUTOPIA Young Leaders Academy, reflecting his growing influence in the European research landscape.

Reading DecolonialityLink opens in a new window are an open-source publication and reading group that produces and disseminates international and interdisciplinary scholarship for liberation.

Their next programme, runs from October to December 2025. Register and sign up to the mailing list to be reminded on a rolling basis.

Exchanges: The Interdisciplinary Research Journal has just published its latest issue Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025), a special issue of papers drawn relating to the International Research Culture Conference (IRCC) hosted at the University of Warwick (Sept '24). It follows the earlier (Vol 11(3)) special issue from the previous conference. The issue contains a range of papers including elements of practice, policy, case study and personal reflection all relating to research culture, along with observations on the configuration of the conference itself. Alongside this, the editorial also provides updates on forthcoming editorial changes alongside a content overview, as well as a guide to forthcoming issues, contribution opportunities and social media activities.

Weds 3rd December 2025 15:00 - 16:30 CET

What is still relevant, what needs to be reconsidered and is there a future? Professor Madina Tlostanova revisits decoloniality across three and a half decades.

Access and download readings for the session.