MASTER PROGRAMME

PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES

Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer, Mariam Ochkhikidze & Jan Günter Wessel have just published their latest research in International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2025)

 The title is No Relief from War: The Use of Humour in Memes by the Government of Ukraine and the limitation of laughter

Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer, Gabriela Pancheva, Amri Azis Ardhelas & Andrea Torresagaton Gil have published their latest research article in British Journal of Politics and International Relations https://doi.org/10.1177/13691481241303258 

In this paper they explore the romantic construction of the ‘heroes’ that defend a righteous cause against a more powerful and unjust enemy often serves as a means to legitimise political narratives and violent actions. They take Ukraine as a case study. 

Abstract of the Paper

Get access to the paper from here

Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer and Daniel Beck have just published their latest research in Sage Journal: Alternatives: Global, Local, Political.

 The title is From resistance to legitimation: The changing role of humour in politics

Congratulations to our graduate student Tamina Rössger for the prize of gender research of Saxony-Anhalt for her Master thesis.

Thesis title was: Locating Women’ on the Move’s Vulnerability – An Examination of a contested Category in the Public Communication of ROSA e.V. Rolling Safespace

Tamina looked at an NGO that is active in Greece and creates mobile safe spaces for women* who are arriving in Greece as forced migrants. She looked at the term vulnerability and analysed how it is used by this organisation in relation to said women.

It was a critical project in relation to the connection between vulnerability and agency and how vulnerability is used by the organisation and what that says about their perspective on the women they are working with and how it might translate into their practice.

The prize was handed out at the annual day of gender research in Saxony-Anhalt:
https://www.kgc-sachsen-anhalt.de/LandesweiterTagGenderforschung2024-path-1034,1036,498.html

Here you can find the call:
 https://www.kgc-sachsen-anhalt.de/Genderforschung/F%C3%B6rderpreis+f%C3%BCr+Genderforschung.html

The prize is annually awarded by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Equality and the Saxony Anhalt Coordination Office for Gender Research and Equal Opportunities. And the Minister for Equality Petra Grimm-Benne handed it out.

Here you can find the press release by the ministry:
https://ms.sachsen-anhalt.de/aktuelles/news-detail/genderforschungspreis-fuer-beste-abschlussarbeiten-vergeben

 Photos Copyright @KGC Sachsen-Anhalt