VORTEX Consortium Meeting in Frankfurt and Marburg

An in-person reunion of the VORTEX consortium took place from February 27 to March 1, 2024 at PRIF. The focus of of the event was on the project plans of the doctoral candidates, who sought feedback from their super­visors and other VORTEX consortium members. These discussion were framed by a program of lectures focused on research designs and metho­dology, thus supporting the doctoral candidates in con­cretizing their projects. Julian Junk delivered a presen­tation on research designs, Thorsten Bonacker discussed the function and position of theory in such research designs. Regina Ammicht-Quinn and Marco Krüger, serving as VORTEX Ethics Advisors, shared reflections on the ethical challenges of the doctoral projects hereba contributing an important input on the debated concepts of radi­cali­zation, extremism, and terrorism.

The discussion on research design and metho­dology was rounded off by a keynote give by Lorne L. Dawson from the University of Waterloo, who spoke about the matrix of metho­dological issues in the study of violent extremism. The consortium furthermore welcomed Garth Davies from Simon Fraser University.

On February 29, the entire consortium was hosted at Philipps University Marburg. The extensive program included a lecture by Julia Schulte-Cloos on right-wing autho­ritarian attitudes, fast-paced decision-making, and the spread of misinfor­mation about COVID-19 vaccines. The stay in Marburg also included a city tour.

Finally, the meeting provided an oppor­tunity to discuss joint research possi­bilities and exchange ideas. The next virtual meeting will take place in August 2024.

The EU-financed Marie Skłodowska Curie Promotion Network VORTEX includes eight partners and supports ten doctoral researchers.