Sep 11, 2026
New Event Series: “Democracy Under Pressure?!”
The Center for Demography and Diversity (CDD), in collaboration with the “Together for Democracy” Working Group of the Faculty of Psychology and the Directorate University Culture, is launching a new event series: “Democracy Under Pressure?!”
Democracy and social cohesion face a wide range of challenges—from increasing polarization and disinformation to dwindling trust in institutions and anti-democratic tendencies. The new series examines these developments from various academic perspectives and promotes open dialogue between academia, practitioners, and society.
Kickoff Event: October 7, 2026
The series kicks off on October 7, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Robotron Cafeteria in Dresden with the event:
“Politics – a Matter of Feeling? How Psychology Shapes Our Political Decisions”
Panelists:
- Prof. Dr. Eva Walther, Chair of Social Psychology, University of Trier
- PD Dr. Steffen Kailitz, Hannah Arendt Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism (tbc)
- Robert Ritter, “Together for Democracy” Working Group
Moderator: Friedemann Brause, Saxon State Agency for Political Education
The events will take the form of public panel discussions and will also be recorded as podcasts. Interaction with the audience is a central component of these events: questions can be posed and discussed directly with the experts.
Second Event: October 14, 2026
The next event in the series will take place on October 14, 2026, starting at 6:00 p.m., at the Gallerie Brüdergasse in Görlitz:
“How Important Is Liberal Democracy for Business and Research in the Region?”
Panelists:
- Prof. Markus Scholz, TU Dresden
- Sylvia Pfefferkorn, Welcome to Saxony
- Prof. Thomas D. Kühne, CASUS
Outlook
Additional events in the series are already in the planning stages. Information on upcoming dates and topics will be provided in a timely manner.
For more information about the series and the individual events, please visit the TUD Lectures+ website “Democracy Under Pressure?!”.