Call for Engaged Listeners – The Impact of Neutrality on Research and Knowledge Production in Legal Scholarship

Ruhr University Bochum will host the Volkswagen Stiftung-funded workshop “The Impact of Neutrality on Research and Knowledge Production in Legal Scholarship” on 9–10 December 2026 in Bochum.

The workshop will critically examine neutrality as a construct, methodological stance, and disciplinary instrument in legal scholarship, including its conceptual and historical foundations, its sociopolitical dimensions, its implications for academic infrastructure and research methodologies, and its relationship to academic rigour. A limited number of places are available for engaged listeners, with applications open to researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds.

Applications shall be sent to Dr. Sissy Katsoni (Spyridoula.Katsoni@ruhr-uni-bochum.de) and Dr. Julian Hettihewa (jhettih2@uni-bonn.de) by 31 October 2026. Participation is free of charge, while limited travel assistance is available. Please see the full call for further details here.