The lecture series takes place on Mondays between 6.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Lectures are held either in Stendal or Magdeburg and are broadcast live to the other location. 

Contact and Registration:
On sight participation obligatory if ECTS are needed. Guests are required to register and may also participate online: dip-projekt@h2.de
For concerns regarding examination and credits in SGM please contact: ralf.lottmann@h2.de 
For AHW please contact: claudia.dreke@h2.de 

View program as PDF

13. April 2026 | Diversity – Inclusion – Participation
DIP-Project Team, Prof. Dr. Claudia Dreke and Prof. Dr. Ralf Lottmann
(Department of Applied Human Studies/ Department of Social Work, Health and Media at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal)

The thematic framework of the lecture series centers on diversity, inclusion, and participation as key concepts for understanding social dynamics of social and ecological transformation. It examines how diversity is shaped through patterns of participation across major societal fields such as healthcare, education, social work, social organisations and social entrepreneurship, culture, and environmental action, while taking into account differences in origin, gender, language, social position, age, and physical condition. Particular attention is given to global processes and events—such as migration and integration, climate change, and the rise of far-right movements—that influence diversity and participation. The framework emphasizes interdisciplinary and international perspectives on marginalisation, racism, antisemitism, and social inequality.

20. April 2026 | Democracy under Pressure: State Responses, Extremism, and Political Participation
Rahim Hajji & Jeyhun Alizade
(Department of Social Work, Health and Media (SGM)/ Social Science Centre Berlin (wzb))

Rahim Hajji: Readiness to take action in the event of an AfD ban and in the event of the AfD joining a governing coalition
This study investigates how political threat scenarios influence citizens’ willingness to take action. Using an experimental vignette design comparing an AfD government participation scenario with a potential party ban, we find a strong scenario effect: imagining the AfD entering government markedly increases engagement (logit ≈ +0.7), while a ban scenario produces minimal mobilization. Across conditions, institutional trust and fascist attitudes reduce engagement willingness, whereas political participation readiness and voluntary civic involvement enhance it. These relationships are scenario-dependent: in the government scenario, political participation readiness and institutional trust foster mobilization, while fascist attitudes and AfD sympathy dampen it. In the ban scenario, by contrast, low institutional trust and AfD sympathy become mobilizing factors.

Jeyhun Alizade: Downplaying Extremism? How the State Approaches Right-wing and Left-wing Extremist Threats
Drawing on thousands of documents from German political parties, intelligence agencies, and the police across several decades, our book shows that these actors have consistently downplayed the threat posed by right-wing extremists. Importantly, this pattern is not characteristic of the German state as a whole, but emerges specifically among center-right actors, whose ideological orientations shape how extremism is classified and addressed. These findings reveal how partisanship influences the very institutions tasked with safeguarding Germany’s democracy, with significant implications for understanding and countering far-right extremism today.

27. April 2026 | Beyond Business as Usual: Social Entrepreneurship as a Driver for Diversity, Inclusion and Participation?
Philipp Kenel
(Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (ASH) Berlin)

Social entrepreneurship (SE) has gained increasing attention as an approach to addressing complex social challenges by combining entrepreneurial strategies with social missions. Particular focus lies on its potential to foster diversity, inclusion, and participation (DIP). Drawing on three case studies, the analysis explores how social enterprises engage marginalized groups and create inclusive and participatory structures, particularly within the fields of health and social work. At the same time, the relationship between SE and DIP raises an important question: Is social entrepreneurship a driver of diversity, inclusion, and participation, or do existing movements for inclusion and participation give rise to social entrepreneurial initiatives? The presentation closes with reflections on the broader systemic potential and the limitations of social entrepreneurship as a tool for social change.

4. May 2026 | Ecosocial Innovations and Social Solidarity Economy in Vulnerable Local Communities: Exploring the Social Solidarity Economy of People of African Descent in Europe
Michael Tadesse
(Social Work/ Guest lecturer/ PhD Student at the University of Bozen/ Bolzano, Italy)

Using the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) organizations of people of African descent in Europe as an example, this presentation reflects on the role the SSE plays in (social) sustainability and the lives of marginalized and racialized communities. The presentation also highlights lessons that can be learned from the SSE, particularly for helping professions such as social work. 

11. May 2026 | Multilingualism in Health Care in Germany – Chances and Limitations
Prof. Dr. Mike Mösko
(University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Applied Human Sciences: Professor of Clinical Psychology)

Mental health care providers in Germany are not able to communicate with 12% of their patients. In order to overbridge language barriers in mental health care services, a range of (in-)formal practices takes place globally, including the use of family members, cleaning or security staff as ad-hoc interpreters, the use of receptive multilingualism, relying on machine translation or the rare use of professional interpreters. Due to missing political and legal support and missing financial resources professional interpreters are hardly integrated into mental health care services worldwide.

The lecture highlights the advantages and challenges of different strategies as well as societal and professional cultural barriers and resources. The Hamburg Interpreting Pool, a lighthouse project for integrating professional interpreters into outpatient (mental) health care services, closes the lecture and leads to a hopefully lively discussion.

18. May 2026 | Togetherness – Sense of community between deaf and hearing, a Danish perspective
Antonia Kløvedal
(Gebärdensprachdolmetschen, visiting from Denmark)

How do we genuinely create community across differences? Based on a Danish context, this session explores the interaction between deaf and hearing people through the concepts of Diversity, Inclusion, and Participation (DIP). To me, the sum of these three concepts forms the very core of community: that there is room for everyone – both with all our individual differences and with everything we have in common.
This lecture focuses on how the deaf community, as a minority, exists and navigates within a hearing majority culture, and how we can understand communities as small, close-knit groups within broader societal frameworks. We will work with how language and communication can build bridges – and with the question of how we not only create space for everyone but also ensure that everyone has the opportunity to take their place.
Through simple, practice-oriented exercises, the DIP concepts are made concrete and tangible for participants. The aim is to strengthen awareness of how, in most contexts, we can support inclusive communities where both deaf and hearing people experience equal participation and mutual recognition.

1. June 2026 | Neoliberal Conflation, Authoritarian Contestation and the Complexities of Racism and Antisemitism
Katrin Reimer-Gordinskaya
(Applied Human Studies, Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal)

,Diversity' and related concepts gained momentum in the era of progressive neoliberalism. In this context, they were a means of voicing and, concurrently, silencing critique of inequalities and injustices. They allowed for a selective and partial liberation of ways of life while blocking fundamental democratic transformation. Today, the global formation of trans-national capitalism, which progressive neoliberalism had made hegemonic (in Gramscian terms), finds itself in a deep crisis. Symptoms of this can be seen in the manifold calamities of our time: the anthropogenic climate change, neo-imperial wars and the erosion of care, to name a few. Thus, concepts and practices related to ,diversity' etc. are conflated with regimes of domination.. Authoritarian movements, parties and regimes propose and put into practice variants of managing this crisis on the basis of alternative interpretations of reality: ignoring climate change and the necessity of ecological transformation allows for an intensification of fossilism; the USA, Russia and China act, under their respective authoritarian leaderships, more openly as neo-imperial powers and instigate neo-conservative reconfigurations of gender regimes. In face of these and other authoritarian contestations it seems plausible to defend neoliberal compromises, i.e., concepts and practices related to ,diversity' etc. Such strategies are build on quicksand and will not allow for generating broad and substantial solidarities. A showcase of such pressing challenges is the highly contested relation between  (strategies against) racism and antisemitism. The presentation will focus on these complexities against the backdrop of the abovementioned developments. 

8. June 2026 | Arbeit und Migration Immigration and social participation: inequalities and their consequences
Janina Soehn
(Soziologisches Forschungsinstitut (SOFI) e.V. an der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen)

For decades, Germany has become a country of immigration. Especially since the last twenty years, the percentage of the foreign-born and their children born in Germany has increased to a quarter of the population living here. Many individuals of migration backgrounds will become clients of social work, of health and care facilities—be it in services specialized for migrants or in those for the general population and social sub-groups with particular needs, e.g., children, the sick and disabled, the unemployed or precariously employed, women, or the elderly. My talk will give an overview of immigration to Germany as well as if demographic and socio-economic differentiations among migrants and their descendants. A variety of factors lead to inequalities between native and migrants, between ethnic majority and minorities, regarding participation in education and work, social welfare and health. Social work and health institutions are called for to address these risks and needs within their professional contexts.

15. June 2026 | Cultural Heritage in Rural Eastern Germany: How to increase cultural participation and diversity in transformation communities
Dr. Gesine Schuster
(University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal)

The lecture will examine inclusion and participation in cultural activities as well as the narratives that shape collective and individual understandings of cultural heritage and memory. It will discuss the extent to which cultural institutions, especially in rural and disadvantaged regions, can become places that foster sociopolitical exchange and participation in societal debates. Eastern Germany is a particularly interesting case study for examining the effects of societal transformation experiences on people’s relationships to cultural heritage and its political potential to build a diverse and inclusive cultural landscape that allows multiple voices to be heard. It will therefore form the central focus of this talk.

22. June 2026 | Environmental Management and Urban Planning for Sustainable Practices in Cities
Dr. Shatabdi Das
(Researcher, Calcutta Research Group, India)

Urban spaces are in a constant state of flux due to the intricate interactions between human and natural components changing and influencing each other as a result of complex interferences and exchanges within and between biophysical and social systems. More people moving into cities modifies space and transpires into increasing pressures on infrastructure, resources, and services. Sustainable urban development and environmentally conscious planning would mean that cities are more inclusive and resilient to overcome the destructive impacts of land degradation, environmental deterioration, pollution and the looming threats of climate change. The foundation of sustainable urban living in cities focus on civic amenities facilitation, infrastructural efficacy, health schemes, policies, regulations, and legal interventions, along with the

awareness, involvement and participation of city dwellers and workers, on strategies that promote environmental sustainability, social equity and economic vitality. Green infrastructure that integrates natural systems into urban environments to manage stormwater, reduce urban heat islands and enhance biodiversity conservation are not

only key to the processes of making cities, building and expanding economy and infrastructure, but also planning for sustainable futures of cities. This talk will attempt to look at urban ecology and the practices aimed at environmental protection in urban settings characterised by habitats and habitations in harmony with their social, economic, and technological systems; the adaptations in place for recognising the values and intrinsic contributions by ecosystem services to cities.

29. June 2026 | Rights, Respect, and Participation: Anti-discrimination work
Prof. Dr. Josefine Heusinger
(Department of Social Work, Health and Media, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal)

Many universities strive to present themselves as cosmopolitan and welcoming to students and staff regardless of their origin, appearance, sexual identity or orientation, and whether they have a disability or not. Various social and emancipatory movements have fought for rights that are reflected in university laws and regulations. In particular, the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeine Gleichstellungsgesetz  - AGG) and the Higher Education Act of Saxony-Anhalt (Hochschulgesetz Sachsen-Anhalt) require the establishment of protection against discrimination. Nevertheless, discrimination is embedded in the structure of universities and occurs regularly in everyday university life. 

The presentation first discusses what discrimination is (and is not), what forms it takes in different university contexts, what types of discrimination are specified by law, and what other types are being discussed. The example of Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences is used to describe how protection against discrimination can be developed at universities, what this involves, and what challenges exist. It becomes clear that a state educational institution in a system based on exclusion can at best address and deal with discrimination, but can hardly abolish it entirely. 

6. July 2026 | Diversity – Inclusion – Participation Closing Event
Prof. Dr. Claudia Dreke and Prof. Dr. Ralf Lottmann
(DIP-Project, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal) 

For students

• Russian Basic Course A1: Fridays, 4:00–5:30 pm, more Info: Weiterbildung
• Spanish Beginner Course A1: Thursdays, 4:00–5:30 pm, more Info: Weiterbildung
• Basic Sign Language Course A1.1: Thursdays, 5:15–7:15 pm; more Info: Weiterbildung
• Intermediate Sign Language Course A2: Mondays, 5:15–7:15 pm; more Info: Weiterbildung
• English-thought courses

For lectures

• SprachlernApp Busuu: more Info: Offers for university staff
• English course for university staff: „English Intercultural Business Communication B2/C1, Mondays at 4:00–5:30 pm in building 1, room 1.05. You can join any time. If you are interested, please send an email to: kerstin.taenzer@h2.de; more Info: Weiterbildung
• English Course B2 Level, online: Mondays, 5:15–7:15 pm; more Info: Weiterbildung
• International DAAD Academy self-study materials: Teaching in a foreign language
  Teaching in English: iDA self-study materials: Teaching in a foreign language - Teaching in English - DAAD Academy (e.g. lecture, feedback, individual talk, group work, etc.)

For employees

• SprachlernApp Busuu: more Info: Offers for university staff
• Englisch course for university staff: „English Intercultural Business Communication B2/C1, Mondays, 4:00–5:30 pm in building 1, room 1.05. You can join anytime. If you are interested, please send an email to: kerstin.taenzer@h2.de; more Info: Weiterbildung
• English Course B2 Level online: Mondays, 5:15–7:15 pm, more Info: Weiterbildung
• Self-study materials from the international DAAD Academy: iDA self-study materials: English for university administration staff (e.g. English for the Department of Human Resourses, English for the Examination Office, English for the Department and Faculty Secretary, etc.)

• Dealing with exclusion, discrimination, and radicalism in university teaching: date and location: Tuesday, 24. March 2026, 9:30 am –5:00 pm, Campus Magdeburg; Workload: 8 work units, each 45min; more Info: University teaching weeks
• Intercultural aspects in teaching and learning; Date and place: Wednesday, 25. March 2026, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, Campus Magdeburg; Workload: 8 work units of 45 minutes each; A minimum English level of B2 is required.; More Information: University teaching weeks
• English as Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: An introduction, 27. March 2026, 09:00 am – 12:15 pm, via Zoom, more Info
• English as Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: Teaching Circle, 27. March 2026, 1:10 – 4:00 pm, via Zoom, more Info

New events will be announced shortly.