About the C³
The C³ (founded in February 2026) is a new research center at the University of Bayreuth that promotes interdisciplinary research, teaching, and knowledge transfer in peace and conflict studies. It brings together theories, perspectives, and methodologies from sociology, international relations, social and cultural anthropology, history, economics, geography, religious studies, and related fields.
- Research & GoalsHide
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C³ researchers study the causes, dynamics, and outcomes of violence, social movements, and insecurity. They ask how humanitarianism is organized, how postcolonial hierarchies persist in knowledge production, how infrastructures become contested, and how visions of peace evolve. The research is organized into three thematic clusters: “Contested Hierarchies & Knowledge“, “Violence and Conflict Transformation in Times of Transition“, and “Infrastructures and Planetary Future.“ The Center connects scholars involved in several third-party-funded research projects at the University of Bayreuth, including the networks Conflicts.Meanings.Transitions, Postcolonial Hierarchies in Peace and Conflict, Network Humanitarian Research, and the Knowledge Network on Racism Research (WinRa).
In a time of rising autocratization, geopolitical competition, fragmentation of international law, disruptive technological advances, and ecological breakdown, the C³ aims to deepen understanding of the dynamics of political change and identify opportunities for conflict transformation. Through workshops, seminars, policy events, and its flagship Bayreuth Peace Talks series, the C³ creates spaces to collaborate, share, and co-develop insights with policymakers, students, and wider publics. This also contributes to the University of Bayreuth’s new “Translations and Conflicts” research network.
- Steering Committee, Structure, and StatuteHide
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The C³ has several governing bodies. Its highest decision-making forum is the General Assembly, which meets annually and decides on strategic guidelines, conducts elections, and deliberates on other fundamental matters.
The C³ is led by its Steering Committee:
- C³ Director: Prof. Dr. Jana Hönke (Chair for Sociology in Africa)
- Vice-Director: Prof. Dr. Joschka Philips (Chair of Sociology of Insecurity)
- Commitee member: PD Dr. Julia Eichenberg (Historian at the Institute for Franconian Regional History)
The C³ will soon establish an Advisory Board comprising distinguished experts in peace, conflict, and security from academia, civil society, politics, and business.
The day-to-day activities of the C³ are organized by the Coordinator: Dr. Jan Sändig (Research associate at the Chair for Sociology in Africa).
The Conflict, Crisis, and Change (C³) Research Center is formally established as a research center within the University of Bayreuth. The C³ Statute can be accessed here.
- HistoryHide
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The C³ was founded in February 2026 as a successor to the UBT Peace and Conflict Research Network. The network was officially launched at a roundtable event titled “Crises of Our Times” in October 2022. It emerged from networking activities initiated by the Conflicts.Meanings.Transitions research network, which seeks to establish regional hubs for interdisciplinary peace and conflict research.
The UBT Peace and Conflict Research Network brought together about 20 researchers from the University of Bayreuth. It launched the Bayreuth Peace Talks series and hosted lectures on varied topics, including the war against Ukraine, political polarization, postcolonial hierarchies, kleptocratic politics, the environmental consequences of warfare, and more.
In February 2024, the University of Bayreuth became a founding member of the FoKS Alliance (“Bayerische Wissenschaftsallianz für Friedens-, Konflikts- und Sicherheitsforschung“). C³ members have participated in and co-organized FoKS events, including the annual Fellow Assembly and the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
