From August 12th to 15th, we had an amazing chance to participate in the ECPR General Conference at University College Dublin!
The event featured a comprehensive program of 24 panel sessions, covering the full spectrum of political science and offering dynamic platforms for discussion and debate. We had the opportunity to be the discussant at a panel session and present our work. The conference covered key areas including political science, political theory, international relations, and European studies.
Some of our team members participated in the event:
- Dr. Annett Heft (Freie Universität/Weizenbaum Institute) presented the paper “Transnational conspiracism? Transnationality and national adaptations of far-right conspiracy theories online,” co-authored with Dr. Kilian Buehling, Xixuan Zhang and Joana Becker (all Freie Universität/Weizenbaum Institute). The research explores how digital platforms and partisan news sites foster the transnational spread of far-right ideologies, particularly through the promotion of conspiracy theories like the “New World Order” and the “Great Replacement.” These antisemitic and xenophobic narratives spread internationally via online interactions and local adaptations. By examining data from Reddit, Twitter, and far-right media in the U.S. and Germany (2011-2021), the study sheds light on the persistence and evolution of these conspiracies in different cultural contexts.
- Daniel Thiele (Freie Universität) served as the discussant on the panel “New Methodologies in the Study of Political Communication.” The panel brings together contributions focusing on or using computational methodologies to analyze contemporary political communication.
In addition to the headline events and networking opportunities, we engaged in inspiring conversations and made new connections with scholars from diverse regions and backgrounds!