Profile

How can we tackle conflicts, enable cooperation and strengthen social cohesion in times of growing inequalities and global crises? Researchers at SOCIUM, Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, and at the Institute of Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) focus on these and further questions. They research on the development of social inequality dynamics and their socio-political handling, as well as on international cooperation between globalization and liberalization on the one hand, and geopolitical competition and economic decoupling on the other. Building on their traditional strengths, their research is theory-based, empirically sound and comparative at the international level. We lead interdisciplinary research projects and interact with national and international research networks.

Our scientific focus is supported by robust institutionalinfrastructure developed by our institutes over the years. The Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences (BIGSSS), established in 2008 as part of the Excellence Initiative, delivers an outstanding structured PhD program that attracts international fellows and prepares them for distinguished careers both within and beyond academia. In addition, we contribute to infrastructure development for research data: the Qualiservice Research Data Center archives and curates complex qualitative research data from a range of social science disciplines, the Research Data Centre of the Research Institute for Social Cohesion (FGZ) coordinates the institute’s central longitudinal study, the “Social Cohesion Panel”, and the Welfare State Information System (WESIS) contains extensive information on the global development of social policy since the beginning of the 20th century.

We not only publish our research results in nationally and internationally renowned publications, but also ensure they are published in alternative formats aimed at the interested public: the Sozialpolitikblog and Social Policy Worldwide offer national and international commentaries on current social policy debates and provide a platform for our own and international experts.