Starting this semester, we will provide academic writing courses focused on article writing, project proposal writing, and application materials writing, specifically for the social sciences.

These courses will be offered by an experienced academic writing coach, with some sessions also featuring SOT professors who will share insights into publication, review, and assessment processes. The first course, "Article Writing for the Social Sciences," will take place on April 17 & 20. Please register here.

Should you have any questions regarding this offer, please contact the Vice Dean for Talent Management & Diversity, Ruth Müller

The course is fully booked. Waiting list (12.3.2026)

with Dr. Georgia Samaras, Prof. Dr. Jörg Niewöhner

This course is aimed at early- to mid-career graduate students who will be doing qualitative analysis of largely textual materials (or visuals that are treated as text). We will be introducing the basics of Grounded Theory before exploring in a very hands-on fashion different analytical strategies. While this will be guided by literature, it is mostly about discussing your actual workflows, what works for you, which software support you are using in which ways, and how that results in different epistemological affordances. It is very much a ‘bring your questions and concerns’ to the class to return to your desk with a better feeling and clearer idea of what you will do once ‘data’ arrives and what this will lead to. 

The workshop will take place in person, with the option to participate online for doctoral students who cannot be in Munich. Please note that in-person attendance is preferred! 

We will meet on two long afternoons, with a backup date in case too many doctoral students cannot make June 22 or July 09 work. If you are interested and have time on at least 2 of the suggested dates, please register. We will contact you in May to finalise the dates. 

When/Where:
Monday, 22. June 2026, 1 -7 p.m. - room F1.12, Brienner Forum, Augustenstr. 40
Thursday, 9. July 2026, 1 -7 p.m. - Seminar room 370, STS Department, Augustenstr. 46
Friday, 10 July 2026, 1 -7 p.m. (backup) - seminar room 370, STS Department, Augustenstr. 46

Registration via your Doc-GS Account - online since 22 April 2026. Registration unitl 14th June 2025

with Dr. ret nat Yasmeen Essam Abdrabou Mahmoud - Lehrstuhl für Human-Centered Technologies for Learning (Prof. Kasneci) 

In-depth topics in visual perception (fixations, saccades, gaze patterns), mechanisms of visual attention, measurement of eye movements (eye-tracking), analysis of eye-tracking data with machine learning methods, gaze-based control of computer systems, use of gaze information for interactive systems (incl. applications in virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR)).

When: Thursdays, 09:30 - 12:30 from 16. April 2026 to 16. July 2026
Where: Marsstr. 20-22, München, 117, Rechnerarbeitsraum (2907.01.117)
Registration via Email to yasmeen.abdrabou@tum.de

Design-Based Research is both a Lecture (1058) with Prof. Dr. Anna Keune and a Studio (LV1066)  Živa Simšič 

This introduction to design-based research covers the core concepts and key critiques, while exploring emerging approaches that push the field in new directions. Students will engage in tangible design work, collaboratively developing a shared course project that bridges theory and practice. The final project will be exhibited to educational stakeholders.

When: Lecture: Wednesday 10 -12 a.m. starting 15. April 2025 until 15. July 2026
Studio: Wednesday 12 a.m. - 2 p.m. starting 15. April 2025 until 15. July 2026
Where: Marsstr. 20-22, 140, Seminarraum (2907.01.140)
Registration:  via TUMOnline for the Lecture and via TUMOnline for the Studio or via Email to Živa Simšič ziva.simsic@tum.de
 

with Prof. Dr. Enkelejda Kasneci - Lehrstuhl für Human-Centered Technologies for Learning (Prof. Kasneci) 

In this course we will discuss state-of-the art methods and research ideas in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and look at current trends of emerging multimedia technologies for learning.

When: Monday, 13:00 - 15:00 von 13.04.2026 bis 13.07.2026 and Thursdays , 09:30 - 11:30 von 23.04.2026 bis 09.07.2026
Where: 604, Besprechungsraum (2907.06.604)
Registration via TUMOnline or via Email to enkelejda.kasneci@tum.de

with Carlos Santiago Hurtado Melo and Dr. Harper Staples
Work in interdisciplinary teams to tinker with high- and low-tech materials and design creative, maker-centered tools that empower young people in STEM.

When: Thursday, 1 - 4 p.m. from 16 April until 16. July 2026
Where: Marsstr. 20-22, Room 140 (2907.01.140)

Register here via TUMOnline or via Email to Santiago Hurtado s.hurtado@tum.de 

with Prof. Dr. Anna Keune, Prof. Dr. Oleksandra Poquet and Dr. Harper Staples

Why do people learn so differently depending on their environment and how does that change when AI becomes part of the learning process? How can technologies support collaboration and actively shape how people think, create, and learn together? This course introduces the learning sciences and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in context and explores the powerful intersections with AI.

When: Thursday 10 - 12 a.m., from 16. April until 16 July 2026
Where: Marsstr. 20-22, 141, Seminarraum (2907.01.141) 

Register here via TUMOnline or via Email to Harper Staples harper.staples@tum.de

with Prof. Daria Gritsenko

The module consists of a lecture and an exercise. This module introduces students to central theories and debates on rationality and choice, providing a critical perspective on how individuals and institutions make decisions – in theory and real-life settings. A particular focus is placed on the historical foundations of rational choice, formal decision models, and game-theoretic reasoning, alongside their behavioral and contextual critiques. The module explores bounded rationality, heuristics and biases, ecological rationality, and decision-making under uncertainty and ambiguity, emphasizing how experience, learning, and exposure to risk shape judgment and decision-making. Throughout the module, these approaches are discussed in relation to digitalisation and data-rich environments, addressing how data, models, and algorithms influence choices, coordination, and policy decisions in contemporary societies.

When:
Lecture:  Thursday , 09:45 - 11:15 from 16.04.2026 to 16.07.2026
Exercise: Thursday , 11:30 - 13:00 from 16.04.2026 to 16.07.2026
Where: H.001, Seminarraum (2910.EG.001)
Registration via TUMOnline or via Email to daria.gritsenko@tum.de 

with Prof. Dr. Doris Holzberger

This initiative aims to bring together EDU scientists (and beyond) who study collaboration within their fields or are interested in diverse learner characteristics and learning settings.

When
Where: 
Registration

with Dr. Raji Ghawi- Chair of Computational Social Science

The module addresses the following content: 
• Text Preprocessing
• Text Exploration and Descriptive Statistics 
• Natural Language Preprocessing 
• Part of Speech (POS) Tagging 
• Named Entity Recognition (NER) 
• Text Representation 
• Text Classification 
• Text Clustering 
• Sentiment Analysis 
• Topic Modeling 
• Text Embeddings and Word Vectors

When: Thursdays, 09:45 - 13:00, from 16. April 2026 until 16. July 2026
Where: HfP, Richard-Wagner-Str. 1, H.103, CIP-Raum (2910.01.103) 
Registration via Email to raji.ghawi@tum.de 

with Dr. Alice Beazer  and Gwyn Mingham - Professur für Science and Crisis Communication (Prof. Walter) 

This course provides an overview of contemporary critical theories and their potential applications to different topics within the social sciences. For example, In this seminar we will discuss the following: The contested concept of academic objectivity. Transformative Technologies & AI. Gender & intersectionality - Plus many other contemporary critical theories - and their application to research and beyond.

When: Mondays, 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m., from 13.April 2026 until 13.July 2026
Where: H.206, Seminarraum (2910.02.206)
Registration via Email to alice.beazer@tum.de

with Nikolay Lunchenkov, MD, MSc - Professur für Global Health (Prof. Steinert)

This intensive hands-on block course equips students with practical skills for conducting qualitative research in diverse global health contexts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Through mock interviews, focus group simulations, and real data analysis, students learn to design culturally appropriate research instruments, work with interpreters, navigate ethical challenges in restrictive environments, and manage cross-cultural data collection. Drawing on fieldwork examples from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, the course addresses translation strategies, partnership building with local organisations, and data analysis using thematic approaches. Students develop a complete, implementation-ready qualitative research protocol (interview/focus group guides, ethics plan, partnership strategy) for international fieldwork. Topics include: interview and focus group techniques, working across language barriers, cultural adaptation of instruments, ethical research with stigmatised populations, qualitative coding and analysis, and translating findings into policy and practice.

When: Thuesday, 01.09.2026,  09:00 - 17:00 
Wednesday, 02.09.2026, 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday, 03.09.2026, 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 04.09.2026,  09:00 - 17:00
Where: H.003, Seminarraum (2910.EG.003)
Registration via TUMOnline or via Email nikolay.lunchenkov@tum.de 

with Dr. Franziska Pradel-Scinaci - Chair of Digital Governance (Prof. Theocharis) 

The module is offered in the form of two complementary seminars. With higher levels of digitalization in our society, people increasingly inform themselves, talk about politics, and engage in direct communication with political actors online. At the same time, women are still underrepresented in many parliaments around the world. While the proportion of women in politics has increased in recent years, female political actors still have to face gender stereotypes and gender-based attacks, especially during campaigns. This course will focus on political campaigns, the portrayal of women candidates in digital media, and gender biases in communication with political actors. This covers a new field of political communication: social media and other online platforms like Wikipedia.

The two seminars are interconnected. Seminar 1 focuses on building theoretical knowledge regarding Digital Media, Politics, and Gender, and Seminar 2 is more applied, utilizing the statistical software R to study gender biases.

Seminar 1: Thursdays , 09:45 - 11:15 from 16.04.2026 to 16.07.2026; H.004, CIP-Raum (2910.EG.004)
Seminar 2: Thursdays , 11:30 - 13:00 from 16.04.2026 to 16.07.2026, H.004, CIP-Raum (2910.EG.004)

Registration via TUMOnline or via Email to franziska.pradel@tum.de 

with Dr. David Karpa Professur für Algorithmic Governance and Public Policy (Prof. Gritsenko)

This module introduces students to the methods and practice of public opinion research, exploring its role in politics and academic inquiry. 
There is a great deal on causal inference.

When: Tuesdays 3 - 4.30 p.m. from 14 April until 14. July 2026
Where: H.103, CIP-Raum (2910.01.103)
Registration via Email david.karpa@tum.de

with Alexandra Maria Bruncrona (Professur für Algorithmic Governance and Public Policy (Prof. Gritsenko) 

This module examines the transformation of social science research as it adopts computational methods, with a particular focus on the integration of natural language processing (NLP) into policy process research. While no previous experience is required, it will be significantly helpful to have some programming experience (in Python, R, or another programming language) or to have taken a programming class.

When: Mondays 11.30 a.m.  - 1 p.m. from 13. April 2026 until 13.July 2026
Where: H.003, Seminarraum (2910.EG.003)
Registration via Email alexandra.bruncrona@tum.de

with Prof. Timo Seidl - Professur für Political Economy

This module offers an integrated and hands-on introduction to political economy and R — no prior knowledge of either is required. 

When: Thursdays 3 - 5.15 p.m. from 23. April 2026 until 16.July 2026 Plus individual sessions
Where:  H.103, CIP-Raum (2910.01.103)
Registration via Email to timo.seidl@hfp.tum.de 

with Prof. Dr Jeanne Rubner

Introduction to science communication and public engagement: Internal and external science communication; The main actors and topics of science communication; Targets, target groups and formats; The growing role of science communication for universities and research organizations; A special focus will be put on format prototyping and the development of own ideas and formats. During the first four sessions, we will work with media practioners on a handbook for format prototyping which will serve as basis for this and following classes.

When: Mondays, 16:45 - 18:15 from 13. April 2026 bis 13.July 2026
Where: H.206, Seminarraum (2910.02.206)
Registration leider ist das Modul schon ausgebucht (8.4.2026)

When:
Monday , 15:00 - 16:30 on 07.09.2026
Tuesday , 09:00 - 14:00 on 08.09.2026
Wednesday , 09:00 - 14:00 on 09.09.2026
Thursday , 09:00 - 14:00 on 10.09.2026
Friday , 09:00 - 14:00 on 11.09.2026

Where: H.003, Seminarraum (2910.EG.003)
Registration via TUMOnline

with Dr. Alice Beazer - Professur für Science and Crisis Communication (Prof. Walter) 

This module provides an overview of different approaches to qualitative interviewing and their advantages and disadvantages, as well as covering how to plan and conduct interviews, including practical experience, transcription and the analysis and interpretation of transcription. What is Qualitative Interviewing? Ethics and Planning interviews Positionality and Reflexivity Developing an Interview Guide Conducting Interviews Interviewing Approaches I Interviewing Approaches II Transcription & Storing Data Methods of Qualitative Data Analysis Practical coding exercises Using and Presenting Interview Data (inc. in Masters Thesis) Wrap-up and Presentations.

When: Friday, 10 April, 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday, 11 April 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. and 
Friday 29. May 2026, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Where: H.003, Seminarraum (2910.EG.003)
Registration via Email to alice.beazer@tum.de 

with Dr. Florence Dafe - Chair for European and Global Governance (Prof. Conceicao-Heldt)

When: Wednesdays, 9:45 a.m.- 11:15 a.m. (Lecture) from 15. April 2026 until 15. July 2026
Wednesdays, 11.30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. (Exercise) from 15. April 2026 until 15. July 2026
Where: H.206, Seminarraum (2910.02.206)
Registration via TUMOnline or Email to florence.dafe@hfp.tum.de 

with Prof. Dr. Jeanne Rubner

Introduction to science communication and public engagement: Internal and external science communication; The main actors and topics of science communication; Targets, target groups and formats; The growing role of science communication for universities and research organizations; A special focus will be put on format prototyping and the development of own ideas and formats. During the first four sessions, we will work with media practioners on a handbook for format prototyping which will serve as basis for this and following classes.

When: Mondays, 4.45 - 6.15 p.m. from 13. April 2026 until 13. July 2026
Where: H.206, Seminarraum (2910.02.206)
Registration via TUMOnline course is fully booked

with Nikals Berild Lundblad - Chair of Public Policy, Governance and Innovative Technology (Prof. Gasser)

When: Monday, 7.9.2026, from 3 p.m. until 4.30 p.m.
Tuesday, 8.9. 2026, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Wednesday 9.9.2026 from  9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Thursday, 10.9.2026, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Friday, 11.9.2026, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Where: H.003, Seminarraum (2910.EG.003)

Registration via TUMOnline or via Email to nicklas.lundblad@tum.de 

with Clara Krämer, Florian Egli, Manuela Fritz and Nathalie Luck - Professur für Public Policy for the Green Transition (Prof. Egli) 

Developing countries face both opportunities and challenges in sustainable transitions. For instance, while they offer potential for carbon reduction, more resource equity, and economic diversification, they may also induce short-term costs, be limited by technological capabilities, and require policy and behavior change. This course focuses on the methods and tools needed to evaluate the impact of policies aimed at fostering such change in developing countries, as well as the broader effects these transitions have on people, economies, and the environment. The course is structured around three thematic areas: energy, agriculture, and industry. Using real-world examples from these sectors, we will explore a variety of methods to analyze data and to evaluate policies and their impacts. Examples for case studies include the potential of soil testing to help small-scale farmers achieve more sustainable fertilization in Indonesia. Combining recent academic research, country case studies, and insights from lecturers, this course offers a focused introduction to the tools and techniques used to analyze sustainable transitions in developing countries. Practical sessions will include coding exercises in R to analyze real-world data. Group discussions, presentations, and hands-on activities will provide opportunities to critically examine the advantages and limitations of different approaches in various contexts. Students will also have the opportunities to discuss with invited practitioners. By the end of the course, participants will be able to apply these methods in policy advisory work or further research, with a clear understanding of when and why specific methods are most appropriate.

When: Wednesday, 6. May 2026 Mittwoch , 09:00 - 12:00 a.m.
Wednesday, 27 May, 09:00 - 17:00 and Tursday, 28. May 2026, 09:00 - 17:00 (single)
Where: F.1.11, Seminarraum (2913.01.111)

Registration via Email to Clara Krämer, clara.kraemer@tum.de.

With Prof. Allister Loder, Zhihua Jin and Martin Schlett -  Professur für Mobility Policy

This course teaches the underlying methods that govern the decision-making process in transport policy and related fields. Students will understand the foundations of how the transport system is viewed from a market perspective and how this market perspective is used to estimate costs and benefits in project appraisal.

When: Thursdays 09:45 - 10:30, begins 16.04.2026
Where: Theresianum, 1601, Hörsaal eben, ohne exp. Bühne (0506.01.601)
Registration via Email: Allister.loder@tum.de

With Anna Maria Walter -  Lehrstuhl für Sustainable Urban Environments (Prof. Rademacher)
Core Topic: Ethics & Responsibility

In recent years, concepts such as traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous cosmologies, relational ontologies and alternative epistemologies have become increasingly prominent in environmental scholarship. These discussions expose the deep-seated western-centrism of many academic debates on the Anthropocene and point toward the need for more integrative and relational approaches to ecological understanding. Moreover, they resonate with rising consciousness for ethical responsibility and justice work. 

This seminar traces the intellectual genealogy of the concept of indigeneity – how it emerged, evolved, and has been mobilized within both scholarly and political contexts – to examine the multiple ways in which Indigenous and other subaltern knowledge has been represented, contested and transformed.

We will explore questions such as: How do different cultural traditions conceptualize ecological agency? In what ways do Indigenous, local and spiritual understandings of ecological worlds challenge dominant technoscientific framings? And how are subaltern voices silenced, appropriated or selectively amplified in contemporary discourse?

Throughout the seminar, students will also be encouraged to engage critically and reflexively with their own cultural backgrounds and knowledge traditions, contributing to a collective inquiry into diverse ecological ways of knowing.

When: Wednesdays, 4.15 - 5.45 p.m., begins 13 April 2026
Where: Augustenstr. 46, in Room 270
Registration via Email to anna-maria.walter@tum.de 

with Anna-Mari Walter Lehrstuhl für Sustainable Urban Environments (Prof. Rademacher) 

Core Topic: KnowledgeCultures

This seminar undertakes a critical examination of what is meant by ‘empire’ and how power relations shape knowledge production. We will examine how geographic sites, socio-political contexts and ecological understandings shaped scientific practices in the British empire and vice versa, thus influencing academic knowledge regimes more broadly. Particular attention will be paid to the physical and technological challenges posed by vertical frontiers and to the colonial trajectories and historical imaginaries that informed early science. 

The syllabus utilizes a sustained reading of Lachlan Fleetwood’s Science on the Roof of the World: Empire and the Remaking of the Himalaya (Cambridge, 2022). To situate the book’s arguments in relation to contemporary knowledge practices, we will contrast its historical perspective with current academic approaches and development projects. Together, these activities invite students to reflect on the (post)colonial entanglements of academia, power and technology, past and present. 

The seminar concludes with outward-facing components: participation in a book discussion hosted by the Reading Environments group and a virtual conversation with the author, Lachlan Fleetwood. Aim is to cultivate strategies of critical reading, which students will prove through small presentations each week. The effort will culminate in the production of a joint book review, which will count as term paper. 

Featuring an archival workshop on the Schlagintweit brothers’ Himalayas expedition at the Alpine Museum, the course “Archival Methods for Environmental STS” offers a practical addition to this seminar.

When: Mondays, 10–12 a.m. (c.t.). begins 15 April 2026
Where: Augustenstr. 46, Room 270
Registration via Email to anna-maria.walter@tum.de 

with Prof. Ioannis Theocharis and Prof. Stefanie Walter

When:
Where:
Registration via Email to 

All STS-doctoral candidates and STS Members are invited to the TUM STS – PhD Colloquium 2026
When: 23. April ,12.15 p.m. -5.10 p.m. and 24. April 2026, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Brienner Forum, Augustenstr. 40, Room F1.12

On Thursday, 23rd April, Mathias Wullum Nielsen (University of Copenhagen) will present his keynote “Gender, Careers and Scientific Performance”, offering insights into how research specialisations, assessment practices, and career structures intersect to shape research production and advancement opportunities in potentially gendered ways. This lecture will serve a dual role: as the keynote for our STS PhD colloquium and as part of the Gender Speaker Series, engaging both our community and a wider audience.

On Friday, 24th, Stephen Hilgartner (Cornell University) will deliver the second keynote, sharing his work on the governance and development of science and innovation.

On Thursday evening, we welcome you to join us post-event at Komittee. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other members of our community whom you do not see regularly. 

All STS-Members have received the official invitation from the STS-Organisation Board

The GOV Graduate Student Day will take place on Thursday, 09 July 2026, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

About the event
Each semester, the Governance Department offers a colloquium open to all doctoral candidates in the department. We will start the day with a keynote lecture by a faculty member, followed by your 10-minutes-presentations, discussant feedback, and a short Q&A from the audience. The event is a great opportunity to share your research, receive feedback from across the faculty, and engage with the wider GOV community. 

What’s next?

1. In early May, we will ask you to submit a title, a short abstract, and the format of the presentation (e.g., proposal, paper, or dissertation chapter). We will send out an invitation with a registration link for registering your presentation. The deadline for abstract submissions will be on 29 May 2026.
2. Based on the submissions, we will pair doctoral candidates with a faculty discussant who will provide approximately five minutes of feedback during the session.
3. In early June, you will be notified of your discussant and asked to send your written work 2-3 weeks before the event, but no later than 24 June 2026, so the discussants have time to prepare their feedback for you.

Whether you are planning to present or not, we hope the event offers a great opportunity to come together, learn about others’ PhD projects, and engage in a department-wide conversation about research and life as a doctoral candidate.