News and Press Releases

The Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies hosted the second instalment of its Max Planck Summer School for Women in Political Economy from September 22 to 25 this year. The event was attended by twenty-seven female early-career researchers from Europe, North America, and Asia, who came together in Cologne to discuss current debates in the field and to establish professional networks. more

After fifteen years as a researcher at the MPIfG, Timur Ergen is taking over as director of the Institute Labour and Economy (iaw) at the University of Bremen. In addition to managing the institute, in his new role he will also teach economic sociology and political economy at the University of Bremen. more

Julian Jürgenmeyer, a postdoctoral researcher at the MPIfG between 2023 and 2025, is taking up a Harper-Schmidt Fellowship at the University of Chicago this fall. The four-year position as Collegiate Assistant Professor is one of the most coveted postdoctoral positions in the humanities in the US and combines research with teaching in this leading American university’s interdisciplinary undergraduate courses. more

The MPIfG's new Journalist in Residence between October and November 2025 is Jonas Seufert, a member of the investigative team at FragDenStaat. Prior to 2025 Seufert worked for ten years as a freelance reporter for DIE ZEIT, Süddeutsche Zeitung, ARD, ZDF, and CORRECTIV, among others. more

In mid-June of 2025, Zarah Westrich defended her dissertation “Work, Compare, Repeat: Social Comparisons as a Determinant of Working Hours in Germany” at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Her thesis analyzes the relationship between income inequality and working hours in Germany, focusing on the question of how income inequality influences time spent on paid employment and unpaid care work. more

Clara Baumann successfully defended her dissertation, “‘Return of Dependency’ or ‘A New Hope’? East-South Investment and Interdependent Development in Colombia,” at the University of Duisburg-Essen at the end of June. Her research examines whether Chinese direct investment is creating new patterns of development in the Global South or reinforcing traditional dependencies. more

At the end of June, Ceren Çevik successfully defended her dissertation entitled “Adapt or Perish? Understanding Transnational Environmental NGOs’ Strategies in China and Turkey” at the University of Duisburg-Essen. In her study she examines how transnational environmental NGOs can continue to operate under authoritarian regimes imposing strict regulations. more