Democracy under pressure
The Berlin Cluster of Excellence "Contestations of the Liberal Script" (SCRIPTS) researches how the liberal social order is being challenged globally and regionally. Whether authoritarian rulers such as Vladimir Putin, right-wing populist movements such as the AfD or the increasing radicalisation and polarisation in society - the threats to the liberal order are as diverse as they are complex. SCRIPTS researchers investigate why these challenges arise, what dynamics drive them and what consequences they can have - always in dialogue with regional perspectives.
SCRIPTS was established at Freie Universit?t Berlin in 2019 and funded by the German federal and state governments as part of the Excellence Strategy. The cluster is dedicated to researching the current challenges and intensified conflicts to which liberal social models are exposed worldwide. The aim is to analyse the causes, dynamics and consequences of these developments from a global, comparative and historical perspective.
Clusters with new transdisciplinary approaches
SCRIPTS brings together the expertise of five leading Berlin research institutions and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists from different fields. Through the collaboration of 17 disciplines and partner institutions worldwide, SCRIPTS promotes a broad spectrum of viewpoints and creative approaches to answer the complex questions of our time. In addition to research, SCRIPTS attaches great importance to the exchange of knowledge with society and politics. Through public events, lecture series and exhibitions, workshops and background discussions, research results are made accessible to a broad audience as well as political decision-makers.
In the first funding phase, SCRIPTS not only analysed the intensified conflicts surrounding liberal democracy, but also shaped the scientific discourse on democratic resilience. The cluster will now deepen its research in this area - with new transdisciplinary approaches and even stronger international networking.
The second funding period is centred on the theme of democratic resilience. SCRIPTS will research what makes democracies adaptable. Research that can provide decisive impetus for the future of liberal societies.
Spokesperson
Prof. Dr Tanja B?rzel | Free University Berlin
Applicant university
Free University of Berlin
Participating institutions
- German Institute for Economic Research (DIW)
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
- Hertie School of Governance (Hertie School)
- Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin
- Leibniz Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO)
- Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB)
- Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS)
Academic co-operation partners
- American University in Cairo
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- EI Colegio de Mexico I Mexico City
- Fudan University I Shanghai, China
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem I Israel
- llia State University I Tbilisi, Georgia
- Sciences Po I Paris, France
- Jawaharlal Nehru University I New Delhi, India
- National University of Singapore
- Princeton University I USA
- Stanford University I USA
- Universidade de S?o Paulo I S?o Paulo, Brazil
- Universite Cheikh Anta Diop I Dakar, Senegal
- University of Cape Town I South Africa
- University of Oxford I United Kingdom
- University of Wyoming I Laramie, USA
- Sabanci University I Istanbul, Turkey
- Waseda University I Tokyo, Japan
- University of Ghana I Accra, Ghana