On July 14, 2025, the first general meeting of the Margherita von Brentano Center for Gender Studies (MvBZ) took place from 4 to 6 p.m. Approximately 50 gender researchers from Freie Universität Berlin, ranging from research assistants and doctoral candidates to professors, accepted the MvBZ's invitation. The event was opened by the MvBZ's managing director, Dr. Heike Pantelmann, and its scientific director, Prof. Dr. Gülay Çağlar. The idea behind the new membership structure is to strengthen networking among gender researchers at the FU, create a platform for regular exchange, and initiate interdisciplinary research collaborations through seed funding. The call for interdisciplinary seed funding for research projects in gender studies at the FU Berlin for 2026 is expected to be published on March 1, 2026.

Participants discussed current topics in gender studies, future research topics, the profile of gender studies at the FU, current challenges in gender studies, and the facilitation of solidarity-based cooperation at five different tables in a World Café. Prof. Dr. Gülay Çağlar and Dr. Friederike Beier then presented the key findings. At the next general meeting, which is expected to take place on January 19, 2026, at 4 p.m. in conjunction with the MvBZ New Year's reception, the discussion will continue on joint research perspectives in gender studies at the FU Berlin. New members are always welcome and can also register directly at mvbz@fu-berlin.de outside of the general meetings.

After the general meeting, the keynote speech by the current Audre Lorde Visiting Professor at the Berlin University Alliance, Prof. Dr. Angela Akorsu, was also very well attended. Angela Akorsu's lecture dealt with ‘Confronting Epistemic Injustices in Academia: The Role of Gender Studies Centers’ and can be viewed and listened to here. The event ended with a reception and informal networking and discussion. We look forward to welcoming old and new members and interested parties (again) to the MvBZ New Year's Reception in January 2026.