Organizers: Dr. Heike Pantelmann, Dr. Sarah Bellows-Blakely & Dr. Sabina García Peter (Freie Universität Berlin) & Prof. Dr. Ebere Adimora (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)

This symposium is part of the Theme Week "The (De)tabooing of Science and Research", funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and will be held on September 17–19, 2025 at the Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, Germany. The symposium will include cross-over events with three other Volkswagen Foundation-supported events on taboos related to gender and race in science and research.

About the symposium:

The topic of sexual harassment and violence (SHV) within higher education is subject to multiple taboos. First, SHV is often swept under the rug, with those raising the issue treated as troublemakers or driven out of higher education. Second, universities are reluctant to critically investigate themselves and the unequal power relations that allow sexual harassment and violence to flourish. Compounding the problem are social taboos, which partially stem from myths about research institutions and individuals within them. When it does exist, research tends to focus on individual countries and rarely makes connections across national borders. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together an international group of scholars to share research, experiences, and best practices about SHV in higher education. Our goals are to de-taboo the ability to name SHV within higher education, share knowledge, and craft collaborative agendas for research and policy making moving forward.

The symposium will include a combination of interactive workshops and panel discussions, insight sharing, and networking. it will conclude with a collaborative workshop dedicated to developing a shared research agenda on SHV in HE. Together, we will identify key research priorities necessary for advancing the visibility of SHV research and breaking multiple taboos surrounding this critical issue.

Participants:

Ebere Adimora, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Karla Lilibeth Aguilar, University of California, US

Sarah Bellows-Blakely, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Christine Binswanger, Universität St. Gallen, Switzerland

Heloisa Buarque de Almeida, University of Sao Paulo, Brasil

Anna Bull, University of York, UK

Lorna Martha Dreyer, Stellenbosch Univerity, South Africa

Lisa Eaton, University of Connecticut, US

Marina Fischer, WZB, Germany

Sabina García Peter, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Anne-Marie Harrison, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Christophe Heger, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies, Germany

Allison Henry, Independent, Australia

Kenya Herrera Borquez, University of Baja California, Mexico

Lina Knorr, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany

Anke Lipinsky. GESIS Köln, Germany

Maja Lundqvist, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

Marie Lena Muschik, German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies, Germany

Isabel Maria Nunes Ventura, Universidade Aberta, Portugal

Osita Victor Ossai, University of Jonannesburg, South Africa

Heike Pantelmann, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Mathilde Provansal, LMU München, Germany

Aideen Quilty, University College Dublin, Ireland

Mallarika Sinha Roy, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Bridget Steele, University of Oxford, UK

Ana Vidu Afloarei, Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain

 

Organization contact: sabina.garcia.peter@fu-berlin,de