16.04.2025 Center for Conflict Studies Researchers Participate in VORTEX Network Meeting in Turin

Researchers from the Center for Conflict Studies at the University of Marburg—Violette Mens, Thorsten Bonacker, and Christopher Cohrs—recently participated in the VORTEX Network Meeting, held from March 25 to 28, 2025, at the University of Turin. The meeting brought together scholars and doctoral candidates from across Europe to exchange insights, present ongoing work, and deepen collaboration within the VORTEX research network.

The VORTEX Network—short for "Coping with Varieties of Radicalization into Terrorism and Extremism"—is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network funded by the European Union. The initiative connects eight academic and research institutions and 14 associated partners with the goal of developing innovative, evidence-based strategies to prevent and counter ideological and behavioral radicalization. Through this program, ten doctoral candidates are currently conducting interdisciplinary, practice-based research across diverse empirical contexts.

At the Turin meeting, the Marburg delegation engaged in several key sessions that advanced the network’s collaborative efforts. A highlight of the program was the presentation of research progress by the doctoral candidates, offering first insights into empirical findings and stimulating fruitful academic dialogue.

In addition to the research updates, participants discussed key methodological and ethical dimensions of the research process:

• Data Management: Current strategies for organizing, storing, and sharing research data were reviewed and debated.
• Ethics in Research: Marco Krüger presented on the ethical complexities that researchers may encounter, emphasizing the importance of ongoing ethical reflection.
• Science Communication: Gabriele Marino led a session on leveraging social media platforms to increase the visibility and public engagement of academic work.

These discussions provided significant inspiration for future research and collaboration within the network. The knowledge and strategies exchanged will directly inform ongoing projects, including those based at the Center for Conflict Studies.

The next VORTEX network meeting is scheduled to take place online in fall 2025, organized by the University of Oslo.