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» Published on 24. September 2014

How experience influences human and animal personality

Conference at Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research

We are not born with a finished personality, and it seems as if animals aren’t either. A ‘reaction norm’ is what biologists call the interplay between environmental and genetic features that determines an individual and how an organism behaves over the course of development. It is within the framework of this reaction norm that behaviour changes over the couse of life. The flexibility this permits, scientists agree, represents a major pacemaker of evolution. From 29 September to 1 October, researchers will be meeting at Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) to discuss how this flexibility leads to changes in various animal species including human beings and whether there are specific periods in life when this is particularly important. The international conference is entitled ‘New Perspectives in Behavioural Development: Adaptive Shaping of Behaviour over a Lifetime?’

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» Published on 22. September 2014

250,000 euros for international research collaboration

Anneliese Maier Research Award granted to renowned expert for sociological inequality research

On 11 September 2014, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation granted the Anneliese Maier Research Award to American sociologist Donald Tomaskovic-Devey. The foundation had announced last December that the academic was one of eight award winners. The 250,000 euro award will be used to fund the research cooperation with the Collaborative Research Centre on social inequalities at Bielefeld University (CRC 882: ”From Heterogeneities to Inequalities” (SFB)). Here, among other things, Tomaskovic-Devey has been involved in building up an international research network on explanations for the causes of social inequalities since June 2014.

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» Published on 8. September 2014

Nationwide Survey: Confidence in times of crisis

Bielefeld University responsible for German part of the European Social Survey

How far do politicians pay attention to what people in Europe actually think? That is just one of the topics covered by the longitudinal European Social Survey (ESS). It will be studying the social and political views of more than 50,000 people in both Germany and roughly 30 other European countries. For the first time, Bielefeld University will be responsible for the sub-study assessing people’s attitudes in Germany. It will be starting this month. The ESS is considered to be one of the largest social-scientific surveys in Europe.

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» Published on 5. September 2014

Religious freedom and human rights in constitutions

Conference at Bielefeld University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF)

Religion and religious freedom are not just a current and pressing topic in countries such as Egypt that are presently drafting new constitutions. When both drawing up and interpreting constitutions, experts also look at those of other countries and the experiences gained there. ‘Constitutional migration’ is the name given to the process by which ideas and concepts from one constitution transfer to another constitution. How this proceeds with reference to relations between the state and religion and particularly with reference to religious freedom is the topic of a conference to be held at Bielefeld’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) from 11 to 13. September.

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» Published on 1. September 2014

Royal Order of Merit for Bielefeld Mathematician

Professor Dr. Friedrich Götze is decorated in the Netherlands

Last Wednesday (27.08.2014) Professor Dr. Friedrich Götze from Bielefeld University was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau in the Dutch city of Eindhoven. The mathematician received this honour from the King of the Netherlands for his commitment to building up the European research institute ‘Eurandom’ at the Eindhoven University of Technology. The main focus of work at the institute is on research in the stochastic sciences and their applications. In his laudation, Rob van Gijzel, the Mayor of Eindhoven, praised Götze’s contribution to transnational research in the stochastic sciences as a member of the Institute’s Scientific Council.

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