{"id":32276,"date":"2025-10-14T13:42:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T11:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uni-freiburg.de\/en\/?p=32276"},"modified":"2025-10-21T14:50:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:50:12","slug":"ten-postdocs-explore-questions-about-the-good-life-at-new-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uni-freiburg.de\/en\/ten-postdocs-explore-questions-about-the-good-life-at-new-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ten postdocs explore questions about the \u201cgood life\u201d at new academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Freiburg, 14\/10\/2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) is establishing a new platform for highly qualified postdocs with the Young Academy for Cultures and Societies Research (YAC). Over the next three years, ten researchers from Freiburg and around the world will devote themselves to the topic of \u201cThe Good Life \u2013 What Makes a Good Society\u201d.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The postdocs of the new Young Academy for Cultures and Societies Research (YAC). Photo: Markus Schwerer \/ University of Freiburg<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What constitutes a good society is one of the oldest questions facing humanity \u2013 and today it is being asked with renewed urgency. In times of global crises, social tensions and profound changes, new answers are urgently needed. Starting in October 2025, ten postdoctoral researchers from various disciplines and countries will explore this question as part of the newly founded Young Academy for Cultures and Societies Research (YAC)<\/strong>. From 8 to 10 October 2025, academy members met for the first time at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), which is in charge of running the academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\n\t\t\n\tchevron-right<\/title>\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tYoung Academy for Cultures and Societies Research (YAC)\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t“The academy enables a unique dialogue across disciplines and national borders, opening up new perspectives on the question of the good life beyond the usual disciplines, with a particularly broad spectrum of approaches.”\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\tProf. Dr. Ralf von den Hoff\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tDirector of FRIAS\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The YAC brings together researchers from the University of Freiburg with colleagues from other national and international universities and research institutions. The participating researchers are from the areas of philosophy, psychology, sociology, law and literary studies, communication and political science, as well as European ethnology and American studies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The YAC is modelled on the Young Academy for Sustainability Research (YAS),<\/strong> which was founded in 2021, is funded by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation, and has established itself as a successful model as the world’s first young academy in the field of sustainability research. With the YAC, FRIAS is building on this model and transferring it to the cultural and social sciences. Both academies \u2013 YAS and YAC \u2013 are located under the umbrella of the Freiburg Postdoctoral Academy (FPA)<\/strong>, which reflects the research profiles of the University of Freiburg<\/strong> at the postdoctoral level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTogether with the YAC, we are strengthening the University’s research focus on languages of knowledge<\/em>. While the YAS successfully identifies paths to a sustainable society, the YAC will open up new perspectives on cultural and social challenges. Both academies represent two core concerns of FRIAS and the University of Freiburg: international networking and the targeted promotion of excellent researchers in the early stages of their careers,\u201d emphasises Prof. Dr Stefan Rensing<\/strong>, Vice Rector for Research and Innovation at the University of Freiburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ten members of the YAC pursue their individual research at their respective home institutions and meet several times a year at FRIAS in Freiburg. There they plan projects and organise events together. They have personal and collective budgets at their disposal for this work and receive organisational support from the FRIAS team. In addition to promoting the careers of the researchers, the aim is to enable them to conduct research independently, to try out new forms of collaboration and to provide impetus at the interfaces between science and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe academy creates space for creative ideas that often find no place in established structures. By allowing academy members to determine their own research topics and develop their own formats, an exceptionally dynamic research environment is created,\u201d says Prof. Dr Ralf von den Hoff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\n\t\t\n\tchevron-right<\/title>\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tYoung Academy for Sustainability Research (YAS)\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\tchevron-right<\/title>\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tFreiburg Postdoctoral Academy (FPA)\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\t\n\t\t\n\tchevron-right<\/title>\n\t\n<\/svg>\n\t\t\n\t\t\tResearch profiles of the University of Freiburg<\/strong>\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The members of the YAC 2025\u20132028<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n