The Humboldt Kolleg Figures of Global Crisis is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and held at the Auditorium of the Goethe-Institut Lisbon from 27 to 28 August 2026. The Kolleg commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of democracy on the Iberian Peninsula – the Carnation Revolution in Portugal and the end of the Franco regime in Spain – while reflecting on recent global social, political, and ecological upheavals, including populist movements, climate change, and economic crisis.
The Kolleg aims to cultivate awareness of methodological challenges, historical semantics, and the material, political, and strategic implications of epistemic positions, treating global crises as both analytical and figurative constructs. A particular focus is on the Iberian cultural sphere and Latin America, integrating post-anthropocene, decolonial, and less Eurocentric perspectives, and examining how global processes translate into local cultural productions.
The Kolleg brings together Humboldtians, early-career researchers, and scholars from Germany across various disciplines – including political theory, philosophy, cultural anthropology, and literary and cultural studies – to foster transdisciplinary dialogue. The cultural programme – a Portuguese-German Short Film Crossover – extends the academic discussions into the artistic domain.
Organized by Ana Falcato (Porto) and Niklas Schmich (Lisbon)
Free registration for the hybrid discussion: nschmich@googlemail.com„>nschmich@googlemail.com
Further information on the concept, format, and scientific and cultural programme can be found on the hypotheses blog: https://globalcrisis.hypotheses.org/
