15 July 2026

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The Claussen-Simon Fund is providing a grant of 5,500 euros to support the “Science for Democracy” project led by Prof. Dorothea Alewell and research assistant Mariusz Scharfenberg.

The Claussen-Simon Fund is providing 5,500 euros in funding for the “Science for Democracy” project. The project was initiated by Prof. Dorothea Alewell, Professor of Human Resource Management at the University of Hamburg Business School, and Mariusz Scharfenberg, a graduate engineer and research assistant in the Department of Earth Sciences at the MIN Faculty (IT, Earth and Society Research Hub, ESRAH). The funds are intended to improve academic teaching and learning and to support the development of new teaching opportunities and formats.

The specific goal of the project is to educate students on the topic of democracy.

“We would like to develop an interdisciplinary and interactive course on the topic of ‘democratic competence and scientific rigor’ for students from all faculties at the University of Hamburg and offer it for the first time in the summer semester of 2027,” says Prof. Alewell.

Scientific Approach as a Mindset and “Democracy Muscles”

The central idea behind this course consists primarily of two elements: First, a scientific approach as a mindset to strengthen democratic resilience. In this context, a scientific approach can also become a personality trait or part of one’s own identity. Second, the course aims to put this scientific approach into action and apply it in practice outside the realm of academia. Communication plays a major role here. The goal is to define so-called “democracy muscles,” similar to the Danish project Demokratiefitness.dk. In that project, 10 “muscles of democracy” were trained through interactive group exercises, ranging from “active listening” to “being a strong voice.” The project’s initiators wish to combine both elements into an integrative “science and democracy training” program.

Inclusion through the university-wide Free Elective Program

Looking ahead, the two applicants hope to recruit additional faculty members from the University of Hamburg to offer these courses as well. This would allow even more students to participate in the training programs. The courses will be available as part of the university-wide free elective program, known as the Cross-Disciplinary Learning Hub, and students will be able to earn ECTS credits for them. In addition, the university is exploring whether the courses can be incorporated into existing certificate programs, such as the Peace Education Certificate.

About the Applicants

The applicants have been active in various roles in academia for many years, and by the end of the year, both will have completed their training as “Democracy Fitness” instructors.

Information on how to register for the democracy course will be posted on the website and STiNE as soon as it becomes available.

This content has been translated automatically.