Young researchers from Heidelberg will delve into polycrises. Dr. Gordon Friedrichs and Dr. Natalie Rauscher, with their interdisciplinary project on interconnected global crises, have been accepted into the WIN-Kolleg of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. These two political scientists will examine polycrises like the climate crisis and the war in Ukraine, focusing on crisis management and communication. Dr. Friedrichs is a senior research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, while Dr. Rauscher is a research assistant at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) of Heidelberg University. The project, launching on April 1, 2024, will receive funding exceeding 300,000 euros over three years.
In recent years, the world has faced numerous complex, overlapping crises. However, Dr. Friedrichs and Dr. Rauscher highlight the absence of theory-driven discussions on these issues. Under their project “In the Age of the Polycrisis: How complex crises emerge and how we can confront them,” they will scrutinize the origins, evolution, and repercussions of such crises using two current examples.
Their research will focus on the polycrisis of global climate change, examining its natural disasters and societal and political impacts. Regarding the polycrisis of the Ukraine conflict, they will explore economic, food, and energy crises stemming from the war. Employing theories from international relations and American studies, they aim to conceptualize polycrises. Through quantitative and qualitative analyses, they aim to shed light on crisis management and communication in the United States and Europe. Dr. Friedrichs and Dr. Rauscher aim to understand how society perceives these global crises and how their complexity can be politically addressed.
Gordon Friedrichs completed his studies and doctoral degree in political science and South Asian studies at various institutions, including Heidelberg University. His postdoctoral research focuses on the effects of polarization and populism on democracy’s foreign policy and global order resilience and transformation during crises.
Natalie Rauscher obtained her degrees in English language and literature and political science from Heidelberg and Maryland universities. Her doctoral research at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies focused on new actors and approaches in US philanthropy in the 21st century.
The Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, also the state academy of Baden-Württemberg, supports outstanding young researchers through the WIN-Kolleg initiative, which has been funding interdisciplinary projects since 2002, fostering research and exchange among academy members. This initiative strengthens Baden-Württemberg’s academic standing through innovative projects. Membership in the WIN-Kolleg corresponds to a researcher’s active participation in ongoing research focuses.
