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On 27 October 2026, we officially launched the new Conflict, Crisis, and Change (C³) Research Center at the University of Bayreuth. The roundtable on "disruption" showcased the C3's research perspectives, collaborative approach, and commitment to public outreach.

In her opening words, Prof. Dr. Jana Hönke (C³ Director and Chair of Sociology in Africa) retraced the C³ foundation and outlined its aims. "It is our responsibility as researchers, perhaps even more in these times, to do – and defend – fundamental research on conflict dynamics and political change. To help foster democratic, sustainable, and peaceful futures, the C³ offers critical reflection grounded in interdisciplinary research and informs public debate and decision-making on that basis."

In his welcoming address, Prof. Dr. Stefan Leible (President of the University of Bayreuth) described C³'s founding as "an important step in the future development of the University of Bayreuth's research network 'Translations and Conflicts'." He also emphasized that C³ connects the University of Bayreuth with the Bavarian Research Alliance for Peace, Conflict, and Security Research (FoKS), "a strong statewide network that fosters exchange, joint research, and dialogue with policymakers and society."

The roundtable discussion examined the increasingly prominent term "disruption". Whether referring to disruptions of global supply chains, "disruptive" technological progress, or autocratization processes, a sense of rupture permeates public debates about ongoing dynamics of conflict and change. The interdisciplinary panel brought together University of Bayreuth scholars Prof. Dr. Nina Nestler (Criminal Law), Prof. Dr. Jana Hönke (Sociology in Africa and International Relations), and Prof. Dr. Joschka Philipps (Sociology of Insecurity and Uncertainty). Moderated by PD Dr. Julia Eichenberg (Historian at the University of Bayreuth), the discussion addressed what disruption means, how it shapes conflict and insecurity, and how it is used as a political strategy.

As Julia Eichenberg concluded, "In order to engage critically with disruption, we need to agree on the terminology used, have open discussions, and create spaces in which these can take place. This is what the C³ Research Center aims to provide, both on this topic and in other areas of peace and conflict research."