Expanding research on inequality and conflict
Political scientist Ursula Daxecker and sociologist Steffen Mau have been appointed to the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen. The new appointments mark the beginning of the Institute's strategic realignment
It is a field of research that could not be more timely. With three director positions vacant at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen, the Max Planck Society has carefully considered how to realign the Institute’s focus to address pressing societal challenges. Since its founding in 2007, the Göttingen-based Institute has explored different dimensions of social diversity through a multidisciplinary approach, providing important insights into our increasingly globalised world.
The appointment of sociologist Steffen Mau marks the beginning of this reorientation. Future research will prioritise issues such as social inequality, conflicts, and the transformation of democracy. The realignment, along with two forthcoming appointments, is intended to establish an internationally visible hub for social science research within the Max Planck Society. “Steffen Mau’s appointment is a strategic step towards strengthening and expanding social science research on society and politics,” said Max Planck President Patrick Cramer. “I am delighted that this internationally renowned scholar has accepted our offer.”
Analysis of social change
Steffen Mau will assume his position on October 1, 2025 (initially part-time until April 1, 2026). His work will focus on inequality, social transformation, and conflict, using a macro-sociological approach that integrates insights from sociology, political science, and ethnology to provide a comprehensive perspective on the dynamics of societal change. His highly original, inspiring, and methodologically integrative research approach will ensure the institute’s relevance both in academia and in broader socio-political discourse.
Since 2015, Mau has been a professor of macro-sociology at the Institute of Social Sciences at Humboldt University Berlin, where he will continue to hold an affiliated professorship (S-Professorship). He also serves as a political advisor on numerous councils and committees. Mau is among the most prominent and influential sociologists of our time, known notably for his recent book “Trigger Points.” His research spans topics including the moral economies of European welfare states, comparative analyses of social structure, boundaries, mobility, and the transnational integration of European societies. He has explored the shifting political economies of the European middle class and, more recently, the social consequences of digitalization, emerging socio-political divisions, and the persistence of the East-West divide more than a generation after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The erosion of democracies
Ursula Daxecker took up her appointment on 1 January 2026 (serving in a part-time capacity until 1 September 2026). Her department will examine the relationship between political institutions and conflict in the broadest sense. Conflict is an inherent part of politics. Through her department, Daxecker aims to explore how institutions influence whether such conflicts are resolved peacefully, and how conflict can either strengthen or undermine institutional structures.
The department will investigate the origins of grievances and their potential for conflict within modern democracies – for example, the emergence of extremist and violent strategies among political parties and their supporters. A further research focus will be the short- and long-term impact of conflict and political violence on current events. These themes are all linked to pressing issues in the social sciences, including the global erosion of democracy – across both the Global North and the Global South – as well as armed conflict and political violence in numerous countries.
Daxecker is currently a Full Professor of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and will maintain her affiliation there as an Adjunct Professor. She is one of the world's leading scholars in the field of political violence in democracies. Her research focuses on highly topical, significant, and complementary themes such as political violence, organised crime, and democratic backsliding in the Global South. In her work, she combines advanced quantitative methods, such as survey-based and observational causal inference designs, with qualitative approaches, including fieldwork and interviews. Her research draws on state-of-the-art methodology and large-scale datasets extracted via computational methods. This approach yields new, evidence-based insights with profound relevance for policy and contemporary society.
The remaining director appointments are expected to be finalised soon. According to the President, talks are ongoing with other highly distinguished candidates.
Please note: this article, originally published on 1 October 2025, was updated on 14 January 2026.
