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Whether it be Malaysia, Cameroon, Canada or Germany – democracies around the world currently find themselves in crisis, even in the home countries of this year’s Humboldt Residency participants. The 2026 Humboldt Residency Programme was held from August to September under the motto “Democracy 2.26”. International experts from academia, the creative sector and everyday practice came together to collaborate on a transdisciplinary basis and develop innovative visions for the future of democratic participation. The six-week residency at the Cultural Foundation Schloss Wiepersdorf and in Berlin offered the group space and freedom to experiment with ideas together. Parallel to this, participants could network with stakeholders from the political sector and civil society on location and generate targeted impetus.
At the end of their work, they were agreed: Democracy can only be thought of as a verb. It works when citizens “do” democracy – in other words, shape it themselves. At the same time, comparisons between Malaysia, Canada, Cameroon, Ukraine, Nepal and Germany indicate that the global crisis currently seen in democracy is not a homogeneous challenge. While some fight to establish rights and create safe spaces for participation in the first place, others wrestle with the question of how citizens can be motivated to actually exercise their rights and actively stand up for democracy and related civil liberties, including beyond the ballot box.
The Humboldt Residency Programme
The Humboldt Foundation uses the Humboldt Residency Programme to strengthen dialogue between academia and society. During a six-week residency, 12 international participants who include researchers, political decision-makers, practitioners, artists, writers and representatives from civil society work on a topic of global or social relevance that changes every year. During this time, they jointly develop solutions and communicate them through various media formats, events and publications.
Apply now: Humboldt Residency Programme 2027
Oceanic Horizons: The next Humboldt Residency Programme on the future of our blue planet will take place in Brandenburg and Berlin in the summer of 2027. You can find all the information you need about applying here.