Research transfer

Established in 2007, the Cluster of Excellence ‘Religion and Politics’ will continue to study the complex relationship between religion and politics across epochs and cultures until 2027. As well as carrying out fundamental research, its approximately 150 scholars seek to engage the general public in dialogue on pressing issues of the future and contribute their expertise, be it in the form of studies on conflicts over religious rights and practices, Islam and politics or anti-Semitism, as well as the role of religion in integration, identity conflicts, religious constitutional law or the relationship between religion, violence and gender.

Centre for Research Communication

The Centre for Research Communication uses formats specific to a particular theme to disseminate the Cluster of Excellence’s research from the humanities and social sciences to a large number of target groups in society. It promotes dialogue with representatives from politics, culture and religions, as well as with the general public. The Centre is the first point of contact for all those interested in the Cluster of Excellence.

The Centre for Research Communication’s concept for the humanities and the social sciences quickly became a model across Germany. The Centre regularly disseminates its knowledge about the requirements of communicating research in the humanities and social sciences in lectures, essays, interviews and on podiums, and advises other institutions in the humanities.

Media Relations and Social Media

The centrepiece of the Cluster of Excellence’s knowledge transfer is its national and international media relations, for which the Centre for Research Communication identifies research findings’ social relevance, disseminates them in multimedia formats and thereby achieves a wide reach. The expertise of the researchers from more than 20 subjects is thus integrated into current debates. In print and online media as well as in radio and television, the public is regularly informed about the Cluster of Excellence’s research results. The media relations, which are supplemented by social media and coordinated with the University Press Office’s university-wide communication, have met with a great deal of interest over the years. This means that issues can often be raised that had previously attracted little public attention.

Invitations to lectures and to panels in foundations, political committees, schools, museums, educational institutions, religious associations and schools of journalism follow in what often becomes a snowball effect. Research communication thereby gives rise to further forms of transfer such as political consulting and the transfer of research results to various areas of society. Added to this are the website www.religion-und-politik.de/en, which is kept up-to-date and has multimedia on offer, and a newsletter with more than 2,400 subscribers from academies, foundations, museums, schools of journalism, as well as political and religious institutions.

Journalism on Religion

Run by the Cluster of Excellence and the School of Journalism ifp in Munich, “Journalism on Religion”, the first in-service training programme in Germany, qualifies young media professionals to report on religions in pluralized societies and on religious conflicts in a nuanced and critical manner. The programme has proven to be effective in strengthening specialist journalism, and makes the Cluster of Excellence’s everyday media work sustainable. The programme will run again from January 2025 to June 2026 in five modules in Berlin, Münster, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne and Munich.

Discussion and Cultural Events

The Centre designs and supports many other formats in the field of research transfer, the spectrum ranging from advising politicians and stakeholders, through creating digital information and materials for educational work, to a wide variety of transfer events for citizens of all age groups. The Cluster of Excellence also runs regular discussion forums and cultural events, such as exhibitions, film series, concerts, lectures, book presentations, and panel discussions. This breadth shaped the public theme years from 2020 to 2025, which brought together interdisciplinary research based on socially relevant topics. Instead of numerous individual projects, research was embedded in its interdisciplinary and social contexts. The annual programs covered a wide range of formats that illuminated the annual theme from a variety of perspectives from different disciplines, eras, and cultures. Many formats are often coordinated in cooperation with institutions outside the University such as museums, publishing houses, trusts, educational institutions, schools of journalism, cinemas, choirs and schools. The Centre advises Cluster of Excellence members on planning such events and supports the activities with its media work.

Campus of Theology and Religious Studies

From 2026, the Campus of Theology and Religious Studies, the only one of its kind in the world, will bring together Protestant, Catholic and Islamic theology, as well as religious studies, at the University of Münster, and will house one of the world’s largest research libraries on religion. Münster will thus become an excellent location for discussion between scholarly traditions of different religious provenance and non-denominational research on religion.

The Campus will strengthen interdisciplinary exchange and interreligious dialogue. In the city of the Peace of Westphalia, the new Campus will become a place of understanding between science, politics and religion, media, culture and the arts in the conflict-laden field of religion and politics.

Dialogue with culture, politics and religions

The Cluster of Excellence is in dialogue with politicians and figures in society from churches, religious and non-religious communities, and non-governmental organizations who have a professional interest in religion and politics. The spectrum of formats ranges from panel discussions and lectures to background talks and parliamentary breakfasts. In addition, in focusing its research and transfer activities on “religious policy” and “dealing with religious diversity”, the Cluster of Excellence has called attention to a policy area that had previously been scarcely considered in federal, state and local politics. 

Transfer Strategy at the University of Münster

The Rectorate of the University of Münster attaches great importance to the transfer of research findings to society as a whole. The Cluster of Excellence contributes its experience and knowledge to the further development, and helps to connect and advise other faculties and research networks at the University. 

Training in Subject-Specific Research Communication

The Centre for Research Communication regularly trains and advises researchers in subject-specific research communication, this ranging from training in current media work and identifying research themes relevant to the general public, to advising scholars on the design of transfer formats for different target groups.