On German Diversity Day (19 May 2026), Wiebke Frieß gave a lecture entitled “Setting an Example: Diversity at Universities in Times of Backlash” at Georg August University, Göttingen. It was a celebratory occasion: the first Diversity Award was presented, and the university and its stakeholders set an example in these politically challenging times.
In her lecture, she analysed the current political climate at universities regarding diversity policies, feminism and equality, highlighted how right-wing narratives are on the rise in this context, and considered what an Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) election victory in Saxony-Anhalt in September might mean for higher education policy. Education is the responsibility for the federal states, and the Federal Association of the AfD in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt have already drawn up plans for which equality structures they intend to eliminate.
The time has come to take further action: to network, consult and develop practices of solidarity, and oppose these plans!
Letzte Änderung: 11. June 2026