Organizers: Dr. Heike Pantelmann, Dr. Sarah Bellows-Blakely, Dr. Sabina García Peter (Freie Universität Berlin) & Prof. Dr. Ebere Adimora (University of Nigeria, Nsukka)
This symposium is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and will be held on September 17–19, 2025 at the Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hanover, Germany. The symposium will include cross-over events with three other Volkswagen Foundation-supported events on taboos related to gender and race in science and research.
About the symposium:
The topic of sexual harassment and violence (SHV) within higher education is subject to multiple taboos. First, SHV is often swept under the rug, with those raising the issue treated as troublemakers or driven out of higher education. Second, universities are reluctant to critically investigate themselves and the unequal power relations that allow sexual harassment and violence to flourish. Compounding the problem are social taboos, which partially stem from myths about research institutions and individuals within them. When it does exist, research tends to focus on individual countries and rarely makes connections across national borders. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together an international group of scholars to share research, experiences, and best practices about SHV in higher education. Our goals are to de-taboo the ability to name SHV within higher education, share knowledge, and craft collaborative agendas for research and policy making moving forward.
The symposium will include a combination of interactive workshops and panel discussions, insight sharing, and networking. it will conclude with a collaborative workshop dedicated to developing a shared research agenda on SHV in HE.Together, we will identify key research priorities necessary for advancing the visibility of SHV research and breaking multiple taboos surrounding this critical issue.