Bavarian Research Alliance for Peace, Conflict and Security Studies (FOKS)
The Bavarian Research Alliance for Peace, Conflict and Security Studies (FoKS) brings together the interdisciplinary expertise in these fields available at Bavarian universities across the social sciences, engineering and technology, natural sciences, and humanities.
Conflicts.Meanings.Transitions participates in FoKS, founded in 2024, through the University of Bayreuth, FAU Erlangen–Nuremberg (member of our network from 2022–2026), and several fellows. FoKS enables us to initiate research collaboration, share research findings, and contribute expertise to regional policymaking and public discourse.
Goals
FoKS aims to develop scholarly perspectives on peace, conflict, and security issues in a time of growing global challenges and shifts in security policy, and to work with decision-makers to develop social and political solutions.
The Research Alliance is dedicated to strengthening and defending democratic, liberal, and rules-based institutions at the national, European, and international levels, while preparing for the risks and threats they face. To this end, the Alliance seeks to establish a research network at Bavarian universities that is visible in Germany, Europe, and internationally.
Members & structure
FoKS comprises ten universities in Bavaria and 90 fellows. The research is organized in four interdisciplinary thematic clusters: “Peace and War”, “International Law and Human Rights”, “Culture, Religion, Democracy, and Ethics”, and “Economy, Technology, and Climate”.
The Alliance is chaired by the Presidium, consisting of the presidents of the participating universities, and its scientific work is coordinated by the Steering Committee. The annual Fellow Assembly gathers the FoKS fellows, including professors and post-docs from the member universities.
