Cramming is a thing of the past: research during your bachelor’s degree
Getting involved in real research whilst still on a bachelor’s degree: at Witten/Herdecke University, this is the norm for many students. One of them is Franziska Knubel. She has been researching why democracies collapse.
In most degree programmes, students are first taught the academic fundamentals before moving on to research. However, there are exceptions: in the PPÖ degree programme – Philosophy, Politik und Ökonomik (B. A.) – at Witten/Herdecke University, for example, students can get involved in real research projects whilst still studying for their bachelor’s degree.
One such student is Franziska Knubel. She has been researching the threats to European democracies posed by political violence.
The PPÖ graduate is a real organisational whizz when it comes to planning her life. She lives in Paris, is doing an online placement with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Brussels and, on top of that, works as a research assistant in the PPÖ – Philosophie, Politik und Ökonomik (B. A.) – for Professor Nils-Christian Bormann, a researcher in democracy and conflict studies, at Witten/Herdecke University, where she previously completed her bachelor’s degree.
“I was really keen to get a taste of the academic world whilst I was still doing my Bachelor’s degree, to find out whether research might actually be something for me. I found Professor Bormann’s areas of research incredibly fascinating right from the start. When I saw a job advert for a research assistant role on a project about democratic elections, I had to submit my application straight away, despite being in the middle of an internship and still settling into a new city.”
Confirmation of acceptance for first academic dissertation
Franziska has now gained her first research experience: she has categorised and coded various international democratic elections and supported the project with her research. The research project “Democracy, Anger, and Elite Responses (DANGER)”, funded by the EU to the tune of 1.5 million euros, focuses on factors that pose a threat to European democracies and on how politicians can address them.
To this end, the study compares coalitions comprising exclusively democratic parties with those that also included anti-democratic parties in interwar Europe (1919–1939). The study is now even being published in the prestigious journal *Electoral Studies*.
Not only did she learn an incredible amount in the process, but her involvement also inspired the topic of her Bachelor’s thesis: she wrote it on the political situations in Spain and Italy during the interwar period and the extent to which political elites played a role in the collapse of democracy. “Not only did my involvement spark my own interest in the subject – my research experience also helped me when writing my first academic paper,” says Franziska.
"In my job, I feel a bit like a detective."
Even from a distance, Franziska is still involved in Professor Bormann’s DANGER project, alongside other research assistants. They have all been assigned different European countries, on which they are conducting research into specific aspects. Franziska is currently focusing on two countries: Spain and Portugal. “I’m trying to find information on the following questions: What were the political parties’ ideologies? What was the composition of their ethnic or religious identity? What structures of violence existed?” she explains. “In my work, I feel a bit like a detective. I click and scroll through secondary literature, party manifestos and speeches, and look at election posters. Fortunately, a lot of material has now been digitised, so I can carry out my research online without any problems.”
Anyone wishing to conduct research whilst studying for the PPÖ Bachelor’s degree is in good hands at Witten/Herdecke University: “Everyone who’s keen to do research is encouraged – but ultimately also challenged. The programme director, Prof. Bormann, is very supportive. He always gives good and helpful feedback. And it’s true that commitment is required here, because the bar is set high. But – and this is the good thing – anyone who’s keen to learn will be given the opportunity to do so!”
Through her research activities, the student has also gained more concrete ideas for the future. “I’d like to deepen my knowledge in the field of international relations, so I plan to go on to do a Master’s in political science. Accordingly, the decision to do my PPÖ – Philosophy, Politics and Economics – Bachelor’s degree in Witten provided the best foundation. Another positive outcome: the subject-specific work has really helped me realise what I’m looking for in a Master’s programme. I’m making an application to study in Paris for the winter semester 22/23, as I’d like to stay here. Unfortunately, the political world in France is very elitist. The path to gaining a foothold in politics in France is very narrow. In Germany, on the other hand, there is greater diversity. Perhaps after my studies, I’ll end up back in Germany after all.”
