From 28 to 30 October 2026, the new re:constitution Fellows will convene in Berlin for their first Fellows’ Exchange Meeting. This three-day programme is designed to foster connections, spark interdisciplinary dialogue, and set the stage for a year of critical reflection on the challenges facing the rule of law, democracy, and related themes in Europe and beyond.
Through a blend of interactive training, expert-led discussions, and informal networking, the meeting will provide Fellows with the opportunity to exchange ideas, build collaborations, and engage with pressing questions that define their work.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Day One – Welcome and Building Connections
The first day will begin with an introduction to the re:constitution programme followed by activities to facilitate personal connections and establish a foundation for open, honest, and critical exchange throughout the Fellowship year. A session on “Navigating the Threats to Academic Freedom” with Christoph Möllers and Aurore Gaillet will provide space to discuss current challenges to academic freedom. How can academia strengthen its resilience against authoritarian influence and what can different European experiences teach us about protecting academic freedom?
Day Two – Interdisciplinary Research and Exchange
During the second day re:constitution Alumna Alexandra Mercescu will provide a training on interdisciplinarity in law to encourage methodological diversity in legal research. In addition, our partner Democracy Reporting International (DRI) will host a topical session.
The day is concluded with a joint cooking session and dinner, offering an informal setting for Fellows to deepen their connections and exchange ideas.
Day Three – Access to information, Networking and the year ahead
The final day will start with a panel discussion on “Rolling Back the Right to Access Information? From Germany to Europe”, organised in collaboration with the Seek Initiative at Publix involving Alexander Fanta, Follow the Money; Daniel Drepper, Harvard University & Netzwerk Recherche; Noémi Fanni Molnár, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, K-Monitor, the Streetlawyer Association & re:constitution Alumna; Viktoria Kratzig, Guestprofessor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & re:constitution Alumna and Neus Vidal Martí, the Seek Initiative & re:constitution Advisory Board member as a moderator. Using the German case as a starting point, the discussion will place the trends in restricting access to information in a broader European context, exploring emerging threats to transparency, efforts to strengthen access rights and why freedom of information remains essential to holding power to account.
The First Fellows’ Exchange Meeting marks the beginning of a year dedicated to interdisciplinary research, critical debate and collaborative exchange. Throughout the 2026/2027 Fellowship year, the Fellows will bring together diverse academic and professional perspectives to examine urgent questions about the state and future of the rule of law and democracy in an increasingly polarised and politicised context in Europe and beyond.
