Award-winning research and teaching at Rising Voices

On 3 June 2025, the Faculty of Social Sciences honoured outstanding teaching and doctoral research and celebrated the fifth birthday of the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences. The Aula am Campus at the University of Vienna became the central spot for science, teaching, and good vibes. 

The event was organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences.

The more than 120 guests gained exciting insights into award-winning doctoral research in the social sciences on current topics in communication and political science. The presentations by the winners of the sowi:doc Awards 2024 – Hannah Greber, Ina Tessnow-von Wysocki, and Teresa Weikmann – creatively brought their respective research topics to stage: Guests were taken on an imaginative journey to Greece, transported on a ship at sea, and, for a moment, surprised by a deep fake speech by Donald Trump.

In addition to the sowi:doc Awards, the Univie Teaching Award for Social Sciences 2025 was presented for the first time this year. The award recognises excellent teaching: from courses that empirically explore socially relevant topics to innovative and interactive teaching methods. Courses by early-career researchers were also honoured – a true glimpse into the future of teaching. The 2025 award winners are Christa Markom, Marketa Bajgerova Verly, and Paul Just, who, in engaging presentations captivated the audience with their exceptional approach to teaching.

Vice Rector Manuela Baccarini, Dean Michaela Pfadenhauer, Vice Deans Folker Hanusch and Petra Dannecker, and former Vice Dean Christoph Reinprecht welcomed the guests and introduced the awards. Host Georg Bauer guided the audience through the evening.

The event concluded with a reception and the 5th anniversary party of the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences (ViDSS), including birthday cake, balloons, party hats, and “Happy Birthday” presented by the band to the current and former speakers and deputy speakers of the ViDSS Thomas Meyer, Sophie Lecheler and Emma Dowling. “The Sound of Social Science” provided the sound branding for this faculty-wide event, impressing party guests with powerful vocals and a diverse mix of musical styles. That evening, the social sciences became tangible and perceptible on various levels.

Special thanks go out to all speakers, the members of The Sound of Social Science performing on that evening (Lisa Bock, Felix Böll, Christina Liebhart, Beate Littig, Daniele Lipp, Tom Müller, Andreas Schadauer, Eva-Maria Schmid, Michael Parzer, Joan Wermann, Marlies Zuccato-Doutlik) and the organising team (Katja Horninger, Eva Kössner, Daniele Lipp and Roman Pfefferle, supported by Aaron Pankratz and Klaudia Zeliska).