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The CCST focuses on social change, such as shifts in lifestyles, the world of work and forms of coexistence, and addresses issues of migration and mobility, the formation and representation of political interests, and forms of sustainable economic activity. Its aim is to further develop interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches from the perspectives of political science, economics, geography and sociology. The Euregio border region, in particular, serves as a starting point for processes of social change that transcend national borders. Furthermore, research projects examine issues of social transformation and sustainable development on a global scale – taking into account inequalities between the Global North and the Global South.
The CCST’s projects are characterised by a wide range of methodologies. In the context of transformation research, participatory research approaches and applied social science approaches are of particular importance.
Thematic areas include:
- Mobility and migration
- Changes in the world of work – diversity in the workplace
- Transformation of political systems
- International governance
- Capacity building for sustainable development
- Capacity building for sustainable tourism
Further information
CCST Research Meetings
As part of the CCST Research Meetings, members of the CCST present their current (research) activities. All guests are warmly invited to attend, share their ideas and discuss the topics presented.
The CCST Research Meetings take place regularly on Wednesdays from 2 pm to 3 pm in Building 02, Room 02 01 15 (Kleve Campus) and via Webex. Further information on the Research Meetings is available from CCST members.
Forum on International Politics
The Faculty of Society and Economics, Kleve Adult Education Centre and Haus der Begegnung – Beth HaMifgash e.V. jointly invite you to the Forum on International Politics. A concise introduction to current political topics by the speakers is followed by a moderated discussion. The lectures take place every Tuesday at 6.30 pm on Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences campus in Kleve.
Further information on the Forum on International Politics lecture series is available here.
Upcoming events:
| Forum on International Politics: Science Diplomacy – Attacks on academic freedom and how science becomes diplomacy | Prof. Dr. habil. Tatiana Zimenkova | 21 April 2026 |
| Forum Internationale Politik: Tourism and Justice | Prof. Dr Dirk Reiser and Dr Sebastian Amrhein | 9 June 2026 |
| Forum on International Politics: Five reasons why Pakistan should interest us | Pejo Boeck | 6 October 2026 |
| Forum on International Politics: Truth or Propaganda – Where do we get our information about politics? | Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp | 8 December 2026 |
Past events:
| CCST Research Meeting: Practical project “Sustainable Tourism in the Lower Rhine Region” | Dr Sebastian Amrhein | 21 January 2026 |
| CCST Annual Meeting (2.00–5.00 pm) | CCST members | 17 December 2025 |
| Forum on International Politics: Forgotten Conflicts | Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp | 2 December 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: PhD project "Transnational work migrants in the Euregio" (Interreg project TRAM) | Marius Glassner | 26 November 2025 |
| International Politics Forum: Borders: Reality or relic of a bygone era? | Dr Jan Niklas Rolf | 7 October 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Projecting General Assembly voting records onto an enlarged Security Council: An analysis of the G4 reform proposal" | Dr Jan Niklas Rolf | 25 June 2025 |
| Forum on International Politics: Strengthening capabilities and knowledge as an approach to development cooperation | Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling | 3 June 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project “TransRegINT: Map of Transformation” | Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling, Dr Vanessa Meinen and Hanna Berzau | 28 May 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: PhD project "On the construction of different realities: perceptions and realities of migrant workers from Eastern Europe in the meat industry in the Euregio Rhine-Waal"; PhD project "The intersectional transformation of equal opportunity and diversity management practices in small and medium-sized organisations in the Lower Rhine region" | Marius Glassner; Luisa Emelie Baumgart | 30 April 2025 |
| Forum on International Politics: Generations in the shadow of war: The Colombian peace process | Clein Sarmiento Castrillón | 1 April 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Measuring the Power of Parliamentary Groups – A weighted power index with cohesion coefficient to measure the relative power of parliamentary groups in parliaments using the example of the German Bundestag" | Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp and Prof. Dr Thomas Pitz | 26 March 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Spread in the Electoral Market" | Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling and Dr Jan Niklas Rolf | 22 January 2025 |
| Forum on International Politics: The impact of the US elections on women’s rights in the USA | Josephina Pauschert | 21 January 2025 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Developments in the "TransRegINT" research project; "Sustainable Accounting" research project | Dr Vanessa Meinen; Prof. Ute Merbecks | 11 December 2024 |
| Forum on International Politics: Quo Vadis America: What does the incoming US President mean for us and the world? | Prof. Dr Alexander Brand | 3 December 2024 |
| CCST Annual Meeting: Keynote “Social Transformation – Conflicts over the socio-ecological transformation of agriculture”, keynote presentation “A potential contribution to resolving conflicts over the socio-ecological transformation of agriculture” and reports from CCST members | Dr Marcel Sebastian (TU Dortmund) Dr Tobias Wünscher (HSRW) | 27 November 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project “Teaching with Process Sociology” | Dr Valerie Dahl | 13 November 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Identities and Ethnicities of Kazakhstan" | Alla Kislova (DKU Almaty, Kazakhstan) | 30 October 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: PhD project “On the construction of different realities: Perceptions and realities of labour migrants” | Marius Glassner | 26 June 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Non-EU Europe: Patterns of interaction between the EU and its European neighbours" | Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp and Dr Jan Niklas Rolf | 15 May 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: PhD project "Transformative effects of (over-)tourism" | Sebastian Amrhein | 17 April 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "TransRegINT"; Research project "TRAM" | Dr Vanessa Meinen; Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth and Marius Glassner | 28 February 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: PhD project “Capacity building” | Taisiya Romanov and Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling | 18 January 2024 |
| CCST Research Meeting: Research project "Quiet quitting in academia" | Dr Valerie Dahl | 13 December 2023 |
| CCST inaugural meeting | CCST members | 29 November 2023 |
Publications
Political Science Applied (PSCA)
Political Science Applied (PSCA) is an open-access, peer-reviewed online journal. It is published by the International Infrastructure Dialogue Centre (IDC e.V.) in Vienna in cooperation with CCST members Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp and Dr Jan Niklas Rolf as co-editors. The aim of PSCA is to provide a practice-oriented approach to political science and its fields of application. The aim is to demonstrate – particularly through examples – where and how theories, approaches and methods of political science are applied in practice. The practical relevance is to be established through a focus on policy advice, a specific policy orientation, links to political education or teaching, and also through cooperation with institutions from the political or administrative sector. Both academics and practitioners are invited to contribute as authors.
All issues are available at www.psca.eu.
Further academic publications by ccst members can be found on the following page of the Faculty of Society and Economics.
Research projects
TRAM The Transnational Labour Migration in the Euregio (TRAM) project is the first comprehensive study of the experiences of transnational migrant workers in the meat and agricultural sectors who live on the German side of the border in the Euregio Rhein-Waal and are employed in the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia. As part of the research project, cross-border exchange structures and an action plan for social counselling are being established. The core of the research project is to gain insights into the living and working conditions of transnational migrant workers in the Euregio and to develop models for decent work and decent housing for transnational migrant workers. Project duration: June 2023 – May 2026 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth, Marius Glassner Further information on the project: TRAM |
TransRegINT The project ‘Transformation of the Lower Rhine Region – Innovation, Sustainability and Participation’ (TransRegINT) is a project of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, funded under the ‘Innovative University’ funding initiative from January 2023 to December 2027. With TransRegINT, we are taking responsibility by jointly shaping the future of the Lower Rhine region through exchange, applied research, pilot projects and capacity building. In doing so, we are guided by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Project duration: January 2023 – December 2027 CCST participants: Dr Vanessa Meinen, Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling, Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth, Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp, Taisiya Romanov, Luisa Emelie Baumgart, Hanna Berzau Further information on the project: TransRegINT |
SDG Partnership The project strengthens SDG-oriented research and teaching through a dynamic North-South-South partnership between Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW), Makerere University, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (MAK), Uganda, and the Central University of Technology (CUT), South Africa, to prepare graduates for Africa’s pressing environmental and social challenges. By updating curricula, improving digital and teaching skills, and fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the initiative prepares students for a rapidly evolving job market. Project duration: 2023–2025 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling Further information on the project: SDG Partnership funded by DAAD |
Labour migration across borders The collaborative project ‘Labour Migration Across Borders’ is the first to examine the conditions of labour migration in the Euregio Rhine-Waal region, focusing in particular on the precarious working and living conditions of migrant workers who kept key sectors of the economy and society running during the Covid pandemic. In collaboration with Radboud University Nijmegen, legal regulations, media discourse and political and social measures to support migrant workers are being analysed in order to develop recommendations for improving their conditions. A follow-up project (TRAM) is also examining the experiences of the migrants themselves. Project duration: June 2021 – August 2022 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth, Marius Glassner Further information on the project: Labour migration across borders |
Returning to work with particular challenges – women with chronic illnesses and disabilities The empirical study, headed by Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth, examines the conditions for the return to work of women with chronic illnesses and disabilities in the Münsterland region. The aim is to identify facilitating and hindering factors in order to develop suitable interventions for this target group, using both statistical data on the labour market situation and qualitative expert interviews. The study views disability as a social construct and examines how gender relations and labour market conditions influence the educational and career paths of women with disabilities. Project duration: January 2018 – May 2018 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth Further information on the project: Returning to work with particular challenges |
Living and working together in Kleve: A research project on neighbourhood development At Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, a research project on neighbourhood development in Kleve is being carried out under the leadership of Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth in cooperation with the City of Kleve, which examines the living conditions of residents in an urban neighbourhood. The aim of the project is to use qualitative interviews and a household survey to identify areas for action in local planning and to create a socio-economic profile of the residents that takes into account the effects of poverty, migration background and labour market integration on housing and neighbourhood relations. Project duration: October 2017 – March 2018 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Ingrid Jungwirth, Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp Further information on the project: Living and working together in Kleve |
Research cooperation with Rwanda in applied macroeconomics The university cooperation project “Research cooperation with Rwanda in applied macroeconomics”, in which the Faculty of Society and Economics at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences participated from 2015 to 2017, supported capacity building in Rwanda’s universities and government institutions in the field of quantitative macroeconomics. Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences carried out a needs analysis and subsequently developed training modules as well as a “bridge programme” for Master’s graduates to prepare them for a PhD. The aim of the cooperation was to strengthen the Rwandan education system by increasing the number of well-trained specialists and to foster a long-term partnership with the University of Rwanda. Project duration: November 2015 – June 2017 CCST participants: Prof. Dr Oliver Serfling, Prof. Dr Jakob Lempp Further information on the project: Research cooperation with Rwanda |
