From March 16 to 20, 2026, the European University Viadrina hosted a feminist spring school on current issues in labor and social law, with a special focus on gender relations. A total of 25 students spent a week discussing social and legal challenges related to gender equality in the workplace—with significant participation from the University of Kassel: students and faculty from the Social Law and Social Economy program were actively involved in the program.

The event was organized in collaboration with the Hugo Sinzheimer Institute for Labor and Social Law at the Hans Böckler Foundation, the Center for Interdisciplinary Labor Law Studies (Prof. Dr. Eva Kocher) at Viadrina, and the University of Kassel (Prof. Dr. Isabell Hensel and Prof. Dr. Judith Brockmann). The Spring School provided an interdisciplinary space where legal, social science, and practice-oriented perspectives engaged in dialogue

The focus was particularly on issues of anti-discrimination law as well as the legal and societal impacts of gender-based stereotypes. Using real-world cases, the program addressed intersectional discrimination as well as strategies for enforcing the law. The program was complemented by contributions from academia, labor unions, the judiciary, and the professional field, including representatives from the Federal Labor Court, the DGB, and strategic litigation.

Insights into workplace practices—such as in collective labor law or in the context of care work and platform work—as well as an accompanying program featuring a city walk and a fireside chat broadened the scope of the content.

Participants rated the Spring School very positively as an interdisciplinary learning space with high practical relevance. The University of Kassel will continue the collaboration: The next Spring School will take place at the University of Kassel in 2028.