Seminar “How to Understand, Explain and Overcome Pernicious Polarization” with Professor Murat Somer

On 21 April (Tuesday) of this year, from 1:15 PM to 2:45 PM, in room 317, in the University of Warsaw Auditorium Building, a seminar in English entitled “How to Understand, Explain and Overcome Pernicious Polarization” will be held. It will be led by the distinguished Turkish political scientist Professor Murat Somer from Özyeğin University in Istanbul, who is a recognized researcher on democratization and de-democratization, political polarization, opposition behavior, the relationship between religion and politics, as well as ethnic issues and the Kurdish question; author of numerous works published in renowned periodicals and publications, co-editor (with Jennifer McCoy) of the special issue of the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science – Polarising Polities: A Global Threat to Democracy, no. 1/2019 (more about our invited guest: https://www.ozyegin.edu.tr/en/faculty/muratsomer).

The seminar will address a very important process for political science and administration, which accompanies the erosion of democracy, namely political polarization – present in many countries, including Poland (alongside social polarization) and exploited in political struggle, primarily by ruling parties, to maintain and consolidate power. The event is organized by the Department of Political Systems and the Polish Political Science Association (Warsaw branch).

The seminar will be held in hybrid mode and the link for online participation will be sent to all registered participants on the day preceding the seminar.

Registration link (accepting responses until 19 April 2026): https://forms.gle/hGvnv3vmd2FxtiRm9