Research class led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Kühl, with staff members Bernd Eckstein and Dennis Düllmann, as well as Prof. Dr. Marcel Schütz.

Offer for researchers and early-career researchers

Digitalization processes in organizations
classify and understand

Four-semester course at Bielefeld University
Weekly focused text discussions online
Regular information on texts and authors is provided on this page

In this research class, designed to run over four semesters, approximately 100 key texts on the topic of organization and digitalization are discussed on a weekly basis. The research class is part of the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology and is embedded in the KIWIT research group. Due to participation from multiple locations, the seminar is conducted online via Zoom.

For each session, all participants read a selected text, which is then discussed jointly. Prior reading is required for meaningful participation. Attendance is flexible, and participants may join any sessions or discussions that are of interest to them. The research seminar is primarily aimed at doctoral researchers at Bielefeld University and its project partners who are actively engaged in relevant research, but it is also open to interested master’s students and advanced bachelor’s students who have already completed the introductory module in organizational sociology. External researchers from other universities as well as other interested participants with a thematic focus are also welcome. Registration with brief information about one’s background and motivation is required (see information below)

24.05.2026: Enzyklika Maginfica Humanitas von Papst Leo XIV. Kapitel 3 "Technik und Herrschaft - Die Größe der menschlichen Person angesichts der Versprechen der KI"

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Gegenstand der nächsten Sitzung ist die im Mai 2026 veröffentlichte Enzyklika „Magnifica humanitas“ von Papst Leo XIV. In diesem monumentalen Lehrschreiben formuliert der Vatikan die erste umfassende Antwort der katholischen Kirche auf die rasanten Entwicklungen im Bereich der Künstlichen Intelligenz. Der Text versteht sich als zeitdiagnostischer Beitrag zur Soziallehre, der bewusst den transziplinären Dialog mit den Geisteswissenschaften sucht.

Die Sitzung thematisiert die dezidiert machtkritische Perspektive des Vatikans auf das technokratische Paradigma. Im Fokus steht die päpstliche Warnung vor einem technologischen Wettrüsten, der Kommerzialisierung von Daten als privates Eigentum sowie den gesellschaftlichen Risiken von Desinformation. Besonders intensiv wird die ethische Forderung nach einer „Entwaffnung der KI“ diskutiert: Der Text postuliert ein striktes Verbot, automatisierte Systeme in der autonomen Kriegsführung über Leben und Tod entscheiden zu lassen.

Duration
Winter Semester 2025/2026 – Winter Semester 2027/2028

Schedule
Mondays, 4:15 p.m. (via Zoom)

Seminar Guidelines

Sessions begin punctually at 4:15 p.m.
The KIWIT Research Class, planned as a two-year program, meets weekly during the semester on Mondays from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. and is conducted online via a consistent Zoom link (provided upon registration). Each session is based on a text that all participants are expected to have read in advance. Participation without prior engagement with the assigned—at times demanding—text is strongly discouraged.
Participants attending for the first time are asked to briefly introduce themselves in the chat, addressing the following points: institutional affiliation, specific interests in the field of digitalization (and, where applicable, artificial intelligence), and current research projects.
The seminar does not follow a formal moderation structure; instead, contributions are organized organically via Zoom’s raise-hand function.
When more than five participants are present (which is typically the case), microphones should remain muted. In sessions with a particularly large number of participants, a small-group discussion phase of approximately 20 minutes may be scheduled to facilitate closer engagement with the text. The guiding questions remain constant: Which arguments are convincing? Where do doubts or unresolved issues remain? During small-group discussions, participants are encouraged to keep their microphones switched on.
If authors of the assigned texts are present, they are kindly asked to refrain from participating in the discussion during the first 60 minutes. This will be followed by an opportunity for extended commentary and reflection.

Registration

Those interested in participating in the Research Class are requested to send an email with brief information about their academic background and motivation to Prof. Dr. Stefan Kühl (stefan.kuehl[at]uni-bielefeld.de). Registered participants will be added to the mailing list

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Aktualisiert am 09.06.2026/jb

Offer for researchers and early-career researchers

Digitalization processes in organizations classify and understand

Digitalization processes in organizations
classify and understand