November 12, 2025 | 4 pm 

Psychlogisches Institut (Schleichstr. 4) | Lecture Hall

Keynote-Vortrag by New Horizons Fellow Professor Günther Knoblich: 

Is Joint Action Prioritized in the Human Mind?

Abstract:
People perform joint actions because acting together allows them to achieve outcomes that they could not achieve alone, such as moving a heavy piece of furniture. They may also choose to act together simply because it is more enjoyable, such as cooking together. In this talk, I will present recent research from our lab examining whether joint action is prioritized over individual action. First, we asked when people decide to perform an action individually versus jointly. We examined whether joint action is experienced as rewarding compared to individual action, and thus preferred. Second, we asked how joint actions are represented in the mind. We investigated whether representations of the joint action as a whole, or representations of the individual contributions, are prioritized in action control. Third, we explored whether joint action can facilitate thinking, particularly creative problem solving. Here, we tested whether difficult problems are solved more effectively together than alone.

Bio: Günther Knoblich is Professor of Cognitive Science at Central European University (CEU), Vienna. His main research interests include joint action, sense of agency, social cognition, communication, and problem solving. He has coordinated several large interdisciplinary research projects, among them the ERC Synergy project Coordination, Communication, and Cultural Transmission (2015–2022), the EuroCores project EuroUnderstanding (2011–2014), and the ZiF Research Year Embodied Communication in Humans and Machines (2005–2006, with Ipke Wachsmuth). He received his PhD from the University of Hamburg in 1997 and held research and faculty positions at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research, Rutgers University, the University of Birmingham, and the Donders Institute at Radboud University Nijmegen.

November 12, 2025 |  7pm   Alte Aula 

with Prof. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Prof. Tori Ekstrand, Prof. Karin Amos 

Around the world, academic freedom is increasingly coming under pressure -- from political, ideological, and institutional forces alike. Recently, even from the United States we receive daily reports of restrictions. In Germany, too, it has been the subject of a highly debated and politically contested field in recent years. Central to these discussions are questions on whether science should remain separate  from politics, or whether – particularly in the fostering of democracy – the two are inextricably connected.

The College of Fellows is organizing a panel discussion titled “Academic Freedom Under Pressure: Global Challenges and Transatlantic Perspectives”. Participants are Prof. Victoria "Tori" Smith Ekstrand (UNC, Hussman School of Journalism and Media, media law and free expression, Fulbright-Schuman scholar in Tübingen in 2025-26), Prof. Cynthia Miller-Idriss (American University, Washinton, DC, School of Public Affairs and School of Education; Justice, Law & Criminology, New Horizons Fellow in Tübingen in 2025-26) and Prof. Karin Amos (University of Tübingen, Educational Science, General Pedagogy, international comparative education research and intercultural pedagogy, human rights). 

The panel will address the state of academic freedom in the United States and Germany, and will take an in-depth look at the many forms and dimensions of threats to academic freedom and how they manifest themselves across different disciplines, as well as historical developments, legal aspects, and political influence in a climate in which far-right governments and movements are on the rise in many parts of the world.
With this event, the College will launch a new scholarship program for postdoctoral researchers from the United States. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Institutes for Advanced Studies at the Universities of Freiburg, Konstanz, and Tübingen will create 14 positions for visiting researchers whose research has come under pressure. 

The College of Fellows Lecture Series invites international fellows and Tübingen academics to present their research and network. Every month, fellows and international guest researchers from the University of Tübingen present their research findings. If you are interested, please contact infospam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de 

The CoF Lunch Talk Series invites international fellows and Tübingen researchers to exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere during the lunch break. Each month, a fellow presents his or her research. The CoF Lunch Talks take place in the Villa Köstlin. 

The CoF Lunch Talks in the winter term 2025/26 can be found here.