International Conference: Sports and Culture as Schools of Democracy

How can sports and culture strengthen democratic values and help counter social polarisation? This question lies at the heart of the international conference“Sports and Culture as Schools of Democracy – How We Can Counter Polarisation”, taking place at the FH Salzburg University of Applied Sciences on 12 and 13 November 2026.

International experts from academia, politics, culture and sports will discuss current challenges facing democratic societies and present practical approaches to fostering dialogue, participation and social cohesion. The programme includes keynote speeches, panel discussions and interactive workshops on democracy development and depolarisation.

The conference is aimed at researchers, students, and professionals from the fields of education, culture, sports, civil society and public policy who are interested in democracy development, social cohesion and strategies to address polarisation.

The Research Group Democracy Development at the Department of Social Science is organising the event as part of the DEMGAP project. with support by the Robert Bosch Foundation.

• Date: 12-13 November 2026
  Location: Campus Urstein, Salzburg, Austria
  Language: English
  Registration: demokratieworkshop@fh-salzburg.ac.at