Master's thesis on climate crisis published by IPU graduate
Steen Thorsson completed his Master's in Psychology at the IPU and has now published his thesis entitled Burn Baby Burn with Psychosozialverlag. He analyzes the climate crisis as a result of capitalist destruction of nature and social oppression. There is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of resistance against this development: fear defenses, technocratic illusions and authoritarian projections take the place of real action. From a psychoanalytic perspective, the crisis becomes an unresolved threat that turns into denial and mass delusion. Thorsson argues that psychoanalysis and critical social theory should be considered together in order to understand why people defend a destructive world order.
Book review in international journal by IPU student
Philip Jammermann wrote a review of Michael Schüßler's book “Die Sprachen des Leibes und die Leiblichkeit der Sprache” (The languages of the body and the corporeality of language). He is studying in the bachelor's program in Psychology at the IPU and was given the opportunity to contribute his text to the special edition of “Constelaciones. Revista de Teoría Crítica” on the topic of ‘Gender Relations, Sexuality and Capitalism in Critical Social Theory’. In the review, which can be read in full here, he emphasizes as a central strength that Schüßler brings Alfred Lorenzer and his combination of Marxism and psychoanalysis back into focus. On the other hand, Jammermann is critical of the fact that Schüßler thinks of gender and sexuality in traditional categories and ignores current theoretical trends in feminist subject philosophies. Furthermore, he believes that Schüßler's critique of Judith Butler is misguided. Despite these weaknesses, Jammermann recognizes Schüßler's contribution to the debate on corporeality and language.
EFPP Research Award for IPU research assistant Simon Kempe
Simon Kempe has been awarded the EFPP Research Award 2025 by the European Federation for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (EFPP). With this award, the EFPP honors outstanding scientific work in the field of psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Kempe's award-winning paper is part of his cumulative dissertation under the supervision of IPU professor Lutz Wittmann in the IPU research project on affect regulation in dreams in borderline personality disorders.
An anthology on Jean Laplanche by Christine Kirchhoff and Aaron Lahl has been published
The IPU professor Christine Kirchhoff and her former research assistant Aaron Lahl have co-edited the recently published book “Laplanche kritisch wiedergelesen - Beiträge zu Körper, Sexualität und Verführung” (Critically Rereading Laplanche – Contributions on Body, Sexuality and Seduction). The volume, which is available here and in which IPU alumni Hauke Kromminga, Henning Lampe and Anna-Myrte Palatini as well as former IPU lecturer Udo Hock also contribute, discusses individual concepts and metaphors of Laplanche, ranging from the enthusiastic to the critical perspectives. The possible implications of his approach for cultural, sexual and gender theory are considered and comparisons are drawn with other metapsychologies, such as Kleinian.
New article by and new mentorship program for IPU-Research Associate Johanna Klinge
At the beginning of the year, Johanna L. Klinge published an article in the multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal Development and Psychopathology. In the article, which is available in full here, the IPU research associate – together with IPU professor Annette Klein, among others – examines whether low self-regulation in children is a risk factor for or a consequence of internalizing symptoms, or whether both develop together along a common spectrum and can be traced back to common causes. Also in January, Johanna L. Klinge was selected for the Psychodynamic Research Mentorship Program, which is conducted as part of a collaboration between the Erikson Institute at the Austen Riggs Center and the Yale Child Study Center. As one of nine mentees, she will receive support from a mentor at University College London (UCL) and feedback from other international scientists for one year as part of the program. This is in relation to a psychodynamic research project currently underway at the IPU. Interested parties can find details of the program here.
Two new articles on the reflexivity of the research position of IPU professor Phil Langer and colleagues have been published
IPU doctoral candidate Alina Brehm, together with IPU professor Phil Langer, has published an article on empathy in research processes in the Forum Qualitative Social Research. In the article (available here), they both examine the meaning and reflection of empathy in emotionally challenging research situations, especially in cases of seemingly “failed” empathy. They discuss methodological strategies for analyzing such encounters in order to demonstrate their epistemological relevance for critical knowledge production – with reference to the concept of “strong reflexivity”. Langer developed the latter together with his colleagues Angela Kühner and Andrea Ploder in 2016. They recently followed up on this with an article (available here) in the journal Psychologie & Gesellschaftskritik titled “It is professional to have feelings”. In this further development of the concept, they examine the interplay between reflexivity, the vulnerability of researchers and academic kindness in order to outline a relational research ethic and possible approaches to highly reflexive university teaching.
IPU student discusses podcast “Fashion Neurosis” in the art magazine Monopol
In the current issue of the art magazine Monopol, IPU student Alissa Geffert has reviewed the psychoanalytically inspired podcast Fashion Neurosis. In her article (which can be read in full here), Geffert not only sheds light on the format hosted by Sigmund Freud's great-granddaughter Bella Freud with regard to what it reveals about the host and guests, but also with regard to the question of whether it contributes to making psychoanalysis “fashionable”.
New Chancellor at the IPU Berlin: Beate Deppe succeeds Dr. Rainer Kleinholz
Beate Ella Deppe is the new director and chancellor of the IPU Berlin. At the beginning of January, she succeeded Dr. Rainer Kleinholz, who has managed the IPU's business since 2014. Beate Deppe is a lawyer and mediator. Most recently, she served as head of administration and human resources at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (German Institute for International and Security Affairs) in Berlin. As Chancellor, she is part of the IPU's executive board and heads the administration. Among other things, she is responsible for economic planning and structural development within the administration."I am very much looking forward to the new task. In my view, process optimization and the digitalization of administration are important building blocks for the further development of the IPU. Increasing the attractiveness of our university for students and staff is also of great importance for the future,” said Beate Deppe at the start of her role. The IPU would like to thank Rainer Kleinholz for his decade of service. He will remain at the IPU in an advisory capacity until 2026.
The MOCON Lab at the IPU Berlin
At the Motivational and Cognitive Neuroscience (MOCON) Lab IPU researchers explore the neuronal basis of complex human abilities, such as multitasking, prospective memory and cognitive control. Prof. Christine Stelzel is the Lab's principal investigator. Learn more about MOCON Lab on this website.