Prof. Dr. Julia Fischer
German Primate Center (DPZ) / University of Göttingen
International Symposium · Göttingen, Germany
Living Networks: Self-Organization, Manipulation and Information Flow in Neural and Social Systems
An international symposium bringing together experts across physics, data science, neuroscience, law, and social sciences to explore how living networks self-organize, maintain robustness, and respond to manipulation.
About the Symposium
From November 30 to December 2, 2026, at the Manfred-Eigen-Hörsaal (Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany), we bring together international experts across disciplines — including physics, data science, neuroscience, law, and social and political sciences.
With invited keynote and contributed talks, poster presentations, and ample time for interdisciplinary discussion, we aim to sharpen our understanding of how self-organization mechanisms drive structure and information flow in social networks as well as neural networks — with direct implications for understanding disinformation, polarization, and societal resilience.
The symposium is organized by the CIDAS Section “Complexity, Information, Cognition, Society” (CICS), supported and funded by the University of Göttingen, and aims to foster future collaborative research initiatives across disciplines.
Plenary Speakers
Plenary Speakers
- Sanja Bauer Mikulovic – Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN), Magdeburg, Germany & Medical University of Vienna, Austria Website →
- Anastasia Bizyaeva – Cornell University, USA Website →
- Ursula Daxecker – Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science, Göttingen, Germany Website →
- Carsten De Dreu – University of Groningen, Netherlands Website →
- Giordano De Marzo – University of Konstanz, Germany Website →
- Serge Galam – CEVIPOF, Sciences Po & CNRS, Paris, France Website →
- Mirta Galesic – Complexity Science Hub Vienna & Santa Fe Institute, Austria / USA Website →
- David Garcia – University of Konstanz, Germany Website →
- Thilo Gross – University of Oldenburg & HIFMB, Germany Website →
- Jens Hainmüller – Stanford University, USA Website →
- Philipp Lorenz-Spreen – TU Dresden & Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Germany Website →
- Michael Mäs – Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany Website →
- Yamir Moreno – BIFI, University of Zaragoza, Spain Website →
- Eckehard Olbrich – Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany Website →
- Vera Schmitt – TU Berlin, Germany Website →
- Jenny Suckale – Stanford University, USA Website →
- Katarzyna (Kasia) Sznajd-Weron – Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland Website →
- Lena Ulbricht – University of Hildesheim & Weizenbaum Institute, Germany Website →
- Karoline Wiesner – University of Potsdam, Germany Website →
Symposium Programme
Schedule in Preparation
We will publish the detailed symposium schedule as soon as we have a finalized version.
Dates: November 30 – December 2, 2026
Venue: Manfred-Eigen-Hörsaal, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Venue, Travel & Registration
Venue & Dates
The symposium takes place from November 30 to December 2, 2026 at:
Registration & Poster Submissions
Participation is open to researchers and students across disciplines, including complex systems, neuroscience, physics, sociology, law, politics, ecology and beyond.
- Registration Deadline: November 10, 2026
- Conference Fee: Free of charge / Funded by the University of Göttingen (registration required due to room capacity).
To register or inquire about submitting a poster, you can also contact the organizing team at living-networks@ds.mpg.de.
How to Reach the Venue (MPI-DS)
Göttingen is centrally located in Germany with direct high-speed ICE railway connections.
By Train
Book your train tickets at Deutsche Bahn (bahn.de) →
From Göttingen Train Station (Bahnhof) to MPI-DS
From the central bus station right in front of Göttingen Hauptbahnhof (ZOB / Bahnhof), take bus line 21, 22, or 23 directly to the bus stop “Faßberg” (approx. 15–20 minutes). The MPI-DS campus entrance is located directly adjacent to the bus stop.
By Plane
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA): Direct ICE high-speed trains depart from Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Terminal 1) directly to Göttingen in under 2 hours without train transfers.
- Hannover Airport (HAJ): S-Bahn to Hannover Hauptbahnhof and a 35-minute ICE ride to Göttingen (~1h total).
- Hamburg Airport (HAM): S-Bahn to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof + ICE to Göttingen (~2.5 hours total).
Organizing Committee
Dr. Greta Jasser
Institute for Democracy Research (IfDem) / University of Göttingen
Prof. Dr. Thomas Kneib
Campus Institute Data Science (CIDAS), University of Göttingen
Dr. Piklu Mallick
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
Prof. Dr. Viola Priesemann
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization / University of Göttingen