Conflict Prevention in Academic Research Teams

The VMU Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute invites the academic community to a workshop on conflict prevention in academic research teams.

 

• Date – 14 April 2026 at 2 PM.
• Duration of the workshop – 90 minutes.
• Language – English.
• Format – online workshop via MS Teams.
• Please register for the workshop here.  All registered participants will receive the MS Teams link to the workshop one hour before the training.
• Trainer: Prof. tit. Dr. Ansgar Jödicke, University of Fribourg.

 

 

About the seminar

 

This workshop (lecture followed by Q&A) addresses practical approaches to preventing the escalation of conflicts in academic teams. It focuses on typical sources of tension in research contexts, such as differing disciplinary perspectives, role ambiguity, communication breakdowns, and performance-related pressure.

 

The session introduces evidence-based concepts from conflict research and organizational psychology, with particular attention to early warning signs of conflict escalation. Participants will gain an overview of concrete strategies for addressing disagreements constructively before they develop into persistent or personal conflicts.

 

The workshop aims to support researchers, team leaders, and academic staff in strengthening their capacity to manage conflicts proactively, foster a functional working climate, and maintain productive collaboration. Conflicts cannot be completely avoided, but the way we deal with them often determines whether they escalate and tie up our resources.

 

 

About the trainer

 

Prof. tit. Dr. Ansgar Jödicke is a senior lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences, University of Fribourg. He holds a PhD in the study of religion with a focus on qualitative research and the analysis of communication. He is a trained mediator and worked on religion and politics in his academic career.

 

 

The training will be moderated by Dr. Gintarė Pocė, Head of Project Activities at V. Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute.

 

For more information about the workshop, please send an email to vki[et]vdu.lt.

 

This workshop is one of the activities of the project “Strengthening of R&D activities of the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Institute of Social and Humanities Sciences (SOCMTEP)”. The project is financed by the Lithuanian Science Council and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, contract no. S-A-UEI-23-13 (12/27/2023).