Monthly Newsletter Read about our news and latest updates. Hi there, One of the hottest summers on record is officially behind us, although Vienna is still enjoying plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures. As we prepare for the beginning of another busy semester, we’d like to take this opportunity to share some news, welcome new members to our team, and tell you about upcoming activities and events. We’re delighted to welcome two new members to the VAS team: Astou Marasz

We are proud to announce the speakers for our 2026 Winter Lecture Series including lectures by scholars based in Vienna who are working in the field of animal studies: 5 November 2026, “Animated Wor(l)ds” by Eva Spiegelhofer and Dr. Elizabeth Tavella (WU, 17:30-19:30). 25 November 2026, “Designing Cities with Animals: The Promise and Challenges of Animal-Aided Design” by Prof. Dr. Thomas E. Hauck (TU, 17:30-19:30). 16 December 2026, VAS End of Year Social (TBA) 27 January 202

In June, Dr. Neha Vora, Professor of Anthropology in the Department of International Studies at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, gave the last talk of VAS’s summer lecture series 2026. In her fascinating talk, she explored the interconnections between multispecies communities, migration, and homemaking using an unusual and inspiring methodology: observing and analysing “cat walks". The starting point for her work was the idea that states in gene

Sona Kalafusova and Zipporah Weisberg present a lecture as part of the 2026 VAS Summer Lecture Series. On the 9th of April 2026, Zipporah Weisberg and Sona Kalafusova presented a lecture as part of the Vienna Animal Studies summer lecture series, with the aim to explore how animals in sanctuaries are legally defined and what opportunities exist for enhancing their status and protections. They started with a provocative story, a story about pigs at the Progetto Cuori Liberi (

On February 26th, John Sanbonmatsu, Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, gave an inspiring online talk on his most recent book The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and Ourselves, published in 2025 by NYU Press. In his book, Sanbonmatsu, draws on a wide range of thinkers to analyze the existential dimensions of speciesism and to deconstruct how the hegemonic system reproduces itself. Borrowing Marx’ concept

We are proud to announce the speakers for our 2026 Summer Lecture Series including lectures by scholars based in Vienna who are working in the field of animal studies: 12 March 2026, “Animal Futures in an Economy of Cultivated Meat” by Dr. Arianna Ferrari (WU, 18:00-20:00). 9 April 2026, “From Refugees to Residents and Beyond: The Legal Status of Animals in Sanctuaries” by Dr. Zipporah Weisberg and Sona Kalafusova (WU, 18:00-20:00). 26 May 2026, “Do Organoids Matter in Their

Dr. Zipporah Weisberg gives a lecture on humanism at the University of Vienna (Photo Credit: Oliver Hirtenfelder) On November 11, 2025, Dr. Zipporah Weisberg – who teaches at the University of Ottawa and is a guest researcher at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna – gave a compelling talk at the University of Vienna’s Department of Philosophy. Her central message was both surprising and refreshing: despite decades of critique, the humanist tradition still contains valu

Dr Claudia Hirtenfelder answers some questions about urban animal studies and the connections between animals and cities.