Sonja Grimm and her Chair of International Relations at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg made another contribution to international research through their participation in the ECPR Joint Sessions, held from 23 to 25 May 2025 in Prague. Together with Dr. Adea Gafuri (Swedish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm), Sonja co-led the workshop “External Influences on Democratization and Autocratization”, which focused on the role of competing donors in democracy promotion, anti-corruption efforts, and development cooperation.

In in-depth discussions, participants reflected on donor strategies and their effects, particularly in post-conflict societies, the post-Soviet region, and the European neighborhood.