University of Vienna · Faculty of Physics
Competence in Conflicts
A seminar on conflict analysis, communication, and mediation practice, offered to students of physics and related natural sciences.
What this course is about
Scientists rarely receive formal training in conflict, yet research environments generate friction constantly: between collaborators, across hierarchies, in project negotiations. This seminar fills that gap. It brings established frameworks from conflict theory and communication psychology into a university physics context, giving participants practical tools they can apply immediately.
The focus is on solution-oriented conversation: how to move a conflict from escalation toward resolution through structured dialogue. Core techniques include reframing, active listening, and interest-based analysis. All methods are trained in small groups through role play and real-case work, not just discussed in theory.
Conflict Analysis
Understanding the structure and dynamics of a conflict before trying to resolve it. Identifying positions vs. interests, escalation stages, and systemic patterns.
Communication
Applied techniques from nonviolent communication (Rosenberg), the four-sides model (Schulz von Thun), and negotiation practice, adapted for scientific and academic settings.
Practical Application
Participants document a real-world application across the semester. The emphasis throughout is on transferable skill over abstract knowledge.
Background
Andreas Grill holds a degree in physics (Mag.) from the University of Vienna and is a trained mediator. This course connects both fields: it uses the analytical rigour expected in physics education to structure what is usually treated as a "soft" topic. The small group format, capped at twelve participants, is deliberate, enabling the depth of practice that larger lecture formats cannot offer.
The seminar was taught within SPL 26 – Physics, making conflict competence accessible as an elective credit within a natural science degree, an unusual combination that reflects the conviction that technical expertise and interpersonal skill are not separate careers.