Institute for Human Sciences (in German: “Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen,” or IWM) is think tank for the humanities and social sciences located in Vienna, Austria. ¹

Financier and billionaire George Soros is associated with the institution, having contributed a substantial amount for its support since 2010. ² IWM is an official member of the Open Society University Network (OSUN), an international membership group of educational institutions affiliated with Soros’s network of philanthropies. ³

Background

Institute for Human Sciences was founded in 1982 by Polish philosopher Krzysztof Michalski and “two German colleagues” to serve as a place of discussion for “dissenting thinkers” of Eastern Europe and scholars from the West. ⁴ It now embraces “the global south” in addition to and encourages the pursuit of a “humane future” which it defines as “open, just, and sustainable.” ⁵

Funding

Institute for Human Sciences invites U.S.-based donors to make contributions to the “American Friends of the IWM” initiative at King Baudouin Foundation United States, a 501(c)(3) organization. It lists George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (also known as Open Society Institute) as one of its “Partners and Donors.” ⁶ Open Society Institute has given many grants to the Institute for Human Sciences over the years. ^{7 8}

George Soros

George Soros has associated with the Institute for Human Sciences as early as 1988, when he was photographed at an IWM meeting. ⁹

In April 1995, Soros delivered a lecture at IWM titled “A Failed Philosopher Tries Again,” an outline of his personal philosophy. “My philosophy can be summed up in one phrase: a belief in our own fallibility,” Soros wrote, before delving into his ideas on applying Karl Popper’s theory of reflexivity to economics. ¹⁰

Soros has participated in a number of discussions and talks at IWM, including “Is Liberal Democracy at Risk?” in June 2011 and “The Future of the Euro” in September 2012. ^{11 12}

In 2015 and 2016, George’s son Alex Soros was invited by IWM to be a “Guest.” Alex, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in History at University of California, Berkeley at the time, ¹³ presented three lectures on the 19th century German-Jewish poet Heinrich Heine and his thinking on liberalism and modernity. ^{14 15 16}

Ivan Krastev, a global board member of Open Society Foundations, is a permanent fellow of the Institute for Human Sciences. ¹⁷

IWM is an official member of the Open Society University Network (OSUN), a Soros-managed international membership group of educational institutions. ¹⁸

Controversy

In 2021, IWM came under criticism for having gifted a fellowship to Ukrainian scholar Olena Semenyaka. After her fellowship was announced, it was alleged that she had extensive ties to the extremist ultra-nationalist Azov movement. IWM revoked her fellowship after her political beliefs had become known to the Institute; according to a Vice News report on the incident, it began investigating “how” her “far-right political activity went unnoticed by the jury” after the allegations arose. ¹⁹

1. “Mission and vision.” IWM.at. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.iwm.at/about/mission-and-vision.
2. ^[1] “Partners and Donors.” IWM.at. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.iwm.at/about/partners-and-donors.
3.  “About OSUN.” CEU.edu. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.ceu.edu/osun.
4. “Mission and vision.” IWM.at. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.iwm.at/about/mission-and-vision.
5. “Mission and vision.” IWM.at. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.iwm.at/about/mission-and-vision.
6. “Partners and Donors.” IWM.at. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.iwm.at/about/partners-and-donors.
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Open Society Institute. 2013. Part XV, grants and contributions. Accessed October 2, 2022.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Open Society Institute. 2014. Part XV, grants and contributions. Accessed October 2, 2022.
9. “Lord George Weidenfeld (left) and George Soros at a meeting of the IWM.” Alamy. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.alamy.com/lord-george-weidenfeld-left-and-george-soros-at-a-meeting-of-the-iwm-institut-fuer-die-wissenschaft-vom-menschen-english-institute-for-human-sciences-in-vienna-weidenfeld-was-a-journalist-and-adviser-to-the-israeli-government-soros-appeared-particularly-as-an-investor-image216469162.html. Archive:  https://web.archive.org/web/20221002155713/https://www.alamy.com/lord-george-weidenfeld-left-and-george-soros-at-a-meeting-of-the-iwm-institut-fuer-die-wissenschaft-vom-menschen-english-institute-for-human-sciences-in-vienna-weidenfeld-was-a-journalist-and-adviser-to-the-israeli-government-soros-appeared-particularly-as-an-investor-image216469162.html.
10. Soros, George. “Remarks delivered at the Institute for Human Sciences.” GeorgeSoros.com. April 27, 1995. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.georgesoros.com/1995/04/27/remarks-delivered-at-the-institute-for-human-sciences/.
11. IWMVienna. “Is Liberal Democracy at Risk?” YouTube. July 6, 2011. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv_UPu_uknM.
12. IWMVienna. “George Soros: The Future of the Euro.” YouTube. September 10, 2012. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcJ5REY99Dk.
13. Williams, Alex. “Making Good on the Family Name.” New York Times. July 18, 2012. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/fashion/alexander-soros-tries-to-live-up-to-his-family-name.html.
14. IWMVienna. “Alex Soros: Heine’s Pantheism – The Gay Science and the Death of God.” YouTube. May 9, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJHJBkpIndc.
15. IWMVienna. “Alex Soros: The Tyranny of Greece over Germany.” YouTube. November 6, 2017. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7El8XxHYWg.
16. IWMVienna. “Alexander Soros: Heine, Wagner, Nietzsche.” YouTube. December 5, 2015. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql9IyAn5iGM.
17. “Ivan Krastev.” Open Society Foundations. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/who-we-are/global-board/member/ivan-krastev.
18. “About OSUN.” CEU.edu. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.ceu.edu/osun.
19. Hume, Tim. Vice. January 11, 2021. Accessed October 2, 2022. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7a5jy/austrian-academic-institute-revokes-fellowship-given-to-far-right-figurehead.