Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies Offers Fellowships
Photo: Werschak
The Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies (HCTS) is a central scientific institution of Heidelberg University that was inaugurated in April 2014. The HCTS aims at networking outstanding researchers from all over the world and from all disciplines to promote interdisciplinary dialogue on exchange processes between cultures. Based on the research and teaching structures that were created by the excellence cluster ‘Asia and Europe in a Global Context’ over the past few years, the centre offers research opportunities for both junior researchers and established scholars from all disciplines, but mainly from the humanities and social sciences. In addition to a master's programme and a graduate programme in transcultural studies, the HTCS awards several fixed-term fellowships that are also open to international researchers.
The fellowships have a term of six months to two years. Academics of Heidelberg University can apply as Senior Fellows and Junior Fellows, while guest researchers from German and international universities can become Visiting Fellows. Visiting Fellows must live in Heidelberg during their fellowship and receive financial support in the form of a scholarship. All fellows are supported in terms of research and library services and may use the services of the Digital Humanities department at the Karl Jaspers Centre. The fellows' research is oriented towards regularly changing scientific initiatives that describe various topic areas. The HCTS initiatives in 2014/15 are ‘Detours – Mediated Circulations of Knowledge’, ‘Transcultural Exchanges in a Pre-modern World’ and ‘Urban Spaces’. If you have questions on the fellowships, click here for more information. At the HCTS, the fellows engage in regular scientific discourse with the centre's five permanent fellows, whose work transcends both disciplinary boundaries and national borders: These HTCS professorships encompass the subjects of Buddhist studies, cultural and economic history, global art history, the history of knowledge, and visual and media ethnology.
The HCTS contributes to the education of junior researchers with a master's programme and a graduate programme for transcultural studies. The structured PhD programme within the interdisciplinary research environment of the HCTS combines the European model of highly individualised doctoral theses with a course curriculum. PhD students are supported by mentors in addition to their doctoral advisers. Students applying for the graduate programme must have achieved above-average results in their previous studies and be proficient in English. One-half of the available places are reserved for applicants from Asia.
In addition to the research programmes, the HCTS organises regular events such as public lectures, seminars and workshops.
Photo: Rothe
