An ideas competition to promote research projects

This joint programme of the three Berlin universities, the Social Science Research Centre Berlin (WZB), the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities aims to show how important the humanities and social sciences are for the research location Berlin-Brandenburg and to raise their profile.

Under the general heading of ‘Cultural and Social Change’, the aim is to research the processes of deep change in culture and society in our time. For this purpose, young scholars are given the opportunity to organise an international conference in their research field – known as the Blankensee Colloquium – which is financed from a joint fund. Through this conference, they can debate and develop new approaches with leading scholars in the field from different institutions in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, from the rest of Germany and around the world.

Scholars interested in participating may apply by submitting a sketch of their project in response to the annual Call for Ideas. Desirable features include the combination of different disciplinary methods and approaches to problems, as well as a comparative perspective through which cultural and social changes can also be viewed in historically remote and culturally different experiences.

The Call for Ideas is addressed to young scholars who are beginning to take on responsibility for their disciplinary field. The broad terms of the topic are designed to be open also to less familiar approaches and problems.

The programme is supported organisationally by an office at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin. Further information is available on the website of the Wissenschaftskolleg
>> www.wiko-berlin.de .