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Research Alliance

College for Social Sciences and Humanities

The College for Social Sciences and Humanities promotes excellent research in the humanities and social sciences within the University Alliance Ruhr and advances international cooperation.

Designed as an Institute for Advanced Study, the College is fundamentally open in regard to disciplines and topics. It provides a cross-university forum for interdisciplinary research and acts as a catalyst connecting scholars from different disciplines and research fields within the UA Ruhr and beyond.

Across all activities, the College seeks to build sustainable international relations: close collaborations with outstanding researchers worldwide – enabled especially through the Senior Fellowship Programme – stimulate innovative discourses that make it possible to critically advance well-established research fields within the social sciences and humanities.

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View upwards onto the façade of the first floor of the college building in Lindenallee in Essen. © UA Ruhr

Prof. Dr Julika Griem, Director:

"The College is designed as a space where research evolves across disciplines and universities, where academic questions are examined from multiple angles, and where researchers from the UA Ruhr form new bonds with international colleagues. Our focus here is on individual collaboration and small groups rather than large-scale projects. Through our Senior Fellowship Programme, we invite renowned researchers from all over the world to the Ruhr region.

Portrait photo of Prof Dr Julika Griem from the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen. © eventfotograf.in

As we all come from different disciplines and contexts, we are keen to open up new perspectives for the entire field of social sciences and humanities. Under the umbrella of the College are experts who represent a broad spectrum of approaches and methodologies and are highly motivated to work on diverse scientific topics - from social behavior and interaction to communication, education, media and art to history, politics and economics. The three research professorships at the College will explore relevant topics of contemporary societies, such as the impact of ignorance in complex organizations, the influence of experts and intellectuals on the public sphere, or the potential of digital tools for pluralistic cultures of memory. With three junior professorships and short-term funding for collaborative working groups, the College also supports outstanding younger researchers with an open-topic approach. Last but not least, the College also offers events and publications that reach beyond the world of science, because we are interested in the questions and expectations that a broader public has of science.

As a creative hub for interdisciplinary work, the College addresses current challenges, but also offers the freedom to identify new research topics. Our aim is to create epistemic and social added value for the three universities and their members. We are convinced that - with our combined efforts - we will further strengthen the international visibility and reputation of the Ruhr region in the humanities and social sciences."


Research

Exterior view of the building, classicist sandstone construction © Eventfotograf.in
Exterior view of the building, classicist sandstone construction

Three research professorships and three research groups form the backbone of scholarly activities at the College, complemented by joint projects of international Senior Fellows and UA Ruhr researchers. High-profile scholars benefit from excellent conditions and strong networks, allowing them to focus on cutting-edge research. Researchers in early career stages have ample opportunities to pursue independent research and advance their academic qualifications.

Learn more about research at the College: http://www.college-uaruhr.de/research


International Senior Fellowship Program

Three researchers have a lively conversation © Eventfotograf.in

Through its international Senior Fellowship Programme, the College for Social Sciences and Humanities promotes the formation of sustainable international partnerships and multilateral cooperation in research. Up to 20 Senior Fellowships per year are awarded to scholars who are active members of a foreign university or research institution, and who have an internationally recognised, outstanding research profile.

Learn more about the Fellowship Programme: www.college-uaruhr.de/fellowship

 


Contact

Scientific Board

The Scientific Board constitutes the scientific governing committee of the College. Its assigned members are Founding Director Professor Julika Griem (at the same time Director of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, KWI) as well as three representatives of the UA Ruhr universities: Friedrich Balke, Professor for Media Studies at Ruhr University Bochum, Ute Schneider, Professor for Social and Economic History at the University of Duisburg-Essen, and Maximiliane Wilkesmann, Professor for Sociology of Work and Organisation at TU Dortmund University. The members of the Scientific Board define the scientific guidelines for the College and act as its representatives at their institutions.

Prof. Dr Julika Griem

Founding Director

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Portrait photo of Prof Dr Julika Griem from the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen. © eventfotograf.in

Prof. Dr Friedrich Balke

Scientific Board Member

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Portrait photo of Prof Dr Friedrich Balke from the Ruhr University Bochum. © Eventfotograf.in

Prof. Dr Ute Schneider

Scientific Board Member

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Portrait photo of Prof Dr Ute Schneider from the University of Duisburg-Essen. © eventfotograf.in

Prof. Dr Maximiliane Wilkesmann

Scientific Board Member

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Portrait photo of Prof Dr Maximiliane Wilkesmann from the Technical University of Dortmund. © eventfotograf.in

Research Professorship

Curating Digital Objects of Cultural Knowledge and Memory

Prof. Dr Tahani Nadim

Research Professor

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Portrait photo of Prof Dr Nadim Tahani from the Ruhr University Bochum. © RUB​/​Marquardt

Academic Managing Director

Dr Mark Halawa-Sarholz

Academic Managing Director

Tel.: 0201 183 6541
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Portraitfoto Dr. Mark Halawa-Sarholz © Eventfotograf.in

Academic Managing Director

Dr. Mark Halawa-Sarholz, Phone: +49 201 183 6541, E-Mail: mark.halawa-sarholzcollege-uaruhrde