Leuphana opens new institute for Basic Research on Culture and Society
2023-04-11 Lüneburg. The newly founded Leuphana Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS) in Culture and Society is starting its work these days. Funded by the "Niedersächsisches Vorab" of the Volkswagen Foundation, the institute will offer international researchers the opportunity to conduct basic research in the social and cultural sciences at the highest level over the next five years. With the new institute, Leuphana University Lüneburg is pursuing the goal of further sharpening its integrative profile in the cultural sciences, which has been recognised for many years, and positioning itself in the international landscape of top research institutions.
Erich Hörl, Co-Director of LIAS and Vice-President Research at Leuphana on the research concept: "We want to work in a basic research-oriented way and offensively orient social science, cultural studies and humanities research towards the question of the conditions of social coexistence. Contrary to a repeatedly claimed lack of alternatives, we consciously take the whole range of what is socially possible into consideration."
The new research institution supports outstandingly qualified academics in an early career phase with scholarships, invites established academics as "Senior Fellows" and integrates artists as "Artist Fellows" as well as public figures as "Public Fellows" into the research work.
Prof. Susanne Leeb, Co-Director of the Institute, emphasises the international orientation of the research: "In selecting the fellows, together with an independent, globally networked advisory board, we attached great importance to an international and interdisciplinary composition, with a special focus on the so-called Global South.
The fellows come to Lüneburg from Nairobi, Calcutta, Oye-Ekiti in Nigeria, Barcelona, London, New York, Berlin and Potsdam. Their research topics include global citizenship, political participation, democracy studies, migration and queerness.
Further information: www.leuphana.de/en/research-centers/lias.html
Background
The Volkswagen Foundation's funding of 5 million euros offers the fellows ideal research conditions in Leuphana's central building for a period of up to one year. There, they can expect well-equipped workplaces and an attractive research environment.