North American Studies

Founded in 2008, North American Studies (NAS) at Leuphana is a growing discipline that promotes the teaching of and research on the cultures and literatures of Canada and the United States. Three international conferences – the White-Indian Relations conference in 2009, the Plain People conference in 2015, and the Teaching Human-Animal Studies conference in 2020 – attest to our reputation.

Since we approach North American Studies from Anglo-American as well as French (Études québécoises) and Spanish (la cultura chicana) perspectives, a multilingual North American Studies profile was established in the fall semester 2016/17 in Complementary Studies.

Our innovative and interdisciplinary seminars are directly linked to and profit from our research interests: eco criticism and critical animal studies, ethnic and religious minorities as well as indigenous studies. Of course, students are encouraged to write their B.A. and M.A. theses on North American topics. Moreover, our interdisciplinary curriculum introduces students not only to critical scholarship but also to the art of creative fiction and non-fiction.

Seeking to facilitate a dialogue between academia and the public, NAS offers the annual lecture series, Maple Leaf & Stars and Stripes, which brings accomplished scholars and acclaimed writers from North America as well as Europe to Leuphana. Furthermore, NAS was a founding member of the Northern German Network for North American Studies /Norddeutsches Netzwerk Nordamerikastudien, thereby placing Leuphana on the North American Studies map. In 2014, the Embassy of the United States in Berlin selected the members of NAS as the key creatives and editorial board for the American Studies Blog of the American Studies Journal. In the fall semester 2018/19, the Institute of English Studies joined forces with the Language and Culture Team, formerly Language Center, in the area of North American Studies. As a result of these diverse endeavors and joint efforts, NAS will continue to contribute to the creation and strengthening of local, national, and transatlantic networks.