Institutions

The Foundation of German Humanities Institutes Abroad (DGIA) pursues basic research worldwide, giving rise to projects that also benefit researchers in Germany. As a result, the work conducted by the institutes is increasingly interdisciplinary.

The various branches of the Foundation of German Humanities Institutes Abroad undertake research into happiness, age, violence and foreign rule, education and national identity. There are ten institutes in all, scattered all over the world. Only the Foundation itself is domiciled in Germany, namely in Bonn.

The fact that it is geared solely to research abroad makes the Foundation unique. The aim of the institutes is to gain a better impression of topics of relevance and concern to people on the local level. Furthermore, they seek to foster contact between scholars in Germany and their counterparts abroad: “With the experience they have in their respective countries, they can offer important stimuli to the German research community”, says Harald Rosenbach, the DGIA’s executive director.

“Many people find Japan difficult to understand”

At the German Institute for Japanese Studies in Tokyo, for example, one research focus is on Japan’s demographic development, while another project is concerned with happiness and unhappiness. In the latter, researchers explore, among other things, how marriage is portrayed in magazines. Yet another project analyses how the lives of Japanese women are changing. Institute director Florian Coulmas profits from the fact that he can observe on a day-to-day basis what influences and affects people in the country: “It is not easy to formulate a relevant research topic without this insight.”

Although Coulmas is already in contact with many German colleagues – a joint research project, for example, is currently being set up with the Free University in Berlin to investigate how satisfied families are with their lives – he would like to see an even more intensive exchange between his institute and German researchers: “For us, the transfer to Germany is a constant challenge.” Japan, he explains, is a long way away in many subject areas, and many researchers concentrate on the situation in Europe, America or Africa: “Many people find Japan difficult to understand.”

The institute directors are largely free to determine the thematic orientation of their organizations themselves. They are each supported by an Academic Advisory Council comprising nine members in all, seven from Germany and the other two from the host country. “This ensures a permanent link to the German research scene”, says DGIA executive director Harald Rosenbach. To ensure that quality standards are maintained long-term, the institutes will be subject to evaluations in future, as also recommended by the Academic Advisory Council. These will commence this year in Tokyo, with other institutes to follow suit.

New friendship with old enemies

Following the Advisory Council’s recommendation, research at the institutes is to become increasingly interdisciplinary in nature – this is also intended to improve contact with German researchers.

The first institutes pursued solely historical research, which was the only reason why they were established in the first place. The oldest was founded in Rome in 1888, its objective being to give researchers access to the Vatican’s archives. It was not until after the Second World War that other institutes were set up, such as those in Paris and Warsaw. While the central focus was always on academic research, these research institutes were also not without their advantages in the political sphere: “The institutes also help process and come to terms with historical events”, says Harald Rosenbach, “and to forge new friendships with old enemies.”

For many researchers, however, focusing on purely historical themes no longer appears suited to this day and age. New organizations, such as the Oriental Institute established in Istanbul in 2009, give consideration to the interests of different disciplines right from the outset. These include political science, linguistics and sociology. Research focuses on Turkish, Islamic and Iranian studies, though developments in other countries are also taken into account. Many activities are even pursued by an international team of academics.

Climate of academic opening

For many years, the Istanbul institute existed as a sub-section of the Oriental Institute in Beirut, which was founded in 1961. On account of the civil war, it was not reopened until 1994. Stefan Leder has been the institute’s director in Lebanon for three years; he helped set up the centre in Istanbul. The institute in Beirut deals with various topics of relevance to the Arab world, including religious songs and political ethics in Islam.

Leder and his colleagues profit from the climate of academic opening that exists today in Lebanon. “The degree of freedom of expression and personal lifestyle is very high”, he says. “This gives us enormous room for manoeuvre.” Evening lectures are regularly staged on various topics and always attract a good audience. Lectures are given in English, Arabic or French.

Going online

The selected researchers in all institutes have the chance to initiate their own projects, some of which result from the monitoring of everyday life in the region.

A new office in Cairo is to compare the experiences of various countries, though for the time being there are no plans to set up an institute in its own right in Egypt. The researchers in Beirut also intend to continue their close cooperation with the institute in Istanbul, and concrete projects are already underway. In addition to joint research projects, an online publication is also planned.