Objectives
The ZRKG is a central research institution of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt that aims at bringing together those subjects and disciplines at the KU that deal with the thematic field of religion, church and society, as well as pooling the existing expertise and orienting it towards joint research questions and objectives. As a result, the topic is being developed into a substantial field of competence and research at the KU and is being constantly expanded, thus the ZRKG contributes to the profile development of the KU as a whole. The ZRKG also promotes trans- and interdisciplinary dialog and provides intensive networking for KU researchers at a national and international level. Researchers from five faculties at the KU are working on the key topics in cooperation with relevant experts from other universities. The selected questions and projects are approached in a research-oriented manner in critical-independent and inter-faculty cooperation. The ZRKG stimulates, strengthens and advances research in the thematic field, which is substantiated in four main objectives:
First, the ZRKG brings together existing expertise at KU to focus on religion-related transformation research. This research combines historical, education-theoretical, sociocultural, theological, and philosophical issues, including aesthetic, media, spiritual, and political dimensions. The ZRKG also networks scientists from these three fields across faculty boundaries to intensify interdisciplinary discourse.
Secondly, the ZRKG supports the initiation, application, acquisition and implementation of preferably interdisciplinary projects and links project-related research to other disciplines.
Thirdly, the ZRKG contributes to a research-friendly environment at the KU in the subject area and motivates and qualifies early-career researchers to conduct independent, preferably interdisciplinary research in this field already at an early stage of their career.
Fourthly, the ZRKG enhances and strengthens the profile of the KU by making discourses, projects and research achievements in the topic area visible and accessible to interested stakeholders. This mainly includes the organization and implementation of scientific events of different formats, the promotion of high-quality publications, but also appropriate public relations work and targeted knowledge transfer from and to society and to relevant target groups.
