Research at the Faculty of Languages and Literatures
Research institutions
Research infrastructure at the KU![[Translate to Englisch:] Forschende Einrichtungen](/fileadmin/_processed_/0/8/csm_IMG_2023_94fcec9e7c.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Forschende Einrichtungen")
The members of the Faculty of Languages and Literatures do not only conduct research in individual projects, but also network with scientists inside and outside the KU. Research institutions have been established for certain main topics, in which the faculty members are particularly involved. These research institutions form the structural basis for interdisciplinary exchange with scientists from other faculties and for the implementation of scientific projects.
The staff of the Faculty of Languages and Literatures is active in the following institutions:
Centers for Advanced Studies
KU Center for Advanced Studies "Dialogical Cultures"
The Research Center for Advanced Studies "Dialogical Cultures" is an internationally oriented center for the promotion of cultural and social science research at the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. It enables and strengthens academic exchange beyond the narrowly defined subject boundaries, from doctoral, post-doc and habilitation projects to research by established colleagues.
Speakers of the Center: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schmidt (American Studies) and Prof. Dr. Robert Schmidt (Process-Oriented Sociology)
KU Center for Advanced Studies "Natural Sciences - Human and Nature"
The research center for advanced studies "Natural Sciences - Human and Nature" is a research institution of the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. The focus of the college is on the promotion of interdisciplinary basic research in the scientific and experimental fields at the KU. This includes physical geography, general and clinical psychology, applied mathematics and parts of linguistics. It is intended to promote scientific exchange between the members and to bring scientists closer together who apply similar approaches to research in terms of content and methodology and who work in disciplines with a similar subject culture.
Speakers of the Center: Prof. Dr. Michael Becht (Physical Geography) and Prof. Dr. Marco Steinhauser (General Psychology)
Centers and Central institutes of the KU
KU Center for Religion, Church and Society in Transformation (ZRKG)
The KU Center for Religion, Church and Society in Transformation (ZRKG) is an inter-faculty, interdisciplinary research institution at the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. It bundles, coordinates and initiates research on the interrelationships of religion, church and society by involving aspects of change and transformation. The ZRKG continuously expands its expertise through exchange with nationally and internationally renowned scientists and researchers and promotes early-career researchers.
Directors: Prof. Dr. Martin Kirschner (Theology in the Transformation Processes of the Present) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Pittrof (Modern German Literature Studies)
Center for Latin American Studies (ZILAS)
The Center for Latin American Studies (ZILAS) was established in 1986. Through its research, teaching, services, and knowledge transfer activities, it aims to contribute to providing the foundations for a better understanding of key processes and areas of society in Latin American countries, as well as important cultural phenomena in their history and in the present day. Stimulating interest in the continent among researchers and the general public is also an important goal, especially in light of globalization.
In collaboration with the faculties, ZILAS designs and coordinates projects and events related to Latin America at the KU.
Research and teaching that focus on the continent currently involve the following subjects: Political Science, Geography, History, Literary Studies, Linguistics and Social Work.
One of ZILAS’s key tasks is to coordinate and organize research projects and collaborations with universities, institutes, and researchers in Latin America. In addition, it is responsible for planning and running academic conferences, and for developing and issuing publications on Latin America.
Directors: Prof. Dr. Miriam Lay Brander (Romance Literary Studies II) und Prof. Dr. Thomas Fischer (History of Latinamerica)
Research institute
Forschungsstelle Geistliche Literatur des Mittelalters (FGLM)
KU as cooperation partner in external research institutions
Zentrum für Ethik der Medien und der digitalen Gesellschaft (zem::dg)
The Zentrum für Ethik der Medien und der digitalen Gesellschaft (zem::dg) is active in the field of ethical research on digitalisation, education/training and public debate. Partners are companies, universities, schools, educational institutions and NGOs. With its activities, the Center promotes contemporary media, communication and digitization ethics. The focus is on the human and social challenges of digitization.
The zem::dg is a cooperation between the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the Munich School of Philosophy.
Research projects
Further research projects at the KU![[Translate to Englisch:] Forschungsprojekte](/fileadmin/_processed_/3/1/csm_slf_forschung_forschungsprojekte_86ff6d8511.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:] Forschungsprojekte")
The research database KU.fordoc informs about the research activities at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. It informs about current research projects, existing research institutions and provides information about the scientists who are doing research at the university.
In the following you will find a selection of current research projects of the Faculty of Languages and Literatures:
Interdisciplinary projects (together with other faculties)
Research Training Group "Practicing Place. Socio-Cultural Practices and Epistemic Configurations" (RTG 2589)
Applicants:
Dr. Nathalie Aghoro (American Studies), Prof. Dr. Joost van Loon (Sociology, GGF), Prof. Dr. Richard Nate (English Literary Studies), Prof. Dr. Annika Schlitte (Philosophy; University of Greifswald), Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schmidt (American Studies), Prof. Dr. Robert Schmidt (Sociology, GGF), Prof. Dr. Christian Steiner (Geography, MGF), Prof. Dr. Hans-Martin Zademach (Geography, MGF), Prof. Dr. Michael F. Zimmermann (Art History)
Description:
The proposed research training group aims at a critical reflection of the concepts of "place" and "placing" from a decidedly interdisciplinary perspective. Place and processes of (re-)placing have become central to a discussion of complex global interrelations, precisely at a time of growing transnational interdependencies and seemingly borderless communication networks. According to our guiding research idea, we suggest to think of place dynamically, as practicing place. Hence, we will consider specific practices of placing and their concomitant epistemic configurations (such as comprehending, mapping, locating, imagining, writing, experiencing, and redefining places) as well as the situatedness and specific locality of any practice. Every practice is shaped by given places, while it at the same time also designs and produces new places in a performative, ongoing process. Seen this way, places can never be conceived of as singular static entities, in the sense of "Heimat" or a closed life-world; rather, places have to be thought of in terms of a dynamic, multifaceted, dialogical, often controversial, affective, and especially participatory system of relations, informed by aspects of performance, construction, perception, production, experience, recognition, and inscription. In addition, every practice is tied to other super- and subordinate as well as contiguous strategies of placing: thus, e.g., appropriation and disappropriation, inclusion and exclusion, but also participation are intricate to processes of placing that both inform and are continually (re-)produced in social and economic, imagined and fictional, artistic and medial practices. Put differently: We are less interested in the more traditional questions of where a place is, or what it is; rather, our research epitomizes on the "how" of places, i.e. how places are shaped, created, altered, questioned, or known by socio-cultural practices.
The particular group of scholars from sociology, geography, philosophy as well as literary and cultural studies guarantees the proposed training program’s interdisciplinary orientation, exploring the innovative cross-fertilization between social science approaches and the humanities. Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers will closely collaborate with the participating professors as well as the international cooperating partners. Our wide range of renowned international associates expresses the long-standing and continually growing research networks in all participating disciplines. Following our shared interest in creative and interdisciplinary theorization and knowledge building, we will encourage young researchers from various disciplines to take active roles in our joint scholarly effort and support them in their critical academic development.
Research funding organization:
German Research Foundation (DFG) - GRK 2589/1
Funding period:
01.04.2021 - 30.09.2025
For more information, visit the Research Training Group's website.
Konzepte und Konfigurationen des Unendlichen
English Studies and American Studies
Englische Komparativ-Korrelativ Konstruktionen: The more data, the better
German Studies
MultiMind – Workpackage Language impairment in multilingual children
Applicants:
Prof. Dr. Tanja Rinker (German as a Second Language)
Project participants:
14 partners
Description:
The mission of Multi-Mind is to seek fundamental breakthroughs in multilingualism research whilst training the new generation of researchers in world-leading labs using cutting edge methodologies and allowing them to build the necessary background and skills fostering their career progress as independent researchers in academic or non-academic sectors, in the first international, multidisciplinary, and multisectorial program on multilingualism.
MultiMind will conduct fundamental research on multilingualism across disciplines in a range of different social and educational settings, including migration and refugee settings, to investigate the influence of multilingualism on language learning, cognition, creativity, and decision making, on brain function and structure, and its role as a reserve in atypical populations. These issues are of prime importance for the future construction of shared cultural, educational, and health settings across Europe. Indeed, one of the big current challenges in Europe is the integration of refugees and immigrants into European states and the integration among European citizens living in different countries in Europe. Inevitably, this challenge starts and has the best chances to be won by focusing on the educational systems and on the influence that the use of languages has in daily life.
Research funding organization:
European Union – Horizon2020 (Marie Skodowska Curie grant agreement No 765556)
Funding period:
2018 -
Project website:
www.multilingualmind.eu