Project Details
Projekt
GSC 144: Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS)
Subject Area
Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies
Term
from 2007 to 2018
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 38887451
The basic aims of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS) are to bring together excellent young African and non-African scholars to work jointly in the field of African studies, and to offer a centre of creative and innovative PhD training and research in Germany in the field of African studies. Additionally, BIGSAS will contribute to the creation of an African universities network and to the development of excellent PhD training structures in Africa in order to avoid an African brain drain. It will bring together African and European networks and create an African alumni network. BIGSAS will sharpen the academic and international profile of the University of Bayreuth.
The field of African studies includes a wide range of disciplines and research topics. Over the past 20 years Bayreuth has amassed considerable experience in coordinated research programmes, integrating these disciplines into a stimulating research agenda. BIGSAS will build on this experience and offer a multi- and interdisciplinary research environment based upon four clearly defined general research areas:
(1) Uncertainty, Innovation and the Quest for Order in Africa,
(2) Culture, Concepts and Communication in Africa: Approaches through Language, Literature and Media,
(3) Concepts and Conflicts in Development Cooperation with Africa,
(4) Coping with Environmental Criticality and Disasters in Africa.
The research areas allow for challenging theoretical studies sensitive to emerging basic problems; they also take into account practical questions and problems of the African continent. PhD training in BIGSAS will be based on strategies that are novel in the field in Germany: multi and interdisciplinary research with a multidisciplinary mentorship; specialist academic training with a focus on interdisciplinarity as well as employment oriented transferable skills; clearly structured individual research training; individual career planning; early integration into the international academic community; shorter time-to-degree with structural and financial encouragements; organisation of the training across disciplines and faculties based on its own doctoral regulations; a codex of doctoral studies and mentorship; individual research training plans; professional management and quality control.
Five African partner universities, which represent the Arabic, English, French and Portuguese speaking parts of the continent, will cooperate closely with BIGSAS in recruitment, selection, training and mentoring of doctoral students. Other partners are the universities of the African-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies (AEGIS).
The field of African studies includes a wide range of disciplines and research topics. Over the past 20 years Bayreuth has amassed considerable experience in coordinated research programmes, integrating these disciplines into a stimulating research agenda. BIGSAS will build on this experience and offer a multi- and interdisciplinary research environment based upon four clearly defined general research areas:
(1) Uncertainty, Innovation and the Quest for Order in Africa,
(2) Culture, Concepts and Communication in Africa: Approaches through Language, Literature and Media,
(3) Concepts and Conflicts in Development Cooperation with Africa,
(4) Coping with Environmental Criticality and Disasters in Africa.
The research areas allow for challenging theoretical studies sensitive to emerging basic problems; they also take into account practical questions and problems of the African continent. PhD training in BIGSAS will be based on strategies that are novel in the field in Germany: multi and interdisciplinary research with a multidisciplinary mentorship; specialist academic training with a focus on interdisciplinarity as well as employment oriented transferable skills; clearly structured individual research training; individual career planning; early integration into the international academic community; shorter time-to-degree with structural and financial encouragements; organisation of the training across disciplines and faculties based on its own doctoral regulations; a codex of doctoral studies and mentorship; individual research training plans; professional management and quality control.
Five African partner universities, which represent the Arabic, English, French and Portuguese speaking parts of the continent, will cooperate closely with BIGSAS in recruitment, selection, training and mentoring of doctoral students. Other partners are the universities of the African-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies (AEGIS).
DFG Programme
Graduate Schools
Applicant Institution
Universität Bayreuth
Spokespersons
Professorin Dr. Martina Drescher, since 11/2018; Professor Dr. Dymitr Ibriszimow, until 11/2018
Participating Researchers
Professorin Dr. Erdmute Alber; Privatdozent Dr. Eric Anchimbe; Professorin Dr. Susan Arndt; Professor Dr. Kocra Assoua; Dr. Viviane Azarian; Professor Dr. Kurt Beck; Professor Dr. Ulrich Berner; Professor Dr. Martin Doevenspeck; Professorin Dr. Ute Fendler; Professor Dr. Said A.M. Khamis; Professor Dr. Georg Klute; Professorin Dr. Beate Lohnert; Professorin Dr. Susanne Mühleisen; Professor Dr. Detlef Müller-Mahn; Professor Dr. Dieter Neubert; Professor Dr. Achim von Oppen; Professor Dr. Jonathan Owens; Professor Dr. Herbert Popp; Professor Dr. Rüdiger Seesemann; Professorin Dr. Gabriele Sommer; Dr. Ulf Vierke; Professorin Dr. Ulrike Wanitzek
