Arnold Bergstraesser Institute

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The Arnold Bergstraesser Institute for Cultural Studies Research (ABI) is an independent research institute founded in 1960 and based in Freiburg im Breisgau . It conducts research on politics and society in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East in the areas of conflict and migration, state and governance and resource policy. In addition to research, the tasks also include knowledge transfer to the wider public and to development policy practice.

According to the legal form, the institute is a registered association. The institute receives basic funding from the state of Baden-Württemberg. There is close cooperation with the University of Freiburg in research and teaching . The institute has been an "affiliated institute" since 2008, and the director - currently Andreas Mehler - has also been Professor of Development Theories and Development Policy at the University of Freiburg since 2015 .

The institute has one of the largest special libraries for developing country research in the Federal Republic of Germany. The reference library is open to the public.

research

The institute takes a comparative research approach and is primarily dedicated to the socio-political analysis of phenomena in the regions of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. The thematic focus of the empirically oriented basic research is in particular in the areas / in dealing with questions of power, state institutions and social conflicts with the consideration of relevant contextual aspects (cultural, historical, economic etc.). The aim of the institute is to generate basic knowledge / understanding in three thematic clusters:

  • Origins, Results and Management of Ethno-Religious Conflicts
  • State and Governance
  • The Politics of Natural Resources

Knowledge transfer

The institute is committed to a research approach that places great value on practical relevance and relevance. This is why the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute participates in public series of events and organizes lectures and specialist conferences itself. Employees are represented on various advisory boards of organizations and pass on their expertise there as well as in interviews and background reports in quality media.

The institute provides research-based policy advice. Consultancy assignments (e.g. evaluations) are carried out if they show synergies with one's own research.

Teaching

The training of young scientists is another focus of the work and takes place in close cooperation with the University of Freiburg. In addition to university courses, the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute regularly holds lectures and colloquia.

Institute structure and scientific staff

Andreas Mehler has been the director since 2015 . A sponsoring association advises the director on scientific and organizational issues. In addition, the institute is supported by an advisory board in dealing with the wider public.

The institute consists of a permanent group of academic staff as well as administrative and library staff. Doctoral students, staff in third-party funded projects and scholarship holders are an integral part of the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute team.

With over 80,000 books and around 320 specialist journals, the library is one of the most important specialist libraries in the Federal Republic of Germany for society, culture and politics in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The holdings cover in particular the work and research focus of the institute. In addition, there are fundamental works from the social sciences, economics, religious studies and philosophy and, last but not least, many works from the countries themselves. The library is open to the public.

history

The institute was founded in 1960 by the political scientist Arnold Bergstraesser . It was then decisively shaped by its long-term directors Dieter Oberndörfer and Theodor Hanf . They were followed by Jürgen Rüland , Heribert Weiland and Reinhart Kößler .

In 2006, the institute was recognized as one of "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas" in the competition initiated by the federal government and German business.

The importance of the institute is measured by a. to the numerous former employees who are now or were working at German or foreign universities or research institutions - such as Hermann Avenarius and Patrick Dias in Frankfurt, Gerald Braun , Jakob Rösel and Nikolaus Werz in Rostock, Michael Fremerey in Kassel, Theodor Hanf in Freiburg and Beirut, Franz-Wilhelm Heimer in Lisbon, Gottfried-Karl Kindermann in Munich, Manfred Mols and Gerd Mielke in Mainz, Hans Weiler in Stanford, Paris and Frankfurt / Oder, Jürgen Rüland in Freiburg and Jürgen Wolff in Bochum.

Publications

The institute publishes its most important research results, if possible in high-ranking refereed journals and in renowned book series. The in-house Working Paper Series supports this project. With the International Forum Asia ( International Quarterly for Asian Studies ), the Institute published a major refereed journal of Asian studies. The institute is involved in the publication of the high-ranking area magazine Africa Spectrum. Suitable manuscripts from the institute's environment are published in book series, some of which the institute publishes itself.

The research results are published in specialist journals, monographs and in some cases in our own series. The institute publishes a thematic periodical with the International Quarterly for Asian Studies.

The institute publishes the following specialist journals and book series:

  • International Asia Forum
  • Arnold Bergstraesser Institute Working Papers
  • Co-editor of the Africa Spectrum
  • Book series: Freiburg contributions to development and politics - Freiburg writings on political science - Development theory and development politics - Studies on ethnicity and democracy (together with Nomos / Bloomsbury Publishing)

Furthermore, the research results of the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute appear as contributions by the institute staff in specialist journals or edited volumes.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.arnold-bergstraesser.de/wir-ueber-uns


Coordinates: 48 ° 0 ′ 54.7 "  N , 7 ° 48 ′ 40.4"  E