Institutes for Advanced Studies and their Role in the German Academic System
The role and the scientific relevance of German Institutes for Advanced Studies were discussed in a public conference hosted by the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) and the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.
Representatives from Institutes for Advances Studies – among them the coordinators from the Zukunftskolleg and the Kulturwissenschaftlichen Kolleg Konstanz – as well as research institutes, ministries and foundations attended the conference.
The participating Institutes for Advanced Studies united in a common acknowledgment including five central points. In their self-conception, Institutes for Advanced studies Research have a significant impact on the international reputation of German academic system and foster its integration in international networks in the long run. The Institutes are characterized by different concepts and fellowship formats but are united in their aim to promote young researchers and to create an environment of free and individual research. As fellowships are a privilege, Institutes have to guarantee high standards in quality and transparency, which has repeatedly been confirmed by external reviewers.
In the medium-term perspective, the Institutes consider a central, independent and competitive funding programme as desirable as this could enable Institutes of Advances Studies to highlight and refine their independent profile in the German academic landscape. Moreover, the exchange between the Institutes shall be continued.
Both the the Zukunftskolleg and the Kulturwissenschaftliches Kolleg of the University of Konstanz signed the declaration.
The full declaration is available here (in German only): www.forschungskollegs-in-deutschland.de
A documentation of the conference including the full declaration in English (p. 28) is available here.