Crossing Borders – Border Crossings

Winter Term 2018/19

Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium "Border Studies and Critical Migration Research", Focus: The Borders of Europe - From Human Rights Discourse to Humanitarian Policies

Coll. for MA/BA students and doctoral candidates:

R 4.30, Georgenstr. 47, 4th floor, Institute for Cultural Studies

Mo. 14-18 o'clock, first appointment 22.10., attention: 16-18 o'clock

 

The Center for Transnational Border Research "Border Crossings - Crossing Borders" was founded in 2016 at the HU Berlin and since then it has been organizing an interdisciplinary research colloquium. This colloquium is supported by the Institute for European Ethnology (Lab Migration and Lab Critical Europeanization Research), the Chair of Historical Anthropology and Gender Studies at the Institute for Cultural Studies, and representatives of the historical sciences. It understands itself as a workshop for the engagement with current questions of European border and migration research and is jointly designed by all participating lecturers.

 

This semester's focus is on the joint discussion of fundamental texts dealing with Europe's ambivalent relationship to human rights discourse. On the one hand, since the Enlightenment at the latest, Europe has seen itself as a representative of universally valid human rights, which are at the same time highlighted as a "European heritage". On the other hand, the same Europe introduced massive inequalities and racisms, most recently at the present borders of the EU. The current negotiations on the opening or closing of Europe's borders are discussed as a "humanitarian concern".

 

In three four-hour thematic sessions, relevant research literature will be read and discussed together. In addition, doctoral students are given the opportunity to reflect on their work and develop it further in the joint discussion. In addition, Master's students can help shape the discussion with previously prepared thesis papers and thus obtain credits for the course.

 

The colloquium will be accompanied by lectures given by selected speakers from various disciplines who will take a look at the research field of border studies. Regular participation in the events, including the preparation of the texts and participation in the discussions, is required.  In order to plan the cooperation in the colloquium, participation in the introductory event on 22.10. (Attention: 16:15-18:00) is urgently required.   

 

October 22nd [Opening Border Studies, 16:15-18:00]

 

12.11. [Border Studies I: Cultural Studies; 14:00-18:00]

 

03.12. [Border Studies II: History,14:00-18:00]

 

07.1. [Border Studies III: European Ethnology, 14:00-18:00] / 10.1. lecture by Didier Fassin

 

04.02. [Border Studies: Conclusion, 16:15-18:00]