CEEPUS Network

CIII-AT-0503-04-1415 Inter-American Studies

CEEPUS is an acronym for "Central European Exchange Program for University Studies".

Current member countries are: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. Prishtina/Kosovo is also participating.

Within the CEEPUS network institutions of higher education from the participating countries have the opportunity to apply for thematic networks and the University of Graz and its partners have been granted support for their cooperation in Inter-American Studies since the academic year 2010/11.

Program Description

With the establishment of a Center for Inter-American Studies at the University of Graz new perspectives for developing regional and international partnerships with institutions in the field of Inter-Amerian Studies. In an effort to promote the research field of Inter-American Studies and to find partner institutions for the establishment of a Joint Degree in Inter-American Studies C.IAS approached partner institutions throughout Europe and formed this network in Inter-American Studies.

Coordinating Unit

University of Graz, Austria
Center for Inter-American Studies
Georg Schendl

Network Partners

St. Kiril and Methodius University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria	Faculty of Modern Languages, Department of English Ludmilla Kostova
Paisii Helendarski University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria	Department of English and American Studies Valentin Petroussenko
Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic	Philosophical Faculty Matthew Sweney
University of Zagreb, Croatia	Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of English Sven Cvek
Károli Gáspár University of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Hungary	Department of General Humanities Miklos Vassanyi
University of Pécs, Hungary	Faculty of Humanities, Institute for English Studies Gabriella Vöo
Jagiellonian University Cracow, Poland	Institute of American Studies and Polish Diaspora Adam Walaszek Administration: Anna Bartnik
Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania	Faculty of Letters, English Department Dana-Janeta Badulescu
Belgrade University, Serbia	Faculty of Philology, Department of Iberian Studies Zoran Paunovic
University of Novi Sad, Serbia	Department of English Language and Literature Ivana Djuric Paunovic
Comenius University, Slovakia	Faculty of Arts, Department of British and American Studies Peter Barrer
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia	Faculty of Education Beatriz Tomšic Cerkez

Objective

The aim is to establish the interdisciplinary field of Inter-American Studies as an attractive, international study program, thus providing a solid academic basis for developing an understanding of the interconnectedness of North and South America from a multidisciplinary perspective. Students will receive specialized academic training in the field of Inter-American Studies. In addition, various subject-related and vocationally-orientated contents of studies will be offered, thereby giving students a wide range of sophisticated understanding of and competences in various aspects of language, literature, culture, as well as social, political and regional contexts. This will provide students with a wide range of employment opportunities upon completion of their studies. In addition, students may pursue PhD programs in various fields. This joint endeavor will promote mobility in the context of a well-structured and rich program of study. In addition to providing intercultural experience and opportunities for personal growth, it will increase international employability of graduates.

Planned Mobility Action

Mobility action will include student and teacher mobility on a regular basis in order to build a network of universities within the Central European context to establish a Joint Degree in Inter-American Studies.

The curriculum development for the Joint Degree Program is in planning and plans between the partners have advanced since they first began in 2010.

International cooperation is the basis for a functioning Joint Degree. A positive example for these efforts is the course series Topics in Inter-American Studies.

The already existing summer school in the field of Inter-American Studies will provide a core aspect of the establishment of this degree.

Special Contribution of each Institution

Within the consortium each participating university will provide their specific research specialization (North American Studies, Canadian Studies, Latin American Studies, Inter-American Studies etc.) as a track within the curriculum. The University of Graz as a coordinating university will offer the theoretical introductory courses on Inter-American Studies within specialized courses and through the summer school. Participating Central European universities will offer both courses within the Romance Studies Departments and the English and American Studies Departments, thus creating in the consortium a (Central) European perspective on the Americas. In addition, partner institutions within the Americas will offer additional expertise within the research area. Language proficiency courses in languages other than English and Spanish (Hungarian, German, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Czech, Croatian, Serbian, Slovenian) will complement the program. The expertise in establishing a joint degree program will be offered by the University of Graz that has experience in successfully establishing such joint curricula.