15 years C.IAS
The Center for Inter-American Studies (C.IAS) celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2021/2022. Although Styria and the city of Graz have a long and intensive history with the Americas and the University of Graz has been researching and teaching about the culture, history and society of the Americas for over a century, it was only in 2006 that the Rectorate of the University of Graz established a center specifically for this region. The center was officially founded in 2007 as the "Center for the Study of the Americas". Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Roberta Maierhofer, it developed into an internationally and transregionally innovative platform for interdisciplinary research work on the Americas. In 2012, the importance of Inter-American Studies was underlined once again when the University of Graz established North, Central and South America as a second university-wide focus region alongside Southeast Europe.
Various events on the research and teaching of current and former members as well as on the history of the C.IAS and its achievements were planned for 2021. With a particular, focus on the C.IAS's efforts to "reconceptualize traditional approximations both in terms of transnational and transregional methods with the aim of analyzing" (Roberta Maierhofer) the Western Hemisphere, as well as its global relations. In addition to the traditional division into the "Americas" - i.e. the world regions of North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean - the term "Western Hemisphere" also includes the zones of influence of the Americas in the Atlantic, Pacific and on the continent of Antarctica.
The founding of the Center for Society, Knowledge and Communication, which also includes the Center for Inter-American Studies, was approved by the Rectorate of the University of Graz on August 18, 2011. The Center is considered a cross-faculty service area in the seventh faculty at the University of Graz.
The founding declaration was published in the University of Graz Bulletin No. 136, 2010/11, 47.a of August 24, 2011 and can be viewed here. Page 6 describes the objectives and areas of responsibility of the C.IAS.
The Center's report shows how the research field of Inter-American Studies has developed at the University of Graz and which methods and approaches have contributed significantly to the redefinition of Area Studies. In addition to a review of the past years, the report also offers an outlook for the future.