Cooperations
Well networked
The Center for Inter-American Studies collaborates at the regional, national, European and international levels with a variety of organizations that are instrumental in achieving the Center's goals. The partners and projects presented here exemplify how they contribute to the reconceptualization of traditional approaches and present transnational and transregional methods of analysis.
Afro-Asian Institute Graz
The Afro-Asian Institute Graz (AAI) is an important cooperation partner of the C.IAS with regard to interregional and intercultural cooperation. The AAI focuses on Africa, Asia and Latin America, in particular on development cooperation and migration issues. C.IAS Director Roberta Maierhofer has been a member of the AAI Board of Trustees since September 2001. C.IAS has repeatedly been a partner of joint events.
alumni UNI graz
One of the aims of the C.IAS is cooperation in the areas of teaching and research as well as public relations. In this respect, alumni UNI graz is an important partner of the C.IAS, especially the sections international alumni, English & American Studies and Alumni Romance Studies.
Association for Canadian Studies in the United States
The Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) is a multidisciplinary organization that was founded at Duke University in 1971 and was managed by the Canadian Center of the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University until 1975. Its secretariat is now based at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. ACSUS was founded to increase knowledge and awareness of Canada and its bilateral relationship with the United States in terms of humanities and social science research and outreach. In the past, ACSUS has proven to be a solid platform for cooperation in North, Central and South America. C.IAS and ACSUS have been working together since 2011 and have jointly organized conferences and workshops.
Aussee talks
The annual event Ausseer Gespräche: Wissenschaft und Kunst in Österreichs Kernlandschaft was launched in 2009 by Irmtraud Fischer, university professor at the Institute for Old Testament Biblical Studies at the Faculty of Catholic Theology and then Vice-Rector for Research and Continuing Education at the University of Graz. The idea behind it is, on the one hand, that the university located in the capital Graz brings science and art to the outermost region of the province of Styria - namely Ausseerland - and allows the local inhabitants to participate in the academic discourse as active participants or listeners. On the other hand, the speakers from a wide range of disciplines from science AND art (in contrast to conventional conference formats, where art is at best considered as a supporting program) are to work together with young scientists and students (as a scholarship-supported "future") in an informal atmosphere on the respective main topic in order to overcome the barriers between science and art, between the disciplines and ultimately between prospective, young and established academics and to form new networks.
C.IAS has been a cooperation partner of the Aussee Talks from the very beginning and C.IAS Director Roberta Maierhofer was involved in the program planning as an advisory board member. At her suggestion, speakers such as Anne Bastin (2010) and Guy LaForest (2013) were invited. Former C.IAS Deputy Director Ulla Kriebernegg chaired the panel and was also actively involved at various levels.
Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association (AAECA)
The goal of the Austrian-American Education Cooperation Association (AAECA), which was established with the support of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, is to develop a spectrum of Austrian-American cooperation in the field of education. The Center for Inter-American Studies is represented on the board by Roberta Maierhofer as an expert for transatlantic cooperation. AAECA places special emphasis on teacher training, language programs, curriculum development and the exchange of ideas in the areas of bilingual, multicultural and vocational education.
Austrian-American Educational Cooperation Association (AAECA)
Bielefeld University - Center for Inter-American Studies
Center for Inter-American Studies, Bielefeld University
In 2011, the Center for Inter-American Studies (CIAS) was founded at Bielefeld University on the basis of an interdisciplinary teaching and research network for Inter-American Studies that had already existed since 2002. CIAS Bielefeld focuses on comparative and transregional research on interculturality, identity politics and coloniality, cultural politics and mediality, migration and transnationalism and is therefore a very compatible cooperation partner for the Center for Inter-American Studies Graz. One example of the strong links is the summer university "Broadcasting the Americas: Academic Reflections and Media Practice on Politics and Culture." This Erasmus intensive program is coordinated by Bielefeld University in cooperation with the universities of Graz, Cologne, Duisburg-Essen, College Cork, Ca' Foscari, Coimbra, Ljubljana and Bern as European partner institutions.
Binghamton University (SUNY)
Since its founding in 2006, the Center for Inter-American Studies has worked closely with the State University of New York at Binghamton. Roberta Maierhofer holds an associate professor position at Binghamton University, and collaborations have been established at both the student and faculty levels.
Center Austria - University of New Orleans
Center for Austrian Studies, University of New Orleans
The collaboration between the two centers takes place to promote activities that focus on the aspect of transatlantic relations, as well as to promote student and staff exchanges. In November 2013, Roberta Maierhofer and Ulla Kriebernegg visited the Center Austria and had the opportunity to discuss further possibilities for cooperation.
City College of New York (CUNY)
The collaboration between the Center for Inter-American Studies and City College originally began with the School of Education, but now focuses on the Department of English, especially with Professor Joshua Wilner (see photo) as a strong proponent of joint activities. Through the Graz International Summer School, professors and students are actively involved, and new ideas for cooperation in research and teaching are being developed.
COMECE / Diocese Graz-Seckau
Roberta Maierhofer can look back on nine successful years of cooperation between the University of Graz, the Diocese of Graz-Seckau and COMECE within the framework of the Graz International Summer School Seggau. The first summer university was organized in 2006, and the University of Graz, the Diocese of Graz-Seckau and COMECE recently signed an agreement to continue this cooperation until 2017.
Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
Cooperation with the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the largest US organization with more than 5,500 members dedicated to research, education and practice in the field of ageing, takes place via the Humanities & Arts Committee, to which Roberta Maierhofer was appointed as a member in 2012. At the annual conferences, Ulla Kriebernegg and Roberta Maierhofer were invited to take part in workshops and discussion panels. The members of the H&A Committee see their task as introducing a humanities and social sciences perspective. On the initiative of the Humanities & Arts Committee of the GSA, the film "Amour" by Michael Haneke (winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2013 Academy Awards) was shown. Roberta Maierhofer and Ulla Kriebernegg initiated and led a discussion about the film together with Jim Vanden Bosch, Rick Scheidt and Helen Kivnick at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) in New Orleans on November 21, 2013.
International American Studies Association (IASA)
Based on its global perspective, the International American Studies Association has become an important partner of the Center for Inter-American Studies as it has facilitated collaboration with colleagues working regionally, hemispherically, nationally, and transnationally in North, Central, and South America.
International Association of Inter-American Studies (IAS)
Founded in 2009, the International Association for Inter-American Studies aims to promote interdisciplinary studies on the culture, literature, media, languages, history, societies, politics and economics of North, Central and South America. The C.IAS works closely with the IAS, with Heidrun Mörtl serving as treasurer on the board and Roberta Maierhofer as a member of the advisory board. The cooperation is also reflected in the numerous visits of IAS President Josef Raab to the summer universities in Seggau, where he has taught literature and sustainability and presented Inter-American topics in lectures and keynote speeches.
Coordination Office for Age(ing) at the University of Graz
In 2014, the Age/ing Coordination Office was founded in collaboration with the Center for Inter-American Studies with the aim of providing information and coordination with internal and external partners regionally, nationally and internationally in the field of ageing research. Planned activities include lecture series, workshops, joint events and publications.
Mercy College
In November 2011, Professor Dr. Alfred Posamentier, Dean of the School of Education at Mercy College (see photo at left), asked Roberta Maierhofer to be part of Mercy College's newly formed International Advisory Board, which provides long-term programmatic guidance to the Center for Global Engagement. The Advisory Board, comprised of experts with diverse backgrounds and interests, meets in an informal and advisory capacity to review progress and future plans related to Mercy College's international relations. Mercy College and the University of Graz are also linked through student and faculty exchanges.
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The cooperation between the MLA and the C.IAS takes place in the officially established Age Studies Discussion Group, in which Roberta Maierhofer has participated. She has organized panels, chaired collaborative meetings and sponsored events.
Montclair State University
The cities of Graz and Montclair have maintained a "sister city" partnership since 1949, which led to Montclair State University becoming the University of Graz's first official US partner institution in the 1950s. The cooperation between MSU and the C.IAS focuses on Inter-American Studies, for example through Professor Luis San Vicente Portes (photo right) from the School of Business, who is teaching at the summer university in Seggau for the fifth consecutive year. Ulla Kriebernegg has spent several research stays at MSU and is in close contact with colleagues regarding research projects.
North American Network in Aging Studies (NANAS)
The North American Network on Aging Studies (NANAS) was founded in January 2013 as a parallel organization to the European Network on Aging Studies (ENAS) with the goal of "facilitating sustained, international, and multidisciplinary collaboration among all researchers interested in the study of cultural aging." In 2012, the C.IAS had already participated in a research grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) entitled "Generate: Seeding the Future of North American Aging Research". In July 2013, a planning retreat at Hiram College in Ohio, attended by Roberta Maierhofer, laid the groundwork for further collaboration in the field of aging research.
National Women's Studies Association (NWSA)
The C.IAS has been involved in the National Women's Studies Association for many years. The Aging and Ageism Caucus is an important platform for discussions on gender and age, diversity issues, discrimination and affirmative action. Roberta Maierhofer, Ulla Kriebernegg and Heidrun Mörtl have organized workshops and presented papers at NWSA conferences.
Austrian Exchange Service (ÖAD)
As the official Austrian agency for international mobility and cooperation in education, science and research, the OEAD is a natural partner for the Center for Inter-American Studies. A recent collaboration was the participation of Roberta Maierhofer as a respondent in a lecture by Hans de Wit entitled "Challenges and Opportunities of the Internationalization of Higher Education in Europe" on 21 May 2014.
City of Graz
The City of Graz has supported higher education activities on many different levels, whether through financial support, such as for the Graz International Summer School Seggau and conferences, receptions hosted by Mayor Siegfried Nagl at City Hall or by providing platforms for discussion and networking. A recent example was the invitation from the Center for Inter-American Studies (Roberta Maierhofer, Ulla Kriebernegg, Barbara Ratzenböck) in March 2014 to work together with participants from seven countries at an event organized by the City of Graz as part of the EU project "Senior Capital". As a result, Roberta Maierhofer was invited to a network meeting (network breakfast) in June 2014, at which various institutions in Graz regularly come together to discuss issues relating to affirmative action and diversity problems. On the initiative of the C.IAS, the next meeting will take place at the University of Graz to discuss closer cooperation in relation to work-life balance, gender equality and measures against age and gender discrimination.
Education and Culture (TEMPUS)
The interdisciplinary TEMPUS project "Example of Excellence in Joint (Degree) Development in South Eastern Europe" (JoinSEE) with 24 partner institutions aimed to establish six joint degree programs. Roberta Maierhofer initiated this project as Vice-Rector and contributed her expertise in the field of higher education, curriculum development and the establishment of joint degrees. The photos below are from the final conference in Sarajevo in May 2012, which was attended by Rector Christa Neuper as head of the delegation from Graz.
UNI for LIFE
The collaboration between UNI for LIFE, a further education institution at the University of Graz, focuses on the research fields of cultural gerontology. Roberta Maierhofer heads the Master's program "Interdisciplinary Gerontology" and teaches various courses in the field of age and aging together with Ulla Kriebernegg. In addition, UNI for LIFE supports the Center for Inter-American Studies in organizational matters in connection with the Graz International Summer School Seggau.
University of Málaga
The collaboration with the University of Málaga began in 2011 with an invitation from Professor Rosario Arias (photo left) and Carmen María Lara Rallo (photo right) to work on a research project on Jacques Derrida's concept of the "trace" ("El concepto de la huella: delimitación, estudio y aplicación a la literatura reciente en lengua inglesa"). In the follow-up application (2014-2017) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Research, which was approved in July 2014, the C.IAS was named as an official partner. In addition, Roberta Maierhofer contributes to the doctoral program "Lingüística, Literatura y Traducción" at the University of Málaga as an external collaborator.
Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED)
The Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia in Madrid, a distance learning and research university founded in 1972, collaborates with the Center for Inter-American Studies on teaching and research projects. Cooperation projects were developed with the support of Antonio Moreno Hernandez, Dean of the Faculty of Philology (photo left), and Marta Cerezo Moreno and Angeles de la Concha Munoz, both from the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics. Marta Cerezo Moreno has taught at the Summer University in Seggau and is currently preparing a book publication in the "Aging Studies" series. In addition, a short-term program on issues of diversity, migration and narration is being planned. In 2012, Roberta Maierhofer was appointed by the Rectorate of Ca' Foscari as an external collaborator in the doctoral program "Doctorado en Estudios Filológicos".
Università Ca' Foscari Venezia
The links between the Università Ca' Foscari Venezia and the Center for Inter-American Studies are manifold. The close collaboration began under the former Vice-Rector for International Relations at Ca' Foscari, Loretta Innocenti (photo left), who was involved in the founding of the Joint Degree in English and American Studies. The Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Culturali Comparati served as a basis for student and lecturer exchanges, cooperation at EU level, summer university activities, research projects, conferences and workshops. Since 2012, Roberta Maierhofer has been a member of the scientific advisory board of the book series "Tourism and Literature", edited by Simone Francescato and Daniela Ciani Forza, who can be seen in the photo on the right. The latest project is an anthology on senior tourism, in which Simone Francescato and Roberta Maierhofer will edit a volume in the "Aging Studies" series. In 2013, Roberta Maierhofer was appointed by the Rectorate of Ca' Foscari as an academic reviewer in the context of quality assurance.
University of Alberta
The Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies
The cooperation with the Wirth Institute is based on a common interest in European-American relations. The main mandate of the Wirth Institute is to raise the profile of Central Europe and Central European Studies in Canada. As part of the Center for Inter-American Studies' HRSM proposal, Prof. Joseph Patrouch, Director of the Wirth Institute (center photo), has committed to the Wirth Institute's participation in this project.
University of Minnesota
The established cooperation between the University of Graz and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, dates back to the 1980s. In 2015, the Center for Inter-American Studies (C.IAS) and the Center for Austrian Studies (CAS) will work closely together by successfully submitting a research grant application from the Center for Austrian Studies for the project "Shifting Perspectives in Europe and Beyond: Individual and Collective Identities from an Interdisciplinary and Interregional Perspective". Together with Patrick McNamara, Professor of History at UMN, Roberta Maierhofer will develop structures for joint research and teaching within the framework of the Graz International Summer School Seggau 2015 by conducting interdisciplinary workshops and producing a documentary film that is an artistic reflection of the academic work. In addition, Roberta Maierhofer will conduct research at the University of Minnesota in 2016.
University of Toronto
The collaboration with the University of Toronto takes place on the one hand through Ulla Kriebernegg and her collaboration with the Jackman Humanities Institute, which promotes the humanities by creating networks for interaction among humanities scholars regardless of their discipline. On the other hand, through the close collaboration with Professor Robert C. Austin, Munk School of Global Affairs, Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, who has been teaching at the Summer University since 2006 and was also a collaborator in the HRSM application.
VertebrALCUE: ALFA
From 2008 to 2011, the Center for Inter-American Studies participated in the ALFA III project VertebrALCUE, which aimed to establish an institutional structure among 32 partner institutions, the so-called ALCUE units. These units are intended to facilitate existing and future cooperation between Latin America and European higher education institutions. In October 2012, a Green Paper was presented in Brussels as a result of the project. The Center for Inter-American Studies, which assumed the function of an ALCUE unit at the University of Graz, was mentioned as a best-practice model within the framework of the project.
Diversity as an opportunity
The project "Diversity as Opportunity" - organized by Katharina Scherke (University of Graz) within the research area "Heterogeneity and Cohesion" and Robert Reithofer (ISOP Graz) and supported by FH JOANNEUM Graz in terms of media coverage and public relations - attempts to tackle challenging questions from an interdisciplinary and intra-institutional perspective. As the Center for Inter-American Studies focuses on aspects of diversity in relation to both individual and collective identities (intersectionality) as well as migration, Roberta Maierhofer participated in this project in 2014 with a lecture and an interview (see photo on the left), and in view of the planned publication of 2015.
Centre for Canadian Studies (ZKS)
The Center for Canadian Studies (ZKS) in Graz, headed by Klaus-Dieter Ertler and co-directed by Martin Löschnigg, offers an interdisciplinary platform for academic exchange with Canada and is an important partner for the Center for Inter-American Studies, especially with regard to the lecture series on Canada.