African studies
The hunger for raw materials and migration movements are increasingly bringing Africa into focus and changing the Western perspective on the continent. However, despite growing interest in African countries, our ideas about them remain vague, and in many cases stubborn prejudices persist.
Linguist Jennifer Brunner and cultural scientist Angelika Heiling are working to close these gaps in knowledge with the "African Studies" module series and to establish an African Science Hub in Graz.
Brunner, who focuses primarily on the languages of Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, emphasises the well-functioning communication – for example, around 500 languages are used in Nigeria alone, and yet communication still works.
The African Studies module series is offered by the University of Graz's treffpunkt sprachen (language meeting place). It provides an overview of the extraordinary diversity and dynamism of languages in Africa and offers a taste of literature, art and culture.
To the Unizeit article (2025)
Visible history
Old atlases, unique cityscapes, secret letters and valuable scientific documents from the collections of the University of Graz have been meticulously digitised and made technologically fit for the future.
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, the Institutes of Linguistics and Digital Humanities, the University Archives, the University Museums and the Special Collections of the University Library joined forces in 2023 to preserve some of their historical holdings for the long term as part of the "Digital Cultural Heritage" project. The objects were scanned, enriched with metadata and published on various online platforms.
55,000 works are now available to the general public, revealing a piece of cultural identity.
To the Unizeit article (2024)
Critical thinking as a way out of the impasse
Climate change, social division and authoritarian political developments are just some of the enormous challenges of our time. To overcome them, we first need to be aware of the ideas and beliefs that have brought us to this point, according to translation scientist Stefan Baumgarten. He calls for radical thinking that is "critical, wild and open". This also means thinking in complex ways, incorporating science, empathy and emotions instead of polarising. Musicologist Susanne Kogler picks up on this and emphasises the importance of self-reflection as a major contribution to critical practice. It is important to shed light on how thought patterns and ideologies shape our perception and how our perception can promote or even prevent critical thinking.
The two scholars have initiated the research project "Radical Thinking in the Anthropocene".
To the interview with Stefan Baumgarten and Susanne Kogler (2024)