Three new India projects to be launched

In October 2015, the "'Indo-German Partnerships in Higher Education" programme was signed in New Delhi during bilateral government consultations. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has granted around EUR 375,000 for as many as three new projects that see the University of Würzburg cooperate with partners in Delhi. A comparable amount of funding is dedicated to the Indian project partners by the University Grants Commission Delhi. The projects start end of July 2016.

The first project: "Basics of the Indo-European strategic partnership". In this project, the Würzburg project management consisting of Professor Gisela Müller-Brandeck-Bocquet, PD Michael Becker and Dr. Matthias Gsänger (all from the Institute for Political Science and Sociology) collaborate with Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi. Comparative perspectives are aimed at analysing European and Indian political thinking. Moreover, the project deals with the basics, principles and structures of Indo-European relations that led to a strategic partnership between the EU and India in 2004.

The second project: "Literature in a globalised world". The project manager is Professor Isabel Karremann from English Literature and Cultural Science. She also has a partner at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New-Delhi. Her project seeks to establish the interactions between the globalisation process and the development of literature. Besides a critical approach to globalisation, the project aims to determine which creative methods literature has developed in the face of globalisation.

The third project: Teaming up with colleagues from the University of Delhi, Professor Regina Egetenmeyer (adult education/continuing education) has launched the project "Indian and European insights into lifelong learning of adults". A comparative approach is adopted to analyse common points and differences of adult education in Europe and India. The focus is on references between science and adult education in practice.

Students are involved

All three projects do more than research. They also attach great importance to training students in both countries: Semesters abroad as well as summer and winter schools promote contacts and intercultural skills, build knowledge and broaden the mind. Each project will run for a period of four years and will even allow students to write their master theses and dissertations on the respective topic.

The India Centre also promotes teachers

The partners in the two countries have already made experiences with each other in previous or current projects which they can now build on in the new programme. The University of Würzburg's India Centre provides additional support, especially for the exchange between teachers. It will be financed by the DAAD at least until the end of 2017.

Some web links

The India Forum of the Institute of Political Science / Sociology

India mobility at the Department for Adult and Continuing Education

To the University of Würzburg's India Centre

Download of the annual reports of the Würzburg India Initiative

Contact persons

Prof. Dr. Gisela Müller-Brandeck-Bocquet, European Studies and International Relations, Institute for Political Science and Sociology, Phone: +49 931 31-84858, e-mail: mbb@uni-wuerzburg.de

Prof. Dr. Isabel Karremann, English Literature and Cultural Studies, Phone: +49 931 31-89388, e-mail: isabel.karremann@uni-wuerzburg.de

Prof. Dr. Regina Egetenmeyer, Adult Education/Continuing Education, Phone: +49 931 31-83898, e-mail: regina.egetenmeyer@uni-wuerzburg.de