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    India Center

    India Centre

    "Germany needs more young people with India competence" (DAAD)

    The interdisciplinary Centre for Modern India Studies at the University of Wuerzburg was established in October 2010, financially supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In December 2012, the project received a grant to continue until December 2014.

    Two key areas of support at the University of Wuerzburg.

    In order to strengthen the India competence of students and scholars, University of Wuerzburg received funds to support two key programm areas:

    • A scholarship programm to fund study and research trips to India for students at all Schools of the University of Wuerzburg and to support Indian students in Germany (mobility programm) (Mobilitätsprogramm)
    • An interdisciplinary initiative called "Centre for Modern India Wuerzburg (ZMIW)". This initiative facilitates the widening and deepening of inter- and transdisciplinary structures with a focus on the study of modern India at the University of Wuerzburg. The Centre for Modern India Wuerzburg concentrates a broad range of India-related research interests and teaching activities. The focus is on Cultural, Political and Social Studies as well as Economics and Law. Prof. Dr. Heidrun Brueckner, Chair of Indology. is responsible for programm applications and coordination of activities. The activities succesfully initiated during the first project phase were met with so much interest that the number of participants has more than doubled for the for the current phase 2013/14. Participants now represent ten Chairs and Institutes from four Schools..

    Project outline

    • Support for young Germans from across the University to acquire India competence
    • Inclusion of more degree programms and Schools in exchange with India
    • Academic exchange between German and Indian universities and research institutes
    • Development of new, interdisciplinary degree programms with a focus on India
    • Widening the scope of teaching at the Chair of Indology

    Activities

    • During the first funding phase (1-10-2010 to 31-12-2012) 12 guest and short-term lecturers from 5 Indian partner institutions taught at 4 Chairs/Instituates at the University of Wuerzburg. Three interdisciplinary, international symposia and one Summer School were held. A Euro-Indian Week was also organized. Funded by the mobility programm, 30 students/Ph.D. students from Wuerzburg studied or conducted research at 4 Indian partner universities.(Programmübersicht 2010-12)
    • For the funding phase 2013/14 22 guest and short-term lectureships of Indian scholars at 10 Chairs/Institutes in Wuerzburg and Nuremberg as well as 7 short-term lectureships of German scholars at 4 partner institutions in India have been planned. 2 conferences, 6 symposia and 2 Summer Schools are in preparation. 10 German students/Ph.D. students will complete a research visit on scholarships totalling 23 months in India and 2 Indian Ph.D. students will spend a total of 4 months on a scholarship in Germany. 2 groups of students will spend 11 days each on excursions visiting Indian partner institutions. As part of the mobility programm, 28 students from Wuerzburg will conduct funded research in India, and 24 Indian students will come to Wuerzburg. (Programmübersicht 2013-14)
    • For the current funding phase 2015-17 36 short-term lectureships of Indian scholars at 10 Chairs/Institutes in Wuerzburg and Nuremberg as well as 13 short-term lectureships of German scholars at 6 partner institutions in India have been planned. 7 Workshops and Summer-/Winter Schools are in preparation. 13 German Ph.D. students will complete a research visit in India and 5 Indian Ph.D. students will spend a scholarship in Germany. 10 groups of German students will visit Indian partner institutions and 4 groups of Indian studens will come to Wuerzburg. (Programmübersicht 2015-17)

    Cooperations in Wuerzburg

    Thanks to the existing networks of the Chair of Indology with Cultural, Political and Social Studies as well as Economics, all the prerequisites for a transdisciplinary association in the ZMIW in Wuerzburg were already in place. In the current network, the key areas of interdisciplinary cooperation have broadened and diversified.

    Cooperation with India

    In addition to agreements of cooperation between the University of Wuerzburg and Indian research institutions in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mangalore, Hampi and Chennai several new agreements were made with significant institutions in New Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai for the current funding phase. The close collaboration with Indian scholars over several years ensures the direct participation of the ZMIW in developments in India and in joint research projects.