EXC 270:  Asia and Europe in a Global Context: Shifting Asymmetries in Cultural Flows

• Subject Area: Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies
• Term: from 2007 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 39092596

Contacts between Asia and Europe were always difficult and characterised by fluid and instable, asymmetrical cultural flows. The members of this cluster of excellence presume asymmetries as the root of change, transformation, innovation and conflict. The objective of the cluster is therefore to examine shifting asymmetries in cultural flows with a strong focus on interdisciplinary research. The non-geographical use of both Asia and Europe and the concept of cultural flows are key elements of innovative theoretical debates on cultural exchange from the Bronze Age up to the present. The cluster of excellence connects different methodologies, scholarly traditions and epistemologies of Asian Studies, European historical and cultural studies and studies of the Ancient World in four research areas: "Governance and Administration", "Public Spheres", "Health and Environment", "Historicities and Heritage". Scholars involved walk the line between cultures and disciplines and are interested in flows and topics situated between established ordering principles.
The cluster of excellence develops innovative as well as sustainable concepts of research through the combination of different skills and approaches. A broad network of partner institutions, most of them in Asia and the United States, supports the scholarly exchange and ensures the cluster's international visibility within the scholarly community. Flat hierarchies and the promotion of young researchers foster a collaborative research design. The methodology combines theoretical approaches with field research and analysis of source material with special attention given to oral and audio-visual material to overcome the disregard for non-written sources. The research areas are linked to the "Karl Jaspers Centre for Transcultural Studies". This is the home of the cluster's institutional networks, including five new professorships, five junior research groups, a graduate school and the Heidelberg Research Architecture with linked databases for translingual concepts and transcultural images.
The cluster's overall goal is to overcome disciplinary limits and to provide expertise in transcultural "Global Studies" as a competence needed for future interactions between Asia and Europe.

• DFG Programme: Clusters of Excellence
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Spokespersons: Professor Dr. Nikolas Jaspert, since 11/2017; Professorin Dr. Monica Juneja, since 11/2017; Professor Dr. Thomas Maissen, until 8/2013; Professor Dr. Joseph Maran, until 10/2017; Professor Dr. Axel Michaels, until 10/2017; Professorin Dr. Barbara Mittler
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Christiane Brosius; Professorin Dr. Susanne Enderwitz; Professorin Dr. Antje Flüchter; Professor Harald Fuess, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Hans Harder; Professorin Dr. Birgit Kellner; Professor Dr. Joachim Kurtz; Professor Dr. Stefan M. Maul; Professor Dr. Subrata K. Mitra; Professor Dr. Marcus Nüsser; Professor Dr. Diamantis Panagiotopoulos; Professor Dr. Joachim Friedrich Quack; Professorin Dr. Susan Richter; Professor Dr. William S. Sax; Professor Dr. Bernd Schneidmüller; Professorin Dr. Melanie Trede; Professor Dr. Stefan Weinfurter (†); Professor Dr. Roland Wenzlhuemer