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Global Cultures Curriculum

Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna

The Global Cultures Curriculum takes a radically new approach to the humanities. Students are invited to positively assume the “shock of the global” that is affecting our lives and societies. This means abandoning the secure shores of traditional Eurocentric and state-centered approaches and methodologies, in order to engage with the most innovative forms of contemporary research. The development of hybrid methods and research fields, experimentation with new forms of interaction between teachers and students, and a strong emphasis on cross-cultural and transnational connections are essential elements of these new critical perspectives on the study of the present and the past.

In keeping with our commitment to emerging fields including global history and post-colonial studies, Global Cultures seeks to give students a truly global outlook on the humanities. For us the “global” does not name only a particular geographical scale; nor is it a synonym for “world-wide” or a way of referring to the present as opposed to the past. More radically, the “global” names a process of “displacement” and “disorientation,” an alternative to both the Eurocentrism and the “methodological nationalism” still dominant in the humanities and social sciences. Global Cultures therefore offers a truly interdisciplinary dialogue among three main research fields: history, anthropology, and critical theory. During their first year students acquire the fundamental methodological tools of all three fields, and the capacity to critically analyze the current dynamics of the global age. After this formative year, students build individual curricula according to their main interests along three main research lines: history (from ancient to contemporary), non-Western cultural traditions, and political and social thought.

The international character of the program is also assured by its strong emphasis on new tools and methods of teaching, which make faculty research more directly available to students in the form of seminars, labs, guided individual research, etc., with a special attention for the new opportunities offered by the increasing digitalization of humanities. The M.A. in Global Cultures is designed for students seeking a career with an international dimension. The degree’s interdisciplinary focus is particularly adapted for people seeking for careers in international organizations, NGOs, industries and company with a vocation for export, media and communications, museums and cultural institutions. It will also prepare for further studies at PhD level and academic or professional careers in leading universities or other research-oriented organization in public and private sectors.

Contact Information
Paolo Capuzzo, Professor and Academic Coordinator

Department of History and Cultures, University of Bologna
Piazza San Giovanni in Monte, 2
Bologna, Italy
Italy
http://corsi.unibo.it/2cycle/GlobalCultures/Pages/default.aspx
cdl.gloc@unibo.it
00390512097666

Region
Balkans and Southern Europe
Europe

Academic Program
M.A.

Year Established
2016

Fellowships and Potential Scholarly Affiliations
Global Cultures Curriculum Fellowships