GRAINES

Graduate Interdisciplinary Network for European Studies

The modern world is an increasingly interconnected space. It is characterised by a multitude of cross-national and cross-border activities and practices. These range from travel to exploration, from migration to the circulation of knowledge, science and culture. Europe is part of this process and has, to a large extent, contributed to this process of growing interconnectedness and entanglement of regions within and beyond Europe from the early sixteenth century onward to the present day.

The interdisciplinary network includes various disciplines across the arts and humanities, most importantly history and literature, from a number of European universities. It brings together scholars and PhD researchers with a broad range of subjects and research interests in European history and culture.

GRAINES understands Europe and Europeanisation as an undogmatic, open and dynamic process characterised by a multitude of cross-national and cross-boundary activities. Along a rotating system of workshops, summer and winter schools the thematic focus of GRAINES is to understand Europe and its interconnection with the wider world between c.1500 and the present. Our areas of interest are deliberately broadly defined and range from travel and exploration, from migration, diaspora, exile and memory to the circulation of science, ideas and culture across borders to name a few. The methodological axes stem from comparative history and literature, transferts culturels, entangled and shared history to transnational history.

The network mainly cooperates at the level of postgraduate education and research. We aim at shaping a stimulating, truly international and interdisciplinary environment for our postgraduate communities, for current and future academics. GRAINES organises and hosts workshops, winter and summer schools on a broad range of themes in modern European history. The network organises exchange opportunities for members of staff and postgraduate students.

GRAINES emphasises the key importance of languages as a research tool and as a means of mutual cultural understanding. Our working languages are English, French and German primarily. Most events are organised on a bilingual basis of one active and at least one passive language. Exchanges and periods spent at partner institutions are key for postgraduate students for developing these skills along with experiencing different intellectual and research environments. The network organises exchanges that range from informal short-term stints of several weeks or months to formalised ‘co-tutelle’ degrees at Masters and PhD level with at least one semester abroad leading to the award of a bi-institional degree.

For further details please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the members of staff.