Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences - Institute of Asian and African Studies

About us

Information on the revised profile of the IAAW will be provided soon

 

 

 

Studying

The IAAW offers the transregional and multidisciplinary bachelor degree program

 

  • Regional Studies Asia/Africa

 

Within these study programs, the basic idea of area studies is to transcend regional and disciplinary boundaries, to look for interdisciplinary and comparative questions and obtain scientific results. The resulting teaching structure is comprised of three thematic areas, namely “Society and Transformation”, “Culture and Identity”, and “Language and Communication”, which are supplemented by a multidisciplinary and transregional introduction module, with methodology and project courses and an intensive language training in the languages of Asia and Africa. Within the modules, students are free to opt for a regional specialization or a comprehensive transregional education which prepares them for further studies or a non-academic professional career. The Bachelor Plus program opens up possibilities for studying an extra year at a partner university located in the specific research area.

 

On a master degree level the IAAW aims at a differentiation of and focus on the regional specialization in the following study programs

 

  • MA African studies
  • MA Modern South and Southeast Asia studies
  • MA Central Asian studies

 

Within the framework of these master degree programs, students can choose a disciplinary as well as regional focus and furthermore have the opportunity to perfect their regional language skills.

A scientific perspective geared towards the phenomena of globalization can be developed and deepened in two master study programs which were jointly set up by the IAAW and international and Berliner partner institutions:

  • MA Global Studies
  • MA Global History

 

Postgraduate Studies

The regional sections of the IAAW offer the possibility of obtaining a PhD in the subjects

 

  • African studies
  • East Asian studies (planning stage)
  • South Asian studies
  • Southeast Asian studies
  • Central Asian studies

 

Starting with the winter term 2014/15, students can take part in the postgraduate program

  • Global and Area Studies

conceptualized and structured by the IAAW in cooperation with national and international partners.

 

Members of the IAAW supervise doctoral students from the graduate school initiated by Humboldt-Universität and Freie Universität Berlin, which is jointly supported within the framework of the Initiative of Excellency.

  • Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies

 

as well as in common doctoral programs together with universities in Asia and Africa and in the  global North. Some members have the right to award doctorates in further PhD subjects of their faculties and/or of other Humboldt-Universität faculties.

 

 

Networking

The master degree and doctoral programs jointly initiated by (members of) the IAAW and other institutes of the KuSoBi faculty are among the main long-term networking projects. When it comes to medium-term networking projects (SFBs, BMBF and others), the key role is played by projects either in cooperation with institutes of other faculties or with further national and/or international institutions.

Particular emphasis is laid on dense medium- and long-term networking activities linking universities and other academic institutions in countries of the IAAW’s areas of research. This manifests itself in cooperation – either program-based or independent from a program-based structure – in teaching and promoting young researchers as well as in postgraduate and student research, individually and in groups.