Banner Viadrina

Research Profile

At the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), research and teaching are of the same fundamental importance. In accordance with the Humboldtian idea of the university, the quality of research and teaching is considered to be interdependent.

Since its re-establishment in 1991 the European University Viadrina has developed an international research profile involving its three faculties – the Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences, the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics and the Faculty of Law – with distinct research foci. Each of the three faculties provide specific expertise on Europe, with Central-Eastern Europe being an integral area of research at the Viadrina. The shared focus e.g. shows in the joint Master programme in European Studies which is borne by all faculties as well as in

  • the main research and teaching focus of the social and cultural sciences on Europe and Central-Eastern Europe,

  • the intense economic research on international economic relations and European integration and on investment and taxation in Central-Eastern Europe,

  • the jurisprudential research foci on various aspects of European law.

The cross-faculty research institutes – i.e. the Heinrich von Kleist Institute for Literature and Politics, the Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies, the Interdisciplinary Center of Ethics, the Institute for Transcultural Health Sciences, the Institute for Conflict Management and the new Frankfurt Institute for European Union Law (founded 2010) – connect different disciplinary approaches and create an innovative research environment.

The establishment of Graduate Colleges, Graduate Schools and the Viadrina Center for Graduate Studies enables young scholars to develop and conduct own research projects within the framework of structured PhD-programmes.

One of the main objectives which was assigned to the Viadrina when it was re-established is its bridge function between Western and Central-Eastern Europe. With its research activities, the Viadrina today serves this bridge function, thus being an important link within the process of the European integration. For Viadrina, Central-Eastern Europe is not only a core object of scientific interest, but a very relevant cooperation partner for teaching and research as well.

This is also reflected in the two areas of research which the Viadrina choose for its application within the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments. The International Graduate School DYNAMIC MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION and the Cluster of Excellence B/ORDERS IN MOTION proposed for bundle core research foci of Viadrina by addressing questions of

  • SPACE – BORDER – MOBILITY

  • ORDERS IN MOTION

  • LANGUAGE – MEDIA – COMMUNICATION

  • IDENTITY – ALTERITY

The International Graduate School and the Cluster of Excellence involve academic institutions and universities in the Central-Eastern European countries as scientific cooperation partners, thus continuing an already 20 year old pioneering tradition of cooperation between the Viadrina and Central-Eastern Europe.

An integral part of this tradition is the already long-established cross-border cooperation with Polish universites, in particular with the universities in Poznań und Wrocław. A specific element of the internationalisation of the Viadrina is the Collegium Polonicum, a well-established bi-national academic institution jointly founded and maintained by the Viadrina and the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Moreover, the Viadrina collaborates with numerous other universities in and outside Europe within international research networks and maintains close scientific cooperations with national and regional universities and research institutions.

 

Main Research Areas at Viadrina

Research in the Faculties

Young Scholars

Research Institutes

Central Institutions of EUV

International Research

 

Contact
Office for Research

Dr. Petra Kuhnau
Head of Research Office
Tel.: +49 (0) 335 5534 2904
Fax: +49 (0) 335 5534 4305

kuhnau@europa-uni.de

 

Katrin Kühn
Tel.: +49 (0) 335 5534 2903
Fax: +49 (0) 335 5534 4305

kakuehn@europa-uni.de

 

Postal Address
European University Viadrina
Office for Research
Große Scharrnstraße 59
15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Germany