Acting Director Prof. Axel Michaels headed the meeting and welcomed the Cluster members. He first announced that Prof. Harald Fuess and Björn-Ole Kamm were able to negotiate a Joint Degree Master in Transcultural Studies on behalf of Heidelberg University and Kyoto University. In that context he also mentioned that Joseph Maran was able to secure the extension of Erasmus+ program with Hebrew University until 2019.
Prof. Michael gave an update of the latest publications, awards and appointments and talked about the program Transcultural Forays, which was recently established at the Heidelberg Center for Transcultural Studies. Dr. Eliane Ettmüller and Dr. Giulia Pelillo-Hestermeyer, who are among the first researchers to start in the program, introduced their projects.
In respect to the Cluster’s transition phase, Prof. Michaels explained that with the beginning of the winter semester the new directorate, consisting of Prof. Barbara Mittler, Prof. Monica Juneja and Prof. Nikolas Jaspert will take up its responsibilities. He informed that the launch of a new website for the Heidelberg Center for Transcultural Studies is planned for the end of 2017 and that the current website is going to be archived afterwards.
The next General Meeting will take place on October 19, 2017. It is a major event at the Cluster, where all members come together and exchange important information.