Since its inception in 2010–2011, the Master’s in Transcultural Studies (MATS) at Heidelberg University has attracted a large number of students and young researchers from around the world, which has resulted in a significant volume of yearly applications. Despite the severe limitations posed by the Covid19-pandemic, for the academic year 2021–2022 the HCTS has received 68 applications from 22 countries. Out of the 35 applicants admitted, 25 have enrolled in the study programme. The new students have begun their studies in mid-October – together with five students from Kyoto University enrolled in the Heidelberg-Kyoto Joint Degree programme. Similar to previous cohorts, the eleventh generation of MATS students is very international: first semester students come from Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Romania, South Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. A few students struggled to enter Germany/the European Union due to Covid-related difficulties; for this reason, the last of “MATS-first semester student” was able to arrive in Heidelberg only a few days before the Christmas break.
At the MATS Orientation, which took place on October 13 in the lecture hall of the Heidelberg Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS), the HCTS administrative and teaching staff welcomed the newly enrolled students and introduced them to the structure and regulations of the MATS programme. At the opening of the event, HCTS administrative manager Dr. Oliver Lamers and MATS coordinator Dr. Takuma Melber welcomed the students to their new academic home. Melber further provided them with all relevant information regarding the study programme and its hosting institutions, the HCTS and CATS.
This was followed a series of individual presentations by members of the MATS teaching staff, who introduced themselves, their research subjects, and their course offers. After that, Charlotte von Knobelsdorff and Evelyn Kuttikattu talked about the services of Heidelberg University’s Equal Opportunities Office. At the end of the morning session, the new students introduce themselves to their peers and future professors. The afternoon was dedicated to the presentation of the study aims, structure, and regulations of the study programme. Study focus advisor Dr. Martin Hofmann detailed the objectives of the students´ first semester and offered an overview of the full course of their two-year study in Heidelberg (and possibly abroad). Finally, representatives of the MATS student body illustrated the work and activities of the MATS Fachschaft.
The M.A. in Transcultural Studies (MATS) is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented study programme at Heidelberg University. At the end of their first semester, students choose one of the following study foci for specialization: ‘Knowledge, Belief and Religion’, ‘Society, Economy and Governance’, and ‘Visual, Media and Material Culture.’ During their first year, students learn about the methods and theories of Transcultural Studies and explore the specific topics within their respective study focuses. The third semester may be used as a mobility window (e.g. for a study exchange or a research internship), while the fourth semester is devoted entirely to the master´s thesis project. The HCTS further provides applicants with the possibility to earn a Joint Degree Master’s in Transcultural Studies with Kyoto University´s Graduate School of Letters. More information about MATS regulations and the application process is available on the dedicated page here. Students and researchers who wish to enroll in the study programme are welcome to send their applications in advance for the 2022–23 winter semester´s intake by applying here.
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