Key Profile Area Global South Studies
The Global South Studies Key Profile Area addresses cultural, social, economic, and ecological changes in the Global South, set against the background of multiple crises and planetary challenges. Our aim is to deepen the understanding of these pressing issues and to stimulate innovative solutions. Our focus is on a situated analysis of global interdependencies, social inequalities, and the local impacts and negotiations of global processes. To this end, we integrate initiatives, perspectives, and insights from diverse regions and academic disciplines.
We regard the strengthening of academic exchange with partners in the Global South as a crucial pathway to knowledge generation. Mutual learning across regional and disciplinary boundaries, guided by the principles of sharing, participation, and joint knowledge generation, forms the foundation of our Key Profile Area.
The Global South Studies KPA serves as a platform for research in the social sciences, humanities, and human geography. We offer support structures for researchers from Germany and abroad and position ourselves as an incubator for outstanding research initiatives. The KPA is coordinated by the Global South Studies Center (GSSC) and stands for international visibility, networking, and transfer into society, providing an attractive environment for early-career researchers from around the world.
Contacts
Prof. Dr. Michaela Pelican
Spokesperson
Institut für Ethnologie
Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez
Vice Spokesperson
Geografisches Institut
Prof. Dr. Silke Hensel
Vice Spokesperson
Historisches Institut; Iberische und Lateinamerikanische Abteilung
Prof. Dr. Clemens Greiner
Administrative Coordinator
Global South Studies Center (GSSC)
Participating faculties
Global Faculty Members
Scientists from various countries are currently participating in the KPA Global South Studies as part of the Global Faculty Program.
Here you can find all members of the Global Faculty Program at the University of Cologne.
Collaborative and third-party funded projects
The Global South Studies KPA is linked to several collaborative and third-party funded projects:
Transfer
- Cooperation with the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne, for example with several exhibitions ‘We are not carpets’
- Public science events with non-university institutions, for example the public support programme for ECAS 2023 with the City of Cologne and various cultural institutions
- • The Competence Centre Fair Trade (CCFT) in cooperation with Fairtrade Deutschland e.V.: events, conferences, research and teaching on the topic of fair trade
- UNESCO-MOST BRIDGES Thematic Hub for Planetary Wellbeing
Teaching
KPA Global South Studies supports young researchers, particularly in organizing and conducting events tailored specifically to their needs.
The KPA organizes international summer schools for young academics, such as the Spring School in Political Economy and Political Ecology, along with collaborative research projects such as TRR228 Future Rural Africa and partner institutions in the Global South.
Partnerships
The KPA Global South Studies cooperation network includes both regional and international universities and AUFs.
Regional partnerships
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
International partnerships
- Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
- University of Western Cape, South Africa
- Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
Picture credits
Source header graphic: The Decolonial Atlas, Decolonial Media License 0.1