The special conditions of cooperation between researchers in the humanities from different countries and linguistic cultures constitute the background for this initiative. The lingua franca of international scientific cooperation is English. For researchers in the engineering and natural sciences, this is a matter of course and poses no problems, since their research is generally of a global nature. However, the humanities and social sciences have strong ties to language and culture, as these are not only the subject of research but also part of the research process itself. It is therefore important to create a framework in which cooperation in these fields of research is also possible in the national languages. The new programme provides an impetus for this. The research conferences, which will generally take place at the Villa Vigoni and are not restricted to researchers from the participating countries, will be held in German, Italian and French.
The first proposals to have been approved envision cooperation over the course of several years with three workshops each. The project "Historical, Artistic and Natural Dimensions of Cultural Landscapes" will focus on an interdisciplinary discussion of the concept of a cultural landscape. Art historians, philosophers, landscape architects, botanists and ecologists will discuss various aspects of this topic using, for example, the historical parks of the Villa Vigoni itself. Another objective is the development of appropriate criteria for analysis and administration (for further information contact: Professor Hansjörg Küster, University of Hannover, Tel.: 49-0-551 / 762-3996, E-mail: kuester@geobotanik.uni-hannover.de).
The topic of the second project is "The Spread of Oriental Religions in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean". This German, French and Italian project, also involving researchers from Switzerland and Belgium, will examine the significance, perception and spread of these religions in Antiquity from a historical perspective (for further information contact: Professor Jörg Rüpke, University of Erfurt, Tel.: 49-0-361-737-4141, E-mail: joerg.ruepke@uni-erfurt.de).
More information on the programme is available at http://www.dfg.d.
The contact person at the DFG is Dr. Manfred Nießen, head of the Humanities and Social Sciences Division, Tel.: 49-0-228/885-2393, E-mail: manfred.niessen@dfg.de.