The School aims to train PhD students in the analysis of knowledge, its resources, and the multiple interplays between the two categories. Key to its agenda is a "historical-political epistemology", an approach highlighting how knowledge is shaped historically by a great variety of sources –political systems, technological infrastructures, material objects, social interaction, and media technologies.
Dissertations will reshape the field of history of knowledge at the intersections of History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine (HPSTM) with regional and global studies, Science & Technology Studies (STS), all fields of history, media studies, museum studies, archaeology, art history, literary studies, philology, environmental studies, and digital humanities research. Students will be trained to apply innovative methodologies to their research. They will become experts who can bring a much-needed comparative perspective, reflection, and historical depth to the shaping and sustaining of knowledge societies around the globe, within a wide spectrum of occupational fields including journalism, social media, art, museum, and archive curatorship, and science and education policy.
The IMPRS-KIR is governed by the Principal Teaching Faculty consisting of nine professors from all four partner institutions involved. It is represented by the Speakers, currently Dr. Etienne Benson (MPIWG), Prof. Dr. Heike Weber (TU), and Prof. Dr. Christine von Oertzen (MPIWG/HU). Previous spokespersons were Prof. Dr. Dagmar Schäfer (MPIWG), Prof. Dr. Viktoria Tkaczyk (HU), Prof. Dr. Anke te Heesen (HU) and Prof. Dr. Karin Gludovatz (FU).
There are currently 17 doctoral students working at the IMPRS-KIR. Further information about the program and the people involved can be found on the IMPRS website.
Contact
IMPRS coordinator
sschwarzmaier@mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de
IMPRS website