AIAS in charge of global network – UBIAS
AIAS Director Morten Kyndrup has been elected as steering committee chairman and thereby coordinator for the global UBIAS, a network for University-Based Institutes for Advanced Study, for the next two years. AIAS is, thus, taking on the function of coordinating Institute.
The role was handed over to AIAS at the biennial UBIAS Directors’ Meeting in Birmingham in June 2016, when Morten Kyndrup was unanimously elected.
AIAS was only accepted as a member of the UBIAS global network in 2014, joining a network with IAS’s such as the Institute for Advanced Research (IAR) (Nagoya University, Japan); Fudan Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences (Fudan University, Shanghai, China); Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (Harvard University), and CRASSH (University of Cambridge). The network currently includes 37 institutes worldwide, plus a list of some 10 “guest members”, i.e. candidates for future membership. The coordinating role was handed over from Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS) (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg). As deputy coordinators were elected directors Bernd Kortmann, Freiburg, and Ary Plonsky, São Paolo.
‘This is indeed an honourable recognition of AIAS and our work,’ says Morten Kyndrup.
‘In the international network contexts we have consistently argued in favour of respecting the principles of the “classical” institute for advanced study – building up our own institute that way. Aarhus University has won widespread respect for this policy – and for its courageous IAS-initiative as such. The new role for AIAS as coordinator for this global network with membership institutes from all continents will of course contribute considerably to the international reputation and prestige of Aarhus University’.
Intercontinental knowledge share and challenges
The network serves to bring forward a structured form of exchange between IAS’s from around the globe through e.g. biennial conferences, an annual Topic of the Year and the UBIAS-programme Intercontinental Academia (ICA) that gives an exciting opportunity for young researchers from all over the world to engage with topics of fundamental relevance when two Institutes partner up for a week.
‘As AIAS is only just 3 years of age, we – the whole staff and myself – are certainly proud to be given this trustful role, and we are keen to making this network even more effective, not just in terms of a place to exchange experiences, but also as a global extension of the academic offer to scholars at the membership institutes and universities. The network may facilitate conferences, further collaborations in the Intercontinental Academia and other scholarly initiatives’, adds Morten Kyndrup.
More about UBIAS
You can read more about the 37 UBIAS member institutes, how to become a member and what the network strives to achieve at http://www.ubias.net/.
More at au.dk in Danish: http://www.au.dk/#news-8655
Contact
Morten Kyndrup, AIAS Executive director and Professor, kyndrup@aias.au.dk
Lena Bering, Communications Officer, lber@aias.au.dk
Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, AIAS
Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark