In September 2011, Dr Jeroen de Kloet, assistant professor of Media Studies at the Faculty of Humanities, officially took charge as managing coordinator of the research priority area ‘Cultural Transformations and Globalisation’ . The Cultural Transformations and Globalisation priority area is one of the Faculty’s three research priority areas (the others being ‘Cultural Heritage and Identity’ and the cross-faculty ‘Brain and Cognition’). In his new role, de Kloet will be responsible for strengthening the priority area's programme and promoting its visibility and activities. In this month’s edition of Perspectives on Humanities, we speak to de Kloet about globalisation, his new role and the future of interdisciplinary academic research at the Faculty of Humanities.

Globalisation

During the last two decades, the process known as globalisation has intensified dramatically. This development hasn’t gone unnoticed in academic circles, where issues such as the increasing dominance of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), resurgent nationalism, multiculturalism and Europe’s global role have formed the subjects of intense scholarly debate.

The debate about globalisation is dominated by the economic and social aspects of the process itself. With this in mind, humanities researchers are ideally placed to make valuable contributions to the globalisation debate. Not only do they share a strong tradition in analysing definitions and closely examining objects, but humanities researchers are also more adept at outlining the esthetical and cultural dimensions of globalisation.’

According to de Kloet, a humanities approach produces new questions and can lead to fresh insights into what might sometimes appear to be a purely socio-economic theme. One example could be a research project examining the ethics of the occupy movement and the history of protest groups in general. While globalisation issues have been researched at the Faculty, this hasn’t been bundled or explicitly presented under the heading ‘globalisation’. 'This is the perfect time to see how we can use our various disciplines to contribute and cement our place in the globalisation debate. By bundling our research in the priority area Cultural Transformations and Globalisation, we can improve the visibility and strengthen the impact of our research.'

Research Blueprint

To successfully do so, the ‘Cultural Transformations and Globalisation’ research priority area is made up of four thematic clusters: ‘mobility’, ‘sustainability’, ‘aesthetics’ and ‘connectivity’. Each one of these clusters is manned by a team of researchers numbering between seven and eight people. Colleagues with specific projects (globalisation – ed.) can link-up with these clusters. An ‘open call’ will be sent to colleagues.

According to de Kloet, the work of these thematic clusters can be illustrated by way of possible research into the Arab Spring. Viewed within the context of this event, ‘mobility’ not only refers to the physical movement of people in cities and squares, but also to the mobility of images across borders. The digital reproduction of these images in turn raises questions about ‘sustainability’ and how to select, use and manage the overabundant amount of pictures, films, etc. The ‘aesthetics’ of the uprising and its theatrical nature, might in turn help others to better understand what it was all about, while ‘connectivity’ as a theme could be aimed at examining the use of social media and its role in helping to organise the protests at home and abroad. Research about the Arab Spring contains many humanities related aspects, which is enriched by the collaborated efforts of the clusters. The same holds true for other issues, with some examples being the role of the migrant in the nation state and the factors which steer our idea of being ‘home’. Which new borders are drawn because of safety? How must one deal with increasing cultural and political fragmentation and uncertainty? What were the religious polemics and the position of minorities in the Mediterranean world during the sixteenth and seventeenth century, and how do these issues relate to the current debates about multiculturalism. In which ways does the discourse about the creative city affect the lives and workings of artists? Who profits from this discourse? How does it affect the public arena? And how does the architecture of the World Wide Web steer our search engines? How different is Wikipedia in Russia as opposed to the United States?  

De Kloet mentions several ways in which the research priority area will take shape, the most important of which will be the creation of the Amsterdam Centre for Globalisation Studies (ACGS) institute in April 2012. ‘We are going to honour the creation of the ACGS with an official opening and website. The Centre itself will hold open bimonthly seminars entitled ‘Re-imagining the global’, which will be organised by the different clusters and will possibly link-up with a master class.’

To add an extra dimension to ACGS seminars, de Kloet hopes to attract and collaborate with foreign researchers on articles and research project proposals. Another way in in which de Kloet aims to increase the general firepower of his research priority area is by employing two extra postdoctoral researchers, who will team up with the three other postdocs already working on various research projects. Furthermore, each of the three research priority areas will have a profiling professor. While the onus remains on research, the members of the Cultural Transformations and Globalisation priority area team will also provide education relating to the theme of globalisation in the form of guest lectures, courses and seminars.

As for his own role as coordinator, de Kloet highlights the varied nature of his responsibilities. ‘My most important task is to concentrate people and their research. I don’t like attending meetings and would much rather like to focus my energies on practical matters such as bringing people together, organising projects, stimulating collaboration between clusters and guiding the various research projects.’

An Interdisciplinary Approach

De Kloet is in no doubt whatsoever that research priority areas can be very productive. ‘By introducing research priority areas, the UvA is anticipating the changes currently taking place in both the academic world and in the Hague, where issues like competition and profiling currently dominate the agenda.’ De Kloet believes that this research priority area can lead to new and exciting research angles. ‘The available resources offer new opportunities and I am convinced that more collaboration between disciplines, faculties and universities will prove to be a fruitful endeavour.’

It is especially the prospect of interdisciplinary collaboration which de Kloet finds most exciting. According to him, humanities researchers are traditionally inclined to perform research in a solitary setting. This process is, however, undergoing a permanent change. Collaboration is becoming more important, not only for broadening research horizons, but also for soliciting research grants.

De Kloet says that while interdisciplinary research has been a goal for some time, the results have not always been optimal. Stimulating collaboration in research is one of the main goals of the UvA's research priority areas. In the coming period, de Kloet plans to use his position for successfully realising these goals. ‘During the next five years I will try and foster more collaborative efforts within the Faculty and the UvA …and establish a visible and active research centre.’     

To access previous editions of Perspectives on Humanities, please click on the following link.