Conference: Cultural Studies, Data Bases and Europe September 29 to October 3rd 1998 in Debrecen, Hungary

It is explicitly emphasized in the resolution that cultural sciences are also themselves to blame for this. Well up until the present, multifarious outdated structures and their substance dating back to the 19th century (and earlier) have been determining modes of cultural scientists' work.. Especially in the 1990s, following the overcoming of numerous limitations and manifold societal changes, more than a few institutions have failed to arouse public awareness of their ability to meet the requirements of the future, and of their significance in terms of societal processes, which could be accomplished by implementing new recommendations and restructuring according to newly emerging needs. Following its conferences in Riverside (University of California, 1995), St. Petersburg (1996), Innsbruck (1997), the INST Conference in Debrecen will be the Institute's fourth large-scale international conference. Efforts will again be made in Debrecen to prepare recommendations for the future. Basic problems of contemporary cultural processes are to be specifically defined as the subject of international scientific work, following fundamental discussions (with particular reference being made to the "Austrian literature" as integral component thereof), on topics such as Culture/Civilization, National Cultures, Interculturalism / Transculturalism, as well as intercultural/transcultural scientific methods, the significance of data bases in terms of internationally oriented scientific work, etc. This may also include:

• Changes in society and cultural science institutes, as well as universities;
• International artistic processes (in the broadest sense of the term), and conceptions of national culture versus internationalization;
• Artistic options and limitations (in the broadest sense of the term) in internationalization processes (the analysis of which has been mainly dominated to date by debates on security systems and the economy, as is well known).
• Communications structures and contemporary internationalization processes (character systems, use of language, "translation" of terminology, etc.), within the scope of which the sciences are again challenged to offer solution and implementation options for communications structures (comparable to the increasing predominance of national languages which gradually became apparent from the 16th to the 19th century in particular).
• Overcoming limitations in information (key words: absence of archives of written and image data, etc. in more than a few countries, as well as nationally emphasized data compilations, bibliographical limitations between East and West, documentation of Internet communications and legal problems connected therewith).
• Application of cultural-scientific research results in international processes (cultural exchanges / tourism, cultural seminars, software structures, etc.).
• Formation of a new scientific communications structure, both inwards (international networking, coop structures, etc.) and outwards (influence on media, forums including politicians, economists, etc.) with special consideration of the experience of the INST and its associates.
• Preparation of the exhibition on the topic "The Cultural Sciences and Europe" to be held in Brussels in November 1998 as a forum for scientific-historical self-reflexion, determination of present status and future areas of activity.

 

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Published/last change: 2001-03-24               Location (URL): http://www.inst.at/english/debrecen.htm