History of the Centre
- History of the Centre
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25 years of GGK, 20 years of GCSC – A very short history of our centre
2026 marks a special occasion and a double reason for celebration: A quarter of a century ago, in 2001, the Gießener Graduiertenzentrum Kulturwissenschaften (GGK) was launched as the first graduate centre in the humanities and social sciences in Germany. Since then, the GGK, projected and founded by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ansgar Nünning, offers systematic and tailor-made support for all doctoral candidates across three departments at JLU (Department 03: Social Sciences and Cultural Studies, Department 04: History and Cultural Studies, and Department 05: Language, Literature, Culture). The GGK fosters early career researchers through a holistic approach to postgraduate studies, and creates ample opportunities for peer-group networking.
The pioneering model of the GGK served as the basis for the foundation of the International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), launched in 2006 after a successful funding application in the Excellence Initiative of the German Council of Science and Humanities and the German Research Foundation (DFG). This success, repeated and amplified in the renewal proposal in 2012, goes back to the initiative of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Ansgar Nünning and to the sustained collective effort of an interdisciplinary team of principal investigators. In many ways the logical continuation and consistent development of the GGK’s philosophy, over the past two decades the GCSC has attracted hundreds of outstanding doctoral candidates as well as postdoctoral researchers, both nationally and internationally. With its interdisciplinary research profile and concept-based methodology in the Study of Culture, its strong international networks, and innovative approaches to research training, the GCSC is a thriving hub for cutting-edge work in the study of culture across disciplines and career-levels.
At JLU and beyond, the GGK/GCSC has entertained numerous close collaborations with other research centres and initiatives, including the Giessen Centre for Eastern European Studies (GiZo) and the LOEWE research network “Conflict Regions in Eastern Europe”, the DFG-Collaborative Research Centers “Cultures of Memory” and “Dynamics of Security”, the Herder Institute Marburg, and the Center for Diversity, Media, and Law (formerly Center for Media and Interactivity).
Timeline2001/2002
Establishment of the GGK as the first graduate centre in the humanities and social sciences and pioneering model for the reform of PhD education in Germany, offering tailor-made support for doctoral candidates at JLU (founding director: Prof. Ansgar Nünning)2002
Foundation of the International PhD Programme “Literary and Cultural Studies”, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with the goal of internationalizing PhD programmes in Germany (founding director: Prof. Ansgar Nünning)
2006
Successful application in first round of the German Excellence Initiative (funding line “Graduate Schools”) and foundation of the GCSC (founding director: Prof. Ansgar Nünning)
2007
the GGK/GCSC moves into its own building on the Philosophikum campus2008
Establishment of the European PhDnet “Literary and Cultural Studies” funded by the DAAD, offering a joint research and training program by the participating partner institutions in the field of literary and cultural studies (founding director: Prof. Ansgar Nünning)2012
Successful renewal proposal of the GCSC in the second round of the German Excellence Initiative, expansion of the research profile, internationalization and scope of the centre (e.g. through establishing a qualification programme for postdocs)
2014-16
the GCSC participated in the IGHERT project, a major grant awarded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI), underlining the GCSC’s trailblazing role in the innovation of international research and research training programs
2020/21
Moving into the new building of the GGK/GCSC on JLU’s “campus for the future”
2022
Introducing the Research Centre for the Study of Culture (RCSC) as a hub for interdisciplinary, collaborative research projects and external funding applications at JLU
2026
Anniversary Year celebrating 25 years of GGK and 20 years of GCSC
