Academic Life

The Wissenschaftskolleg regards itself as a place that offers outstanding scholars the opportunity to be relieved for an academic year of the obligations and distractions of everyday life at a university and, in exchange with others, to work on or complete a research project of their own choice. In the framework of focus groups, the stay can focus on a common project undertaken jointly by several Fellows. To ensure that living together with about 40 Fellows from various disciplines and nations is as productive as possible, certain routines have proven themselves: the Colloquium, the common meals, and the residence obligation. Beyond this, the Fellows themselves shape their scholarly life. The Kolleg merely offers rooms and aid in organizing seminars, in establishing scholarly contacts in Berlin, and in inviting guests. The Fellows’ partners are welcome at all events, including the common meals. If they do scholarly or scientific work and require support, they can avail themselves of the Wissenschaftskolleg’s services.

The central academic event and forum for an interdisciplinary discussion is the Colloquium. Once during the academic year, each Fellow will present his or her current research in this colloquium. The lecture should not have already been given elsewhere, and it should also address representatives of other disciplines; discussion will follow it. The language of the lecture is either English, German, or French. The Wissenschaftskolleg encourages its Fellows – and supports them in this – to try out new presentation formats and to hold their lecture in the language in which they can best present their material, even if this means that not all the other Fellows will understand them. If a Fellow lectures in German or French, the Language Service of the Fellow Services will provide an English translation of the text, so that English-speaking Fellows can read along during the lecture.

The Rector will ask certain Fellows to present their research to a broader audience on the occasion of public evening lectures.

For Fellow working groups, event rooms of various sizes are available in the Wissenschaftskolleg. Seminars with outside and Berlin participants are intended to help the Fellows advance their research projects. To the extent of its capacities, the Wissenschaftskolleg aids in organizing the seminars.

The Wissenschaftskolleg regards the common lunches offered every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and the common dinner on Thursday to be an important part of community life. The lump sum for meals (currently 380 €/month) will be withdrawn from the Fellow’s bank account.

In the Agreement with the Rector, Fellows consent to the residence obligation and declare their willingness to take part in the Kolleg’s scholarly events, in particular the Colloquia and the common meals. They inform us by e-mail about their travel plans for professional or private reasons. One-time absences that will take longer than one week or total absences of more than 30 days over the course of the academic year require the prior consent of the Rector.

Fellows have the possibility to invite guests for joint scientific or scholarly work. The Wissenschaftskolleg contributes to the costs of the invitations for a maximum of 14 days over the entire academic year by providing accommodations for the guests and by inviting them to the common meals at the Wissenschaftskolleg. Fellows may also invite guests only to the restaurant of the Wissenschaftskolleg, provided that the meeting serves the purpose of academic networking.

Fellows are asked to provide the library, in advance or upon their arrival at the latest, with a copy of each of their most important publications, especially those listed as recommended reading in the brochure “Fellows’ Projects,” so that these works may be available to other Fellows. The Wissenschaftskolleg library additionally collects works that Fellows have published during their stay at the Wissenschaftskolleg or that are based on their research here. To this end, Fellows are requested to send us copies. These publications should contain acknowledgement of the support received from the Wissenschaftskolleg.

After the end of each academic year, the Wissenschaftskolleg publishes a yearbook, for which the Rector requests that each Fellow submit a short report on his or her work and stay at the Kolleg.