The project will promote dialog between graduate students and early
career researchers from the University of Isfahan (Iran), the Ferdowsi
University of Mashhad (Iran) and the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main
(Germany). It will do so by taking up an important discussion in both
countries, namely the role, relevance and possible contribution of the
social sciences and humanities in addressing pressing socio-political
issues. The exchange between project participants will focus on the
concrete case of the allocation and use of resources. The innovative
aspect of this project is that it does not adopt the usual economic
perspective on resources; instead it highlights the social and cultural
dimensions of resources and their use.
Another important component of the project is the explicit emphasis
on a dialog that also includes practitioners, i.e. those who are
directly involved in policy work or intervention, be it in governmental
or non-governmental organizations. This component allows project
participants to check the practical relevance and feasibility of
contributions of social science and humanities research in dealing with
contemporary socio-political problems.
The general aim of this 12-month project is to encourage dialog
between Iranian and German early career academic researchers and
practitioners on socially relevant issues is twofold:
- to provide an understanding of the social dynamics in both countries and
- to become familiar with how governmental and non-governmental institutions in the respective countries deal with these issues.
This will set the basis for further exchange and an expansion of
the topics of dialog between the German and Iranian partner
institutions in this project. The results of our exchanges on increasing
the practical relevance and applicability of social science and
humanities research will have consequences for curricula, teaching and
professional training of students and early career researchers at the
participating Iranian and German institutions.
