The Käte Hamburger Kolleg: Cultures of Research (c:o/re) is an international Center for Advanced Studies in philosophy, sociology and history of science and technology at RWTH Aachen University. It explores the changing research cultures of science and technology and develops a methodological approach to strengthen the integration of the various disciplines in science and technology studies. This takes place in a close exchange between the humanities and social sciences and the life, natural, technical and engineering sciences.
The overall aim of the center is to investigate the impact of digitalization and globalization on contemporary research cultures, and to develop a theory of “cultures of research” from a situated, historical, and comparative perspective. The basic research question is whether digitalization and globalization as universal drivers of change lead to a standardization of science towards a “research culture”. Or whether, despite digitalization and globalization, the diversity of research cultures and the variety of science will be preserved. To this end, the central research concepts of “digitality/complexity”, “globality/varieties of science” and “expanded science and technology studies” will be explored in three research lines together with international scholars.
The goal of involving the humanities and social sciences in shaping the future and securing the cultural foundations of society is a central concern of the center. It therefore promotes the development of a complementary network of philosophical, sociological and historical research on science and technology. Embedded in one of the largest technical universities in Europe, the center develops new forms of collaboration between disciplines, continually pushing the boundaries of the interdisciplinary, international learning community on advanced problems in science and technology studies.
The Käte Hamburger Kollegs are funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within its framework program for the humanities and social sciences “Shaping the Future”.
