Overview

The Institut fur die Wissenschaften vom Menschen ("IWM"), located in Vienna, Austria, is an intellectually and politically independent institute for advanced study, formed by a community of scholars. The Institute was founded at a time when the division of Europe appeared to be an unalterable matter of fact. When established in 1982, IWM's intention was to mitigate the negative consequences this division had for intellectual and scholarly life. Its objective was to provide intellectuals and scholars from East and West with a forum for contact, exchange, and collaborative work. IWM aimed to promote the independence of intellectual life in East Central Europe by facilitating access to Western research and scholarly discourse. Conversely, it sought to introduce and incorporate Eastern European ideas, perspectives, and experiences into the Western context.

When the Iron Curtain fell, the dream of overcoming the division of Europe seemed destined to come true. However, it soon became evident that the collapse of communism was merely the precondition for bridging the enormous gaps which had been created between East and West. This situation intensified the need for an institution such as IWM with its established capacity to promote intellectual exchange and social understanding under adverse conditions.

IWM remains committed to its initial conception of a community of scholars consisting of Permanent, Corresponding, and Visiting Fellows. The basis of the scholarly life of the Institute is the active exchange of ideas and opinions among individuals with different backgrounds and diverse perspectives. IWM's programs focus on the humanities and social sciences.

In recent years, scholars and intellectuals associated with IWM have devoted an increasing amount of attention to analyzing the institutional foundations of scholarly discourse and societal understanding, especially in the fields of teaching and research. Communist rule in East Central Europe did an exceptional amount of damage in these fields. Moreover, Western countries are confronted with the necessity of rethinking the form and function of many of their own institutions.

Therefore, IWM initiated new policy-oriented projects which both analyzed the problems of higher education, research, and social policy in post-communist societies and also developed politically applicable models for addressing them.

IWM today is characterized by its distinctive ability to combine scholarly research on the highest level with programs that bring expertise to bear on concrete problems. The basis for the success of this combination is the independence of the Institute and the international and interdisciplinary nature of its programs.

Since 1989, IWM has awarded Junior Visiting Fellowships to support promising young scholars in the humanities and social sciences. In 1998, IWM began to offer awards to journalists.  Around twenty Junior Visiting Fellows from Europe and the United States are invited each year for a six month term (January through June or July through December) to pursue their research in Vienna under the direction of the Institute's Permanent and Visiting Fellows. There are five Junior Visiting Fellowships available to Boston University students. Two Fellows will study at the Institute during the first term (from January until June) and three Fellows will study at the Institute during the second term (from July until December). IWM offers Junior Visiting Fellows a unique opportunity to become part of an international and interdisciplinary research community.

Eligibility

Applicants must be full-time graduate students at Boston University. Applicants in all academic fields are welcome to apply, but applications are especially encouraged from Ph.D. candidates in philosophy, political science, history, international relations, and interdisciplinary studies in the University Professors Program, and master's candidates in Journalism or International Relations and International Communication. Applicants must have a well-defined research project that is compatible with the mission of the Institute. Knowledge of German is not a requirement.  Prior winners of IWM Junior Visiting Fellowships are not eligible.

Criteria

Applications will be judged against the following criteria:

• academic excellence,
• strength of references,
• the quality of research project, and
• justification for study and research at the Institut

Application Process

Students interested in applying for these fellowships should first contact the Institute for Human Sciences at Boston University (ihs@bu.edu, 617-358-2778). Applications for the Institut fur die Wissenschaften vom Menschen Junior Visiting Fellowship are available on this web site. They must be submitted to the Office of the Provost, One Sherborn Street, Boston, MA 02215. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applications are considered by an IWM Selection Committee. If you have any questions, please call 617-358-2778 or write to ihs@bu.edu.

Award Value and Conditions

IWM Junior Visiting Fellows receive a stipend of $9,000.

Further Information

Further information about IWM can be obtained from the IWM web site.