Press-Release: CIPSH Chairs Approved for 2019-2024

CIPSH, the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (Conseil International de la Philosophie et des Sciences Humaines), created a new programme of Academic Humanities Chairs, designed to highlight and encourage existing research networks of centres of research in the humanities and to attract greater attention to the humanities worldwide and enhanced recognition of their importance in contemporary society.

The new Chairs are oriented towards a Humanities-relevant themes and headed by one chairholder, at universities or other recognized research institutions, involving an institutional partnership in one or more other countries. The initial appointment of a chairholder is for a period of five years, with the possibility of renewal following favorable evaluation.

Following a first selection procedure, an independent committee recommended the approval of two initial Chairs, while acknowledging interest in other received proposals, which will require further detailing.

The Executive Committee validated the recommendation, approving the following new CIPSH Chairs:

• CIPSH-UCI Chair on New Humanities, at University of California at Irvine (chair holder: Prof. Hsiung Ping-Chen)
• CIPSH-UL Chair on Ethnolinguistic Vitality and Diversity, at Leiden University (chair older Prof. Felix K. Ameka) The newly established chairs, involving 20 universities from 11 countries in 4 continents, will initiate their activities in 2019. They will also collaborate with the existing network of Chairs endorsed by CIPSH, which engages over 100 institutions in all continents.Xiamen, 25th April, 2019
  Chao Gejin President of CIPSH

CIPSH-UCI Chair on New Humanities, at University of California at Irvine (chair holder: Prof. Hsiung Ping-Chen)

Summary: The “New Humanities” CIPSH Chair will be established at the School of Humanities, University of California, Irvine, in close partnership with Xiamen University. UCI’s proposed CIPSH Chair in “New Humanities” will both initiate individual projects at our university and coordinate linked thematic projects carried out by scholars within the network. In this way, the impact of a CIPSH Chair at UCI will be made at multiple levels – by individual researchers through their own scholarship, by collaborative teams developing new methodologies and breaking ground in new subfields, and by networks of scholars and institutions through conferences and publications of the resulting scholarship. UCI’s CIPSH Chair in “New Humanities” will foster a global network of academic institutions and scholars who are engaged in projects that push the boundaries of disciplines and methodologies in the humanities.

CIPSH-UL Chair on Ethnolinguistic Vitality and Diversity, at Leiden University (chair older Prof. Felix K. Ameka)

Summary: The chair on ethnolinguistic vitality and diversity wants to advance research and practice of language documentation. The chair wants to develop several activities that promote and increase interest in the advantages of linguistic diversity, multilingualism and the maintenance of the vitality of minority and threatened languages. In doing this the chair wants to promote a language policy based on diversity, which must lead to a better knowledge of cultures and of the richness of different cultures, which is one of CIPSH’s priorities. The chair will build a network between important universities and other research institutes in order to offer both teaching and training, summer schools, workshops and conferences. This fits in perfectly well with the CIPSH mission statement to highlight and encourage existing research networks of centres of research in the humanities and to attract greater attention to the humanities worldwide and enhanced recognition of their importance in contemporary society.

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