Karen Blixens Plads 8 building 10
faculty of humanities
2300 Copenhagen
Denmark
- Research
The Department for Cross Cultural and Regional Studies (ToRS) carries out research into language, culture, religion and society, mainly in countries outside Western Europe and the USA. Cross-cultural competencies and knowledge of the world’s great diversity are crucial in a globalised world – socially and culturally. ToRS’ mission is to provide insight into this diversity.
Research and teaching at the department examine the current state of affairs in the 21st century’s social and cultural hotspots, but draws on cultural heritage and historical perspectives that go all the way back to the hunter and gatherer communities, the first urban communities and the development of the first ancient civilizations in the Middle East, Asia and Central and South America. We can only understand our own time against the background of our cultural heritage.
Language skills and regional expertise form the basis for ToRS' work. Each society is studied on its own terms and through its own language, but based on the premise that cultures, religions and societies can never be understood as isolated units. Regional processes must always be seen in a wider context, transcending cultures, national borders and periods.
ToRS’ primary objective is to contribute to developing the knowledge society by increasing our understanding of cultural history, religious matters and social relations in a world whose regions are at the same time both closely interlinked and far away from each other. Through research, communication and education, ToRS’ aim is to make society smarter, both about itself and about others.
The Middle East section in ToRS: Research into Middle Eastern languages and society is an area of study rooted in four of the major languages spoken in the Middle East: Arabic (the Arab countries and North Africa), Hebrew (Israel), Persian (Iran) and Turkish (Turkey).
Geographically, the area covers a region stretching from Morocco in western North Africa, across the central Middle East, to Iran and Central Asia in the east. Research is conducted into historical and sociological topics, Islam, the media and the Islamic public sphere, urban studies, anthropological subjects, literature and languages.
The Middle Eastern languages and society Program in the department of Cross Cultural and Regional Studies in the University of Copenhagen is committed to the study of language, culture, history and politics in the Middle East next to promotion of dialogue between cultures. We encourage our students to take part in community development and contribute back to society through volunteering, awareness and disseminating knowledge.
Language skills and regional expertise form the basis for ToRS' work. The study rooted in four of the major languages spoken in the Middle East: Arabic (the Arab countries and North Africa), Hebrew (Israel), Persian (Iran) and Turkish (Turkey).
Geographically, the area covers a region stretching from Morocco in western North Africa, across the central Middle East, to Iran and Central Asia in the east. Research is conducted into historical and sociological topics, Islam, the media and the Islamic public sphere, urban studies, anthropological subjects, literature and languages.
We would like to take part in an international organization in order to encourage cooperation, dissemination of knowledge and networking between Mediterraneans and Mediterranean researchers in order to promote intercultural and civil society dialogue.