During the last two decades of the 20th century transnational intertwining increased as the significance of global problems rapidly gained importance. This process is commonly termed 'globalisation'. As a result of an increasing lack of balance with regard to the prospects of independent action, social, political and cultural strategies altered dramatically. These strategies have given rise to a discussion concerning the most suitable paradigms with which to analyse global processes. The M.A. in Global Studies is not restricted to a single method of interpretation but is designed to equip highly-qualified students with the ability to contribute to this forward-looking debate, an essential qualification for enhancing one's prospects in the contemporary labour market. The programme, despite its various approaches and their necessary combinations, takes global connections as a starting point for the understanding of globalisation. It views globalisation as follows:
1. Globalisation is not only a phenomenon of past decades but requires a greater historical perspective.
2. It cannot be merely reduced to economic processes and their social consequences but must also investigate the political and cultural strategies to cope with the dialectics of deterrotialisation and reterritorialisation.
3. It cannot only be analysed as a process of global homogenisation but has to be understand at the same time as a process of differentiation based upon findings from Area Studies.
4. ‘Globalisation’ is not an objectively given phenomenon but the term describes rather a bundle of interpretations, depending from perspectives and intellectual environments.
The programme aims at qualifying excellent students to deal responsibly and on an advanced scientific level with the various aspects of “globalisation” and its accompanying processes in countries of the Global North and the Global South on the basis of findings, theories and methods from the Humanities and Social Science with a strong emphasis on historical analysis.
Depending on the individual mobility track it is possible to specialise in particular areas of globalisation research e.g. historical as well as comparative analysis of global entanglements, methods of global history, economic and social history of globalisation, global political economy, global governance, analysis of transformation processes in Central and Eastern Europe and development studies.
Upon successful completion of this researched based Master’s course, students should have developed their academic abilities to the extent necessary to qualify for PhD studies. Besides the academic career the programme prepares its graduates also for a variety of job opportunities in practice e.g. in cross-national and supranational agencies, non-governmental organisations, as intercultural mediator or in the filed of development cooperation, economy and management.
1. Globalisation is not only a phenomenon of past decades but requires a greater historical perspective.
2. It cannot be merely reduced to economic processes and their social consequences but must also investigate the political and cultural strategies to cope with the dialectics of deterrotialisation and reterritorialisation.
3. It cannot only be analysed as a process of global homogenisation but has to be understand at the same time as a process of differentiation based upon findings from Area Studies.
4. ‘Globalisation’ is not an objectively given phenomenon but the term describes rather a bundle of interpretations, depending from perspectives and intellectual environments.
The programme aims at qualifying excellent students to deal responsibly and on an advanced scientific level with the various aspects of “globalisation” and its accompanying processes in countries of the Global North and the Global South on the basis of findings, theories and methods from the Humanities and Social Science with a strong emphasis on historical analysis.
Depending on the individual mobility track it is possible to specialise in particular areas of globalisation research e.g. historical as well as comparative analysis of global entanglements, methods of global history, economic and social history of globalisation, global political economy, global governance, analysis of transformation processes in Central and Eastern Europe and development studies.
Upon successful completion of this researched based Master’s course, students should have developed their academic abilities to the extent necessary to qualify for PhD studies. Besides the academic career the programme prepares its graduates also for a variety of job opportunities in practice e.g. in cross-national and supranational agencies, non-governmental organisations, as intercultural mediator or in the filed of development cooperation, economy and management.
Moreinfo: http://gesi.sozphil.uni-leipzig.de
