Head of Department: Dr.phil. Henrik Halkier


FIELDS OF ACTIVITY
The focus areas of the department are European studies, international studies, cultural studies, gender research, history, migration research, tourism research and development studies. In addition, the doctoral school SPIRIT and the Academy for Migration Studies in Denmark (AMID) are also part of the department. The approach is deliberately interdisciplinary, as most of the research areas within the department are intertwined. In order to strengthen the mutually productive interactions between the social sciences and the humanities, the department spans the Faculty of Humanities as well as the Faculty of Social Sciences.

TEACHING
The department is responsible for the Board of Studies for International Relations and the Board of Studies for History. In addition, staff members teach in most of the study programs within the Faculty of Social Sciences. Under the Faculty of Humanities, staff members teach at the following educations: Language & International Studies, Culture, Communication & Globalisation, and Tourism. One of the reasons for establishing the Department for History, International and Social Studies was that this new department should contribute to the creation of a 'single market' for students who are dealing with international relations in a broad sense or wish to supplement their studies with this aspect. Also, the cooperation brings about an opportunity to include the historical aspects in the international study programs. The teaching competencies of the researchers are to benefit the greatest possible number of students.

RESEARCH
The future core areas of the department are: Regional Integration & Globalisation, History and Gender Research.

Regional Integration and Globalisation: Regional integration, lack of integration, globalisation and development are complex processes that in some cases are mutually reinforcing, and in others mutually weakening. Alone and together these processes constitute research areas involving a series of questions, which will be part of this focal area.
History: The interplay between the local/national and the European/international history constitute a central aspect. This interplay should be and is viewed in the full chronological extent of history.
Gender Research: This area is related to gender relations, gender identities and gender systems: with focus on the Danish characteristics and viewed in a Nordic, European and international/global perspective.

RESEARCH TRAINING
The department has one established doctoral school at the moment - SPIRIT. SPIRIT is dedicated to examining both human and social science issues. The department is a member of the national doctoral school of political science COS which is open to all PhD candidates at the department. In addition, several research units have their own research-specific contacts and networks as for instance the following research training networks: Gender in an interscientific perspective, Development and International Relations, the Santander Sectorial Group on European Studies and The Danish Doctoral School for History. Generally speaking, the research training is well founded at the Department of History, International and Social Studies.