Universität zu Köln

Sharing a common cultural heritage, Eastern and Western Europe have developed different traditions of scholarship and learning. “Cultural and Intellectual History between East and West” is a double degree Master program that combines the best traditions of scholarship in East and West. It has been created in 2015 by

• the Faculty “Artes Liberales” of the University of Warsaw,
• the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Cologne,
• and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the Research UniversityHigher School of Economics (Moscow)

The University of Belgrade officially joined CIH in 2017. CIH focuses on the history of cultural contacts between Eastern and Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the twentyrst century. It builds on the traditions of humanist scholarship in Eastern and Western Europe. It is innovative and unique as it implements, for the first time, an identical curriculum at three universities in Western, Central and Eastern Europe.

CIH students receive their diploma from two universities at which they have spent one semester and gained at least 24 CP. They choose between a “standard track” and a “free track”. In the “standard track”, they study one semester at a partner university of their choice. For at least two semesters they are part of the same international group of students and develop the spirit of a scholarly community. In the “free track” students can spend any semester at the university of their choice. Every module of CIH is designed to be completed in one semester.
CIH students write their M.A. thesis under the super-vision of two scholars from two partner universities.

• B.A. degree in humanities
• English Language on the level C1 (GeR)
• Slavic Language on the level B1 (GeR)
• The wish to take part in the reation of a space of learning and scholarship

Module structure:

At the University of Cologne, you can choose from a broad range of classes offered by the faculty. A list of courses that we recommend for the CIH modules is published before the start of each semester on the CIH website.
CIH is a growing network of scholars and institutions. Therefore, you can also spend one semester at one of the associated universities of CIH:

• University of Sofia “St. Kliment Ohridski”
• Comenius-University Bratislava
• University of Ljubljana
• University of Rijeka
• La Sapienza (Rome)
• University of Padova

We offer DAAD fellowships for a stay at our partner universities and Erasmus fellowships for a semester at one of the associated universities.
Together we organize student conferences, workshops, summer schools and excursions.

You will learn to approach problems at their roots and to find individual solutions beyond the common paths. You will get to work team work in at least two different cultural and scholarly environments. These You will gain “transferable skills” which will qualify  you for a wide range of occupations in the art and book markets, in economic cooperations between East and West or in international organizations.

You will acquire excellent skills in at least one foreign language and a working knowledge in an ancient language which is relevant for the particular aspects of East-Western heritage you will specialize in. Studying cultural and intellectual contacts between Western Europe, Central Europe and Eastern Europe, you will learn to understand the common cultural heritage as well as mutual influences. You will obtain a habit of inquisitive learning and you will work in an atmosphere of inspirational scholarly exchange within a community of teachers and students of three universities. The focus on philological and historical skills in the humanist tradition will enable you to work with primary sources and to trace linguistic, literary, cultural and intellectual processes at their sources. You will gain an insight into Western and Eastern European traditions of scholarship, and will be encouraged to reflect on the traditions of your scholarly work and to develop your own approach in a constant dialogue with teachers from Warsaw, Moscow, Belgrade and Cologne.