About impEct and the publisher Dr. Werner Müller-Pelzer

eJournal of the Research Center for Intercultural and European Studies

Presentation and objectives of the eJournal impEct

Subject areas: Intercultural Studies and European Studies

The field of "intercultural studies" is determined, on the one hand, by society's interest in competence for global trade. On the other hand, developed countries see the need to find a common basis for understanding and coexistence under the pressure of immigration from very different cultures. In both cases, it is actually a matter of a transcultural interest in action that is based on prognostic knowledge. In contrast, less attention is paid to the scientific-theoretical foundation of a specific intercultural competence as the basis for understanding between cultures.

The field of "European studies", for its part, is primarily dealt with by political scientists and sociologists with an interest in examining the relationship between the European Union and national governments and societies. In both respects, there is a considerable need for concrete policy advice, which is also based on prognostic knowledge. The historical, cultural-anthropological and cultural-philosophical analyses of Europe are, however, little received beyond the narrow boundaries of the discipline. In particular, the identification of the European Union and Europe is dictated by political interests and is not scientifically tenable.

The Dortmund Research Center therefore aims to include historical, comparative, cultural anthropological and cultural and legal philosophical analyses.

The publication organ of the research center is impEct, Intercultural and Multidisciplinary Papers. European Contributions, which has been published annually since 2005.

Both thematic areas of the research center are at odds with established disciplines. This results in a matrix structure in which intercultural and European research directions overlap with various established academic disciplines. Of particular interest here is the clash between cultural studies and natural science methodology. The researchers who have come together currently cover interfaces with political science, economics, engineering, history, foreign languages, philosophy and law. There are also plans to publish "themed issues" of impEct in the future.

In addition, cooperation is to be intensified through the organization of joint symposia and the contributions considered are to be published in book form.