(19.12.17) On 4 and 5 December the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies ‘Russian-language Lyric Poetry in Transition’, led by Prof. Henrieke Stahl (Trier University), participated in an international conference on ‘China in Contemporary Lyric Poetry (Russia, Europe and America)’ at the Russian State University for the Humanities (RGGU) in Moscow.

The conference, organised on the Russian side in partnership with RGGU and Moscow’s academy institutes for world literature and linguistics, formed the academic focus of the 10th Moscow International Poetry Biennale, which in 2017 was devoted to Chinese lyric poetry. Following words of welcome from RGGU’s Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Innovation, Vera Zabotkina, the director of the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies in Moscow, Wilma Rethage, and the leader of the DFG research group, Henrieke Stahl, conference participants analysed the picture of China presented in Russian poetry, China as seen in the mirror of poetic translations and practices, as well as Chinese and poetic language. For the DFG Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies (FOR 2603), established at Trier University in October 2017, this conference was the first in a series of events that will take place over the next four years on the theme of ‘Russian-language Lyric Poetry in Transition: Poetic forms to address boundaries of genre, language, culture and society between Europe, Asia and America’.

This is currently the only DFG research group in Slavic studies and also the first Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies at Trier University. Together with a network of 150 researchers in 23 countries and 10 research areas, project leader Prof. Stahl is investigating transition processes in modern lyric poetry since 1985. The research concentrates on globally active Russian-language lyric poetry in its interaction and a comparison with the lyric poetry of various European, Asian and American countries. About 50 Russian literature scholars are also collaborating on the project. The group’s Russian partner institutions include the Institute of Linguistics, the Vinogradov Russian Language Institute and the Institute of World Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, RGGU Moscow and St. Petersburg State University.

Humanities Centres for Advanced Studies are a DFG funding instrument tailored to the typical methods and requirements of the humanities and social sciences. Under the leadership of an established researcher, a team of investigators works on a topic for a maximum of eight years which is broad enough to incorporate existing interests and strengths while offering scope for the integration of individual research ideas. The project should also integrate early career researchers and the development of a fellowship programme that brings German and international researchers into contact with one another and stimulates a scholarly exchange of ideas. The DFG is currently funding 195 Research Units (which include Humanities Centres for Advanced Studies) in all disciplines, including 56 projects in the humanities and social sciences.

Weitere Informationen:

• Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies ‘Russian-language Lyric Poetry in Transition: Poetic forms to address boundaries of genre, language, culture and society between Europe, Asia and America’ (Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies FOR 2603)
• Moscow Poetry Biennale 2017
• DFG Research Units funding line
• Humanities Centre for Advanced Studies
• Current Projects and Programmes