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ABOUT US

Ideaz is a non-profit association in Vienna (Austria) aiming to provide a bringing-together of academics, intellectuals, and cultural workers from the „South“ and the industrialized countries in the North. The intention is to offer a space that can serve as a truly translocal and transnational place of critical and self-critical ideas, projects and perspectives.

Thus, Ideaz supports a discourse of knowledge that is not limited to the established trajectories of scientific knowledge between the “northern” countries (Western Europe, North America and Japan), but explicitly incorporates representatives from often neglected places (mainly from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean). Especially for this second group of persons – established as well as junior scholars and artists – Ideaz will offer the possibility of intercultural encounters in Austria.

Ideaz vtherefore considers itself as a catalyst of an intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge on current issues, particularly on

• Modernity, Technology and Sustainability in an intercultural perspective.
The expected outcome is the analysis of different cultural concepts and approaches to modernity and technology, and critical reflections regarding the concept of sustainability from a southern perspective


• Reactions of civil society to the challenges of globalization in a comparative perspective
Research will focus on the role of civil society in an increasingly connected world with special emphasis on “southern“ countries and the uneven relationships between North and South

With the organisation of an interdisciplinary discourse of knowledge Ideaz wants to foster the reflection on these research topics on an intellectual and societal level – both in the countries of origin of the participants, as well as in Austria. At the same time, we intend to encourage creative artists to join such a discourse.

The goal of Ideaz is to promote an innovative understanding of global issues, to broaden current themes through new perspectives, and to strengthen the mutual understanding of cultures. Special emphasis is given to the empowerment of often neglected voices from the “South” in the international scientific community. The outcome of our projects and discussions will be made accessible to the general public in Austria and Europe, as well as in the countries of origin of the participating knowledge and cultural workers.

The foundation of Ideaz is motivated by the following considerations:

• The global research arena is characterized by a increasing inequality between the central industrialised societies and the so-called developing or peripheral countries.


• Most of the contemporary challenges (the ecological crisis, the risks of technologies, the shift of political discourses after 9/11) have a global character.


• Other challenges (the change of Europe´s self-identity and the necessity of a new relationship between Europe towards other countries and cultures) are limited toward the European continent, but need for their solution a discourse that goes beyond Europe.

The Institute consists of a team of permanent fellows and an academic advisory board that advises in the development of Ideaz’s activities.