ReseaRch Quality assuRance foR the futuRe a ... - Lund University

Panel 3 – arts
a view of the present and future European development at least Turkish
culture should be covered too.
The university should provide the entire research area with additional
economic resources within the frame of a plan for future development.
A stronger internationalization of comparative literature could be one
aspect of a similar plan, e.g. by appointing scholars with qualifications
in comparative literature with special emphasis on German and Italian
literature and culture respectively. A stronger development in the direction
of area studies seems desirable, i.e. an integration of literary studies
in broader cultural and socio-historical studies. With a view of the
foreseeable role of China in the future, it would also seem appropriate to
expand Chinese studies into the cultural field.
One university must not necessarily cover all fields, but the sporadic representation
of American studies at Sweden’s largest university is striking.
There are a few scholars at the section that work on or have published on
US-related subjects, but the field ought to have a higher priority. Film
and media studies and studies in popular culture in general could be one
corner stone – this is but one reason to strengthen film studies.
Latin American studies are also scarcely represented, although the culture
of the area is closely linked to European (and US-) culture, and the
economic and political role of the continent is on the rise. The absence of
studies in Japanese culture is already pointed out.
The reduction of research grants from 2006 to 2007 gives reasons for
care. An intensification of work on applications for external funding is
an obvious task, yet the university should simultaneously secure stable
research activity in the important fields covered by the research area.
Although no strong strategic plans or visions are articulated in the report,
there are obvious potentials in the combinations of qualifications at the
section. A number of scholars across the fields are working on media and
popular culture. One possible project could be to develop humanistic
studies in media and popular culture. A number of scholars are working
on aspects of intellectual history, in some cases in relation to political
questions in the present. Area studies that include similar questions and
interact with history and the social sciences are an obvious way to bring
qualifications, among them the language skills, at the department in
play. Centres for e.g. European Studies, for Central- and East European
128