Name Responsible Activity "Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts (ARIA)" "Pascal Gielen" "ARIA does, together with the three Schools of Arts of Antwerp (Sint-Lucas, The Royal Academy for Fine Arts and the Royal Conservatorium Antwerp), research in, with and about the arts and it supervises this kind of studies. Research of ARIA has a broad range from technical scientific and biological (material) research to interpretative theoretical and empirical studies about the role of art and artistic practices in society. Research focuses also on the economic, political and social labour conditions of artists and on the effect on artworks and artistic work of these (changing) contexts. What the research in ARIA bounds is the actual arts. Everytime ARIA starts from (technical, interpretative, social) research problems which arise from specific artistic works or artistic processes. Together with scientists, artists and designers the institute searches for solutions and answers to those problems." "Book, Library and Information" "The BBI research group performs research and executes projects related to processes of information management and information services, with special emphasis on the role of libraries. The topics can be approached both from a historical and a future-oriented perspective. The three main domains of the research team are: 1. Libraries and documentary information services Themes: + Information technology in libraries + Libraries and development + Cultural Heritage in libraries 2. Information Themes: + Information policy, sociology and literacy + Informetrics + Information Storage and Retrieval systems 3. Book and Library History Themes: + History of typography and book-production + History of publishing and book industry + History of libraries, printed books consumption" "Brussels Institute for Applied Linguistics" "Sonja LavaertHélène Stengers" "BIAL (Brussels Institute for Applied Linguistics) is a research group within the Applied Linguistics Department of the VUB that conducts applied linguistic research with a focus on transculturalism. We define transculturalism as a form of cultural hybridity which emerges when different cultural elements interact and eventually integrate with each other. Since Brussels is a natural melting pot of cultures, the emphasis on transculturalism is contained in the B of BIAL (""Brussels""). We approach our overarching research theme from different angles. The research can be categorised according to the following lines of enquiry: - Translation and Interpreting This line of research comprises a variety of topics within translation and interpreting studies. Examples of translation research include text-based, contrastive studies (including literary translation and translation in specialized contexts such as institutional translation), the translation of migration literature and intersemiotic translation, intermediality and adaptation, as well as studies on transculturalism in translation practice. Research topics in interpreting science include studies on the practice of interpreting (e.g. community interpreting) and the evaluation of interpreting skills according to the European Framework of Reference with a view to the professionalization of sworn interpreters. - Foreign Language Acquisition and Multilingualism Research within this domain focuses on the validation of teaching methods with a view to optimizing foreign language teaching, as well as research on multilingualism from the perspective of migration, transculturalism and education. - Jargon, terminology and communication in a multilingual, transcultural perspective Lines of enquiry in this field include application-specific terminological analyses in a socio-cognitive perspective, the possibilities and limitations of ontology-based terminological databases, the importance of terminology (neologisms) within the dynamic process of understanding, multilingual neology, European terminology and equal authenticity of texts in different languages, terminological variation, and the role of vagueness and indeterminacy in language. One of the current research projects in this field relates to multilingual transcultural communication in Brussels hospitals, with an emphasis on the negotiation of meaning in patient-oriented communication, paying particular attention to misunderstandings in multilingual contexts. - Language Practice in transcultural society This category concerns interdisciplinary research on the relationship between political concepts and language use in different languages and their associated cultures. The focus lies on the philosophy of language, language and ethics, and language and critical theory, themes which are then applied to and linked with translation issues, discourse analysis and social theories." "Brussels Platform for Digital Humanities" "Wouter Ryckbosch" "The digitization of information sources and research methods exerts an ever increasing influence on the various disciplines within the domain of Literature and Philosophy. For several years, researchers have clustered internationally around the emerging field of ""Digital Humanities"" (DH) to investigate how the technological development of new digital resource series and research methods can broaden and renew the domain of Arts and Philosophy. This field has developed very successfully in recent years, and has gained in importance and visibility within the human sciences.In concrete terms, the development of Digital Humanties as a discipline has led to the delivery of new research methods, new search strategies, new research questions and new, more collaborative forms of collaboration. The methods developed from the DH are an important addition to the traditional methods. This yields many opportunities for research innovation in some of the fields in which the faculty of Arts and Philosophy at VUB strongly stands. For example, in contemporary linguistics (LIST), translation studies (LIST), literature (LIST), philosophy of science and history (HARP) and socio-economic history (HARP) extensive use is being made of innovative digital research methods. Techniques from the field of Digital Humanities. It is expected that the field of Digital Humanities will continue to grow strongly in the coming years by developing more and more advanced digital applications, expanding ever larger digital data files, and expanding into new research domains. It is therefore important that the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy responds to this ever-growing evolution within the humanities.These opportunities also present a number of challenges at the same time, with which the digitally active researchers within LW are also confronted. After all, the increase in scale and growing complexity of DH require: a) a greater structure and bundling of expertise, experience and training in digital techniques, b) a more targeted input of ICT-trained DH specialists, and c) a more careful planning of financial and time investments in research infrastructure, and d) extensive support in both the application of research projects that use DH, and in carrying out research that is based on research methods and techniques from the Digital Humanities. By striving for better coordination and collaboration between DH researchers in various disciplines from the Arts and Philosophy, we hope to be able to meet these challenges together. By sharing experiences, combining complementary expertise, expanding interdisciplinary and collective infrastructure, and pooling investments, we believe that an interdisciplinary and research group on research groups around Digital Humanities can offer significant added value for the research community of the VUB. The Brussels Platform for Digital Humanities (DIGI) wants to take on this role. DIGI will also be the central point of contact for the participation of the VUB in DARIAH-VL1 (Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities - Flanders, ESFRI), and in this way reinforce partnerships with colleagues from other Flemish university institutions that already have DHP expertise centers (Ghent Center for Digital Humanities at the UGent, platform {DH} at the UA, and the DH Task Force at the KUL4) and Europe.The Brussels Platform for Digital Humanities (DIGI) aims to be a transversal platform that brings together and supports members who use DH from various existing research groups. This will be done by grouping and building technical knowledge with an interdisciplinary focus, and offering a series of seminars and workshops focused on methodological and infrastructural topics. This research group therefore aims to be complementary to the existing research groups. The composition of the research group shown below is provisionally limited to the founding members, and will be extended after incorporation with more members from all levels (ZAP, post- and pre-doctoral)." "Center for Ethics" "Katrien Schaubroeck" "Research at the Center for ethics is integrated in the research program of the Department of Philosophy, 'Reason and Modernity'. It consists of two main realms: 1. Phenomenology and Hermeneutics of moral experience in Modernity 2 . Ethics and economy Members of the Center are also active in debates and research on social and ethical issues related to feminism, bio-ethics, ethics and media, ethics and economics and business-ethics." "Center for European Philosophy" "Walter Van Herck" "Founded in 2007, the Center for European Philosophy (previous Center for Philosophy of Culture) originates from the fusion of three former research groups: the Center for Metaphysics and Culture, the Center for Philosophy of Religion, and the Center for Philosophy of Art & Literature. Its main research interest is a philosophical reflection on the relation between reason and culture in modern and contemporary society. Philosophy is involved in the transformation processes of modernity: it not only reflects on the transformation processes of modern culture in order to elucidate their philosophical presuppositions, but it has been transformed itself in the wake of the vicissitudes of modern culture and society. The common research aim is therefore not only to contribute to the reflection on the philosophical presuppositions of modern culture and its transformations, but also to clarify the role and relevance of modern culture for the various transformations of philosophy itself. With these common aims, the Center intends to develop its research in the field of philosophy of culture which has been considered as a distinct discipline of philosophy since the end of the 19th century. In accordance with its origins, the Center's research interest is being elaborated within a threefold perspective. A first perspective is engaged with criticism of metaphysics and post metaphysical thought. It focuses on the gradual disappearance of metaphysics and its reform(ulation)s in western culture. In particular it considers the relation between the rise and specific character of modern culture and 'the end of metaphysics'. A second perspective concerns criticism of religion and secularization. From the viewpoint of philosophy of religion, the research of the Center concentrates on the (diminishing) role of Christianity in western culture, in particular on the relation between the rise and specific character of modernity and the process of secularization. And thirdly, from the perspective of philosophy of art and literature, the research of the Center focuses on criticism of representation, particularly in relation to the rise of modernism which has led to a crisis of classical representation. Art is even paradigmatic for this crisis, since the decay of the aesthetic ideal of imitation shows the limits of philosophical rationality. This area of tension between reason and (modernist) art is being examined in literature and visual arts. The center has a distinctive profile not only in terms of its common themes, but also regarding its approach. This approach implies a historical and multidisciplinary point of view and a predominant affiliation to the continental tradition of philosophy. In line with this orientation, the Center's research interests also cover central issues in Classical Philosophy, German and British idealism, Phenomenology, Hermeneutics and Ontology." "Centre for Empirical Epistemology" "The research unit EMEP is mainly dealing with the interdisciplinary study of philosophical problems in the theory of knowledge, philosophical anthropology and the philosophy of mind and language. It is an explicit goal of the unit to bring empirical data to bear on philosophical problems, and to subject claims made in empirical science to philosophical analysis. Current topics of research are: 1. Major conceptual changes in science and philosophy; 2. Popularisation and between-discipline exchange of scientific knowledge; 3. Cognitive science-oriented study of the interaction between philosophy, science of vision and artistic practice; 4. Cognitive science oriented investigation of philosophical problems concerning visual perception, with a focus on the contrast between conscious and non-conscious vision and colour perception." "Centre for Ethics" "The members of the team have experience in Normative Ethics, Moral Sciences and Applied Ethics. As a team we are interested in the interrelation between theoretical and practical aspects of ethics (1). Hereby we carry out empirical research in a interdisciplinary context (2). Ethical theories demonstrate their practical relevance in all kind of cases wherein persons justify their acts. We question these situations against the background of cultural determinants such as secularization, scientification, multiculturalism and mediatisation. Herewith we pay attention to autonomy and the well-being of persons, to social responsibility and just institutions. We analyse the deontological and juridical frame of some practices. We research 3 domains of practices: a. Health care and experimental research on human beings: moral aspects of health care for EU immigrants, persons with a disability, preimplantation genetic diagnosis, human embryonic stem cell research, the commodification of human material, euthanasia and end-of-life decisions in the case of non-competent persons. b. New digital media: the moral aspects of 'social virtual worlds' and their meaning for reality perception and identity, social interaction, marketing and societal expectations. c. Gender, sexuality and the multicultural society: the moral aspects of feminism, the social integration of migrants, the headscarf debate and violence in sexual relations. For the interdisciplinary and empirical research (qualitative) we collaborate with the following research centers: Study of the Enlightenment and Contemporary Humanism (VERL). Studies on Media, Information and Telecommunication (SMIT). Gender and Diversity (RHEA). Law, Science, Technology and Society (LSTS) Department of Embryology and Genetics (EMGE) End-of-life care Research group (ZRL) S. Kierkegaard Research Centre Kopenhagen University for Humanistics Utrecht (UvH) Bioethics Institute Ghent (BIG)" "Centre for Ethics and Humanism" "Karl Verstrynge" "The members of the Center conduct fundamental research on subjects that fall under the umbrella theme of enlightenment and contemporary humanism. More specifically, the inquiry relates to:- the historical enlightenment and its current meaning;- the evolution of humanistic thinking, with particular attention to:- the pragmatic and hermeneutical input on that domain- current issues such as dealing with the other and the issues of virtual reality- atheist religiosity- non-reductionist naturalism The results of the research are published in own bundles published by reputable publishers or in national and international journals. Regularly, colloquia and study days are organized. The members regularly participate in workshops, seminars and conferences in the Netherlands and abroad. Several researchers make a doctoral dissertation. A seminar has been provided for these researchers. Two of the researchers are preparing a PhD thesis according to the formulation of the joint PhD.The center organizes the Verhaegen Chair annually.The centers of the center belong to various faculties of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy (FILO, TALK, HIST). Co-operation with the SCOM department has been envisaged thanks to a requested GOA with the research groups SMIT and CEMESO. The same applies to the BETR department of the LK department. The cooperation was concretized by the request of a HOA with the BEWE research group.There is a partnership with the University of Humanities in Utrecht." "Centre for Greek and Latin Documents" "The VUB Centre for the Study of Greek and Latin documents is active in the fields of papyrology, epigraphy and numismatics. It aims at promoting the study of Greek and Latin papyri and ostraca (pot-shards with text written on them), Greek and Latin inscriptions and ancient coins. Its expertise in these matters is widely recognised. Thus the Centre has been and is still involved in major national and international archaeological projects, mainly dealing with the written documents found during the excavations. Since 1968, its members have joined the Belgian excavations at Apamea in Syria, from 1987 to 1993 they participated in the international Mons Claudianus project and from 1994 to 1998 in the British Mons Porphyrites project, two Roman quarry sites in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, where thousands of Greek and Latin documents have been found. Since 1999 the Centre is involved in the British excavations of Myos Hormos, one of the great ports of the ancient world on the Red Sea coast in Upper Egypt. The centre is associated with the KUL in the research group FWO-Vlaanderen: Society and Administration in the Hellenistic and Roman World. The ongoing research activities of GRLD are situated in the areas of: Papyrology, Greek epigraphy, Latin epigraphy, Ancient numismatics, Greek and Latin palaeography."