The Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South will focus on producing and promoting evidence-based storytelling focused on the Global South.
Doha: Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) has announced a new research institute that will focus on the Global South.
Dean and CEO Marwan M Kraidy said that the institute is a flagship initiative for Northwestern Qatar, “designed to amplify the reach and impact of our faculty and student research and media-making, and to enhance our reputation as a distinctive contributor to Northwestern University, the Qatar Foundation, and knowledge more broadly.”
From its Qatari and Arab location, the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South (#IAS_NUQ) will produce and promote evidence-based storytelling focused on the histories, cultures, societies, and media of the Global South. “IAS_NUQ has an inclusive vision of globality,” Kraidy said, “that recognises the diversities and inequalities that shape our world.”
Kraidy said he founded the institute to mitigate the under-representation of researchers and creators from the Global South in global knowledge production. Many stories about Qatar, the Arab world, and the Global South are told by authors, researchers and journalists in the West. The local creation of globally relevant knowledge, and the establishment of South-to-South intellectual, creative, and educational exchanges, are vital to successful knowledge based-societies and sustainable communities. With partners like Qatar Foundation and the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern, #IAS_NUQ will be transformative in positioning NU-Q to shape our understanding of the world.
In its formative years, the institute will focus on four broad themes: Ways of Knowing in the Global South: Starting with Qatar and the Arab world, how do we understand social and cultural change, the role of women and youth, and the vibrancy of thought traditions from the Global South.
Geopolitics, Information, and Culture: How have nation branding, social media platforms, and digital communication transformed media and sovereignty; How are notions of security and precarity changing in the world today; How does strategic communication, change cultural perceptions and media strategies in international relations; and how do we counter misinformation and propaganda.
The Global Future: what are the challenges facing urban life; how do we best research sustainability and infrastructure, datafication and the future of work, learning, health, and leisure; how is the gig economy evolving in the Global South and how do we learn to live with climate change as we endeavour to reverse it.
Media Work in the Global South: how are media careers changing; how are journalistic ethics, norms, and practices changing; what is the present and future of media and creative industries (publishing, screen production, gaming); what is impact of platformisation and streaming on cultural production, distribution, and consumption.
By leading multidisciplinary teams of researchers and creators to tackle enduring issues and pressing challenges, the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South will make significant contributions not only to knowledge, but also to society at large. To distribute research and creative outcomes widely, Kraidy said the institute will have a multi-lingual and multi-modal press.
To execute this strategic vision, Kraidy assembled a strong and experienced team.
Clovis Bergère, assistant director for research at the institute, will lead the mentoring of undergraduate and postdoctoral fellows, as well as publications and research produced by the institute. Bergère noted that the institute will work with scholars and students at NU-Q and beyond who have expertise in the liberal arts, media, communication, and journalism.
