Wie Auslandaufenthalte nachwirken

Study visits abroad are formative experiences. They promote linguistic and intercultural competence as well as positive attitudes towards multilingualism. So far, however, there have been few studies on the long-term effects of such stays.

The project of linguist Dr. Zeynep Köylü analyzes how linguistic, intercultural and attitudinal progress during a stay abroad is maintained over time, developed further and transferred to future teaching practices.

A particular focus is on prospective teachers: The project investigates how their study periods abroad contribute to linguistic diversity, an awareness of multilingualism and didactics geared towards it taking place in Swiss classrooms.

Zeynep Köylü is a senior assistant in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Basel. Her research interests include second language acquisition and language development in different contexts, especially in the context of studying abroad. She also focuses on advanced language assessment, English as a lingua franca and intercultural skills.

Neuer Blick auf die Phönizier

"The Phoenicians" are omnipresent in the ancient Mediterranean. Among other things, they are regarded as experienced seafarers and traders as well as inventors and disseminators of the alphabet. However, this image is strongly influenced by ancient and modern attributions.

As there are hardly any written sources in the Phoenician language, the depictions are mostly based on Greek and Roman texts that construct the Phoenicians as "the others". In the 20th century, there was an ideological and political reinterpretation of the Phoenicians: they served to establish national identity, legitimacy and unity in nations in the Middle East.

In her project, archaeologist Dr. Pauline Maillard questions this externally determined image and the modern interpretation, which does not correspond to historical reality. She examines the material culture of mixed communities in Cyprus that emerged from complex migration patterns - particularly in the city of Kition (now Larnaca) - and the interactions between Cypriot and Levantine groups. Her aim is to reconstruct a new approach to the characterization of identity formation on the basis of archaeological, linguistic and social traces and thus to arrive at a more differentiated perception.

Pauline Maillard is currently conducting research at the University of Fribourg. She studies material culture in the Mediterranean region and specializes in the archaeology of ancient Cyprus. Her main interests are the study of sound art and, in a broader sense, the history of ancient material culture and the anthropological aspects of image-making in networked societies.

Demokratie unter Druck

in 1918, the First Czechoslovak Republic came into being after the First World War and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Although the founding of the state was democratic, there were many enemies of democracy. The state had to defend itself against extremists without becoming authoritarian itself.

In his project, historian Dr. Fabian Baumann analyzes the legal and political strategies used to secure the young democracy. In particular, he is investigating treason trials.

The research also contributes to a better understanding of the fragility of democratic systems and can thus contribute to debates on current developments: Western democracies are coming under pressure from internal authoritarian movements and the influence of autocratic states.

Fabian Baumann is a historian of Eastern Europe. His research focuses on the history of nationalism and empires in Russia, Ukraine and East Central Europe. Baumann completed his doctorate at the University of Basel and is currently conducting research at the University of Heidelberg.