Mind and Nature
The research node Mind and Nature aims at promoting trans-disciplinary research on the interaction between human and nature drawing on a range of approaches from research on cultural heritage, memory, conflict and post-conflict and natural and cultural landscape. The node will provide selected master students and teachers the opportunity for joint research, supervision and teaching within the above mentioned research fields as well as studies abroad in a multicultural environment.
The node has a website: http://www.histfilfak.uu.se/mind-nature/
Apart from the overall research topics included in the research frame of human and nature, the node will use and develop, in one special section of the project, the technical tool GIS (Geographical Information System). GIS is about not only Where, but also Why, something is. It is a system for understanding and visualization of layers of information, and it describes the conditions of things. The students will be specially trained in GIS and there will be case studies developed with particular focus on the different disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics in the node such as cultural and heritage landscape analysis, humanitarian action and environmental analysis. These case studies will be part of a laboratory learning environment connected to our different research topics. We believe it is of most important for the students in the humanities to take part in the technical development of the field.
Apart from the Master Programme in ALM several other master programmes will be involved such as the Master Programme in Global Environmental History and the Master Programme on Holocaust and Genocide Studies. A range of international networks are also part of the node.
Master Courses
At the Department of ALM (ABM in Swedish) there are at the present two courses available with linkages to the node on Mind and Nature. The courses are part of the Master program of ALM (ABM) aiming at museum and cultural heritage studies, but are also available as free choice courses open for all students at Uppsala University. The courses are: Museums and Cultural Heritage in Conflict and Disaster Areas (7,5, hp) (Autumn 2012, Spring 2013) and The Material Culture of Heritage and Environment (7,5 hp) (Spring 2013). The teaching language will be English.
Researchers
The researchers involved in this node at the Department of ALM are: Dr. Inga-Lill Aronsson, who is the coordinator for GIS, humanitarian action, cultural and natural heritage landscape and conflict. CV (link).
The node involves several of the departments and centers within the Faculty of Arts; The Hugo Valentin Centre, Department of Archeology and Ancient History, Department of History, Department of Art History, Centre for Gender Research, Department of History of Science and Ideas, Department of Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology.