Dr. Bauer-Zetzmann from the Department of Classical Philology and Neo-Latin Studies at the University of Innsbruck visited his research colleague Dr. Philip Booth at the Manchester Metropolitan University to discuss their shared research interest in the use of classical learning in Medieval travel accounts. Over and above this, the BritInn-Fellowship was intended to facilitate the planning of future collaborative enterprises which would serve to provide further opportunities for joint research outputs in the years to come.

Before the research visit, Dr. Bauer-Zetzmann and Dr. Booth had already independently collected data on classical references and classical learning in Medieval Latin pilgrimage accounts. Therefore, their first goal during the visit was to discuss the next steps for analysing the data. "This will become a joint publication, a journal article which will serve to investigate the use of classical texts and authors within Latin travel accounts of the late to high middle ages." says Dr. Bauer-Zetzmann.

Moreover, discussions about setting up an interactive database to map the biographies of leading medieval thinkers, teachers, travellers, and pilgrims onto a world map in order to identify possible encounters more easily and systematically, were held during Dr. Bauer-Zetzmann's stay in Manchester. This may evolve into a bigger funding bid in the future. In addition, they explored the holdings of travel accounts in Manchester’s beautiful historical libraries.
The BritInn-Fellowship also served to enhance the academic environment of the department, through the discussions that were held at various moments during the week, but also through Dr. Bauer-Zetzmann’s guest talk on the public of historiography. The guest lecture was held in hybrid format and well-attended by staff and students not only from Manchester Metropolitan University, but also from the University of Manchester and an audience from around the world.

Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

"My stay at Durham University was a great experience. I applied for this fellowship with the aim of running high-resolution trace element analyses on speleothems using the facility lead by Prof. Baldini", says Dr. Gabriella Koltai about her research visit to Durham University in September 2022.
Dr. Koltai from the Department of Geology at the University of Innsbruck spent five days at the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, working on cave deposits in the laboratory.
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She and her research colleagues analysed a stalagmite from an Austrian cave that was deposited at during the last deglaciation, a very interesting period characterized by large climate swings. They were interested in whether this stalagmite retains a volcanic signal related to the Laacher See volcanic eruption. Furthermore, they performed high-resolution trace element analyses of cave deposits, cryogenic cave carbonates to gain further insight into their formation mechanisms.

Moreover, Dr. Koltai gave a public lecture about her ongoing research on cryogenic cave carbonates that was followed by inspiring discussions with other members of the faculty which may lead to future collaborations. They will present these results at a conference (EGU 2023) and continue this research collaboration.

Dr. Koltai summed up her research visit by saying: "Prof. Baldini was extremely helpful and supportive; I had a very inspiring time at the University of Durham. I appreciate the financial support provided by the BritInn, the Faculty of Geology and Atmospheric Sciences, and the Research Center Geodynamics and Geomaterials."

Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

On 8 - 9 September 2022, the conference "Gender, Society, and Networks between 1750 and 1820: Maria Carolina of Naples-Sicily, a Prism of her Times?" took place at the University of Innsbruck.

"In this conference, we saw Queen Maria Carolina of Naples-Sicily as a prism, or more precisely as an intersection of overlapping crossovers that enables us to contextualise broadly defined social, economic, and political developments of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. This crossover was to be analysed both vertically – through social hierarchies – as well as horizontally across geographic regions throughout Europe in this period. In this context, Maria Carolina of Naples-Sicily served as a primary starting point and as a model for wider considerations of rulership, gender, societal change, familial status, and political participation as well as geopolitical shifts and dynastic integration and competition." says Dr. Ellinor Forster about the event.
Dr. Forster works at the Department of History and European Ethnology at the University of Innsbruck and co-organized the conference. BritInn was pleased to contribute with a fund.

Read the full report by Dr. Forster here:
Conference „Gender, Society, and Networks between 1750 and 1820: Maria Carolina of Naples-Sicily, a Prism of her Times?“, 8th/9th September 2022

Supported by "Förderkreis 1669"

"Austrian Habsburg history tends to be conceived within a European framework with events, people, and places of particular importance centred on the dynasty’s longstanding influence within central Europe." writes Dr. Jonathan Singerton, organizer of the international conference "Global Approaches to Habsburg History: Perspectives, Potentials, Payoffs, and Pathways" in his report.
On 2-3 June 2022, the two-day conference occurred at the University of Innsbruck to discuss the global potential for Habsburg history among a community of leading expert scholars. In total, eighteen papers were presented on themes ranging from transimperial encounters such as Austrian Jesuit imaginaries of Japan to Austria’s role in the definition of the Australian continent to orientalism in the Austrian expeditions to Turkestan or the materiality of museum collecting and royal gift exchanges to the emergence of economic ties from Ostend—once a part of the Austrian Netherlands—and the Atlantic slave trade.
Two keynote speakers, Dr. Alison Frank Johnson from Harvard and Prof. Walter Sauer from the University of Vienna, provided exemplary talks on the Austria’s role in Indian cocaine epidemics and in European colonials respectively. A former host partner of BritInn, Dr. William O’Reilly from the University of Cambridge was invited to present a paper on political economic ideas between Spain and Austria during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

"The aim as we go forward is to continue the dialogue on Habsburg Global history as we fashion a new, wider appreciation for the worldwide impact from and on the Habsburg lands in central Europe." summarises Dr. Jonathan Singerton.

BritInn supported this event with a fund and is happy to have helped making this important dialogue among scholars possible.

Read Dr. Singerton's report here: Report on the International Conference - Global Approaches to Habsburg History: Perspectives, Potentials, Payoffs, and Pathways

In June 2022, the 5th Young European Law Scholars Conference (YELS Conference) took place at the University of Innsbruck. This conference aims to bring together young European law researchers from across the EU to share and develop their ideas and approaches.

After the 4th YELS Conference 2021 was held online due to COVID-19, young researchers and professors from various EU Member States as well as the United Kingdom and Switzerland met again in person in Innsbruck this year. For the first time, the conference was co-organized by two universities, namely the University of Innsbruck and King's College London.

"Against the background of Brexit, the continuous and active involvement of researchers from the UK in discussions about EU law constitutes an important sign. Intensive exchange was already promoted on the evening before the conference where all participants were invited to meet for drinks at the Paninothek Innsbruck." reported Mag. Mag. Dr. Clara Rauchegger, LLM, one of the organizers of the conference.

BritInn was happy to contribute with a fund.

Read the full report by Mag. Mag. Dr. Clara Rauchegger, LLM, here:
Young European Law Scholars Conference 2022

After several postponements due to Covid-19, Prof. Christian Thomas Leitmeir from the University of Oxford was finally able to visit the University of Innsbruck. His host, Dr. Milijana Pavlović from the Department of Music Studies, was thrilled to welcome him in May 2022.

During the research visit, Prof. Leitmeir managed to intensify existing collaborations with Dr. Pavlović as well as the Brenner-Archiv and also foster new partnerships. He said he is particularly grateful to Dr. Pavlović for facilitating explorative conversations with Dr. Franz Gratl (Curator of the Music Department at the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum) and Prof. Kurt Scharr from the Department of History and European Ethnology at the University of Innsbruck.

​Prof. Leitmeir's public guest lecture was titled ‘Mittelalter und Moderne, Zeichen und Klang: Rudolf von Ficker als Pionier praxisorientierter Forschung’ and created forum for encounters with other colleagues from the Department of Music Studies.

Unfortuntaley, the coordinators of BritInn weren't able to personally meet Prof. Leitmeir that week, because of a business trip outside of Innsbruck. Nevertheless, they were happy to hear that his visit was a great success and hope to welcome him again soon for future collaborations!

Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

​Supported by “Förderkreis 1669”

"After a year of collaborating virtually with Gertraud, it was nice and more productive to meet and
discuss in person. I therefore thank the BritInn Network for funding my stay in Innsbruck." says Dr. Benjamin Cerfontaine after his research visit to Innsbruck.
Dr. Cerfontaine was hosted by Dr. Gertraud Medicus from the Unit of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Innsbruck in July 2022. During his stay, the two researchers continued their ongoing collaboration that recently resulted in a published paper. They discussed the preparation of a poster for the ALERTGeomaterialsWorkshop, describing those results.

Dr. Cerfontaine, who is currently researchering and lecturing at the University of Southampton, gave a public guest lecture on "Centrifuge and DEM investigations into screw piles for offshore applications" on 12 July 2022. Due to Covid-19  restrictions or rather recommendations of the University of Innsbruck's rectorate, the lecture took place online. It attracted about 20 viewers, some of them from outside of Austria. The presentation was recorded and uploaded on Youtube with 56 views within a week.

If you are interested in watching the recording, you can find the link here:
Public Guest Lecture by Dr. Benjamin Cerfontaine: Centrifuge and DEM investigations into screw piles for offshore applications

BritInn was happy that the visit of Dr. Cerfontaine took place and is looking forward to hearing about new projects of the Unit of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Innsbruck in cooperation with their collegues at the University of Southampton!
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Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

​Supported by “Förderkreis 1669”

"The goal of this reserach project is to explore the cultural, economic and social topography of the book trade in the Habsburg Monarchy from 1680 until 1750. I will analyse the crucial role of foreign booksellers at these markets, with a focus on Vienna and Prague." explains Dr. Mona Garloff from the Department of History and European Ethnology at the University of Innsbruck.
Dr. Garloff visited colleagues at the University of Cambridge, including colleagues from the Cambridge New Habsburg Studies Research Network, in May 2022. She gave a guest lecture at the Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement and discussed her research project with leading experts of book history and members of the New Habsburg Studies Research Network, which enabled her to think about her second book project in new perspectives.
Moreover, Dr. Garloff was invited to publish her current research in an established series of book history. At the Cambridge University Library and various college libraries she studied a plethora of book catalogues of the Early Modern period. "These sources are important documents for my research, and it was possible for me to collect data for the application for a larger research project which I intent to conduct during a fellowship at the University of Cambridge in 2024." says Dr. Garloff.

Dr. Garloff wants to thank her hosts Dr. William O’Reilly from the Faculty of History and Dr. Jenny Mander from Newnham College, as they were extremely helpful and supportive. 

BritInn was happy to enable this research visit in Cambridge.

Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

Supported by “Förderkreis 1669”

In June 2022, Dr. Rumana Sarker visited her colleagues at the University of West England (UWE) in Bristol. As a BritInn-Fellow she used this research visit to work with Dr. Kiron Chatterjee from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management and is an eminent researcher in travel
behaviour. During her stay at UWE, she also had several meetings with other colleagues at UWE to
discuss potential research collaborations. "Dr. Chatterjee was kind enough to organize a
workplace for me at the Centre for Transport and Society (CTS) and arranged a field visit to
observe an ongoing survey in Bristol about the use of e-scooter" said Dr. Sarker when she visited the BritInn office after her research trip. 
Her guest lecture at UWE about "Green is the new black: Motives and barriers of adopting electric cars and (e-)carsharingamong the young adults in Innsbruck, Austria." was held in a hybrid form and well-attended. She had the opportunity to meet participants from different disciplines and "the
active participation of the attendees and a stimulating discussion on my lecture facilitated ideas for several future projects" said Dr. Sarker.

Read the full report here:
BritInn Fellow Report

​Supported by “Förderkreis 1669”

On 10 June 2022, the first Pscience Day (Psychology Science Day; www.affectiveneuro.at/pscienceday) at the University of Innsbruck took place! The event was organized by Prof. Carmen Morawetz from the Department of Psychology at the University of Innsbruck.
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Prof. Morawetz invited Prof. Stefan Bode, who is currently a Visiting Fellow at the University College London, to hold a keynote lecture. Prof. Bode talked about the value of non-instrumental information. In his lecture he discussed recent research work that shows how humans intrinsically value obtaining information, even if this information is costly and cannot be used to maximise rewards (i.e. the information is “non-instrumental”). Prof. Bode demonstrated that people are willing to accept different types of costs for obtaining early non-instrumental information (e.g., about the outcome of a random lottery), and that the willingness to pay for this information depends on how valuable the early resolution of uncertainty is for individual decision-makers. In his speech he also showed how the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying information valuation are linked to neural networks involved in value and conflict processing.

During his stay in Innsbruck, Prof. Bode did not only give a keynote lecture at the Pscience Day, but also discussed ongoing and planned research projects with one of his long-term collaborators, Prof. Carmen Morawetz. The two reasearchers were also able to make plans for future collaborations where other members of the Department of Psychology at the University of Innsbruck and ... are involved.

BritInn supported Prof. Bode's visit to Innsbruck with a travel grant.

Read the full report here:
Pscience Day, June 2022