Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS)

The Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS) started its work in October 2020 when the first fellows moved into the Neorenaissance-style townhouse at Rothenbaumchaussee 45. As a location for science and research, Hamburg now has a place where excellent scientists and artists from all over the world can work on projects of their own choice in a creative and open atmosphere, free from teaching or administrative obligations. HIAS is modelled on the world’s oldest IAS in Princeton, USA. Up to 20 fellows per year can live in Hamburg for the duration of three to ten months and carry out their projects.

Founded in 2019, HIAS is currently supported by nine Hamburg research institutions in the form of a non-profit association, which also implements increased networking, as recommended by the German Council of Science and Humanities:

Strong focus on public discourse

A special feature of HIAS, in addition to its close ties with local academic institutions, is its strong focus on the Hamburg public: for example, the Hamburg Körber Foundation, together with HIAS, organizes “Hamburger Horizonte”, an annual series of conferences for the exchange between academia and society.

“Fellows at HIAS do not live in the seclusion of a monastery. The debates among each other, the close connection to the academic community, but also the dialogue with the citizens of Hamburg are desired and one of our strengths,” says Frank Fehrenbach, founding Chair of the Executive Committee and professor at the Department of Art History at Universität Hamburg.

In order to support and personalize this networking with scholars and researchers based in Hamburg, each HIAS fellow is assigned a collaboration partner from one of the nine HIAS member institutions. These partners ensure that the fellows are integrated into the respective Hamburg specialist communities and that both the fellows and their Hamburg collaboration partners receive new impulses for their research.

Each fellow is encouraged to plan and hold a public event during their stay in Hamburg. The institute itself organizes lectures and symposia on topics and findings discussed at HIAS.

Fellows are invited on the recommendation of a selection committee based on their academic excellence, their innovative strength, and the interdisciplinary nature of the research project they will be working on at HIAS. Fellows may apply for a fellowship themselves or be nominated by researchers from the Hamburg member institutions. The fellowships are financed by the Federal Government and the State of Hamburg as part of Universität Hamburg’s Excellence Strategy, as well as by the Joachim Herz Foundation and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS. The Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg provides fellowships for early career researchers.

Living, working and discussing together

The fellows work together at the HIAS locations at Rothenbaumchaussee 45 and Mittelweg 161 in the immediate vicinity of the university and live in its guest house. Events, colloquia, and meals together are a regular part of the program.
Lounges, a conservatory, a patio, a roof terrace, and numerous seating areas, as well as the tranquil garden provide ample opportunity for inspiring encounters.

The connections that the fellows establish and deepen with Hamburg researchers during their stay at HIAS are intended to anchor long-term collaborations in Hamburg as a location for research and science and to sustainably expand its internationalization.