Research
One of the main objectives of the Center for Inter-American Studies at the University of Innsbruck is to promote research activities related to the Americas and to strengthen collaborations with universities from different regions of these continents. The Center supports various research projects:
Micro.Land.Grabbing: A challenge for local communities worldwide
According to conservative estimates, approximately one billion people, about 1/8 of the world population (Gawora 2011), live in local communities that organize their way of life and economy based on traditional values and beliefs. The lands and forests they manage often feature high degrees of agro- and biodiversity, high CO2storage capacities, and low rates of deforestation. Against the backdrop of the global sustainability crisis, local communities may, therefore, offer guiding principles for alternative modes of living and economy (UN Convention on Biodiversity). However, the global phenomenon of “land grabbing” increasingly threatens the existence of local communities, because financially strong actors exploit traditional territories in order to make more profits. This implies a fundamental change from perceiving land as a resource for local subsistence to a resource for capital investment. This turn often comes with challenges like the loss of food sovereignty due to the industrialization of agricultural land management and the globalization of value chains, a decrease of biodiversity, and increasing use of harmful pesticides.
So far, the phenomenon of land grabbing is mainly perceived as a problem of the global south. However, it has become increasingly relevant in the European context, too. Moreover, not only powerful international corporations but often regional and national actors push the commodification of smaller pieces of land little by little. This is what we call “micro land grabbing”. The workshop will focus on these recent observations and deepen the understanding of micro land grabbing as well as develop strategies to face it.
The Center for Inter-American Studies supports the participatory scientific study in Brazil.
More information about the project Micro.Land.Grabbing
Migration Linguistics Meets Cognitive-Anthropological Sociolinguistics
On Brazilian Portuguese in Dynamic Multilingual Canada
Dr. Jannis Harjus, Department of Romance Studies
The Center for Inter-American Studies supports the preliminary studies in Canada.
Grants & Scholarships
Information on the funding opportunities offered by the Center for Inter-American Studies can be found here:
Please note that there are additional funding opportunities offered by the University of Innsbruck and the OeAD (Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalization):
- Scholarships from the University of Innsbruck (Incoming)
- Scholarships from the Canadian Studies Centre (University of Innsbruck)
- Scholarship database of the OeAD
Current information on scholarships/calls/announcements:
Information on data protection for applicants: concerning grants, awards and scholarships