German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages: Unit of Assessment 53
The majority of research in UoA 53, German, Dutch and Scandinavian Languages is officially classified as world-leading, internationally excellent or recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour, having been placed in the three highest categories for quality in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
| Quality Level | 4* | 3* | 2* | 1* | Unclassified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % of research activity | 20 | 25 | 45 | 10 | 0 |
The distinctive profile of German at Newcastle lies in the balance of its three constituent sub-disciplines:
- Medieval studies ( Andersen, Lähnemann and Laubinger )
- Linguistics (Fehringer, West)
- (Modern) Literature (Ludden, Müller, Riordan and Kramer).
We emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to the German 'Kulturraum'. Over the course of the assessment period, our research has engaged with the intersection of literature and culture, of politics and society, philosophy and linguistics.
German is one of four sections within the School of Modern Languages ( SML). While colleagues work pre-eminently within Germanistik, they also actively engage in and benefit from the University's broader research environment offered by SML's Fields of Study, the Faculty's Early Modern Studies@Newcastle research group or the Newcastle Institute for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (NIASSH), as well as by the Research Centre in Linguistics and Language Sciences (CRiLLS), directed by Myles (UOA52), and is one of the strongest and largest centres for linguistics in the UK and Europe.
Our strong links to colleagues outside of Newcastle have continued, especially in Germany. Such connections have facilitated co-operation and have led to an extensive research network, in particular with Berlin, Hamburg, Paderborn and Rostock. We have hosted a number of national and international conferences since 2001, (eg Anglo-German Colloquium, 2001; CUTG, 2002; National Postgraduate Colloquium, 2005; WIGS conference, 2006) and our lively seminar series features prominent UK and international scholars.
Research active staff numbers have risen since 2001, as have our PGRs and the research life of the UoA has been further enriched by the appointment of three research associates. Grant/award income has increased substantially, most notably through the AHRB-funded project, ‘Nature and Environment in German Literature’ (£218,000), leading to significant outputs and research activity.