How do sanctions affect autocracies such as North Korea or Iran? What is the role of religion in conflicts in Africa and Latin America – and do parallels exist between the distinct trouble spots? The field of comparative area studies (CAS) has developed rapidly in recent years. CAS scientists have left the beaten track of their discipline and have established international networks. The goal? To gain fresh insights by comparing – insights into the structure of authoritarian regimes, the impact of economic crises or the similarities of violent conflicts.
The GIGA recognised the potential of this still-young field of science years ago. As one of Europe's leading research institutes for CAS, the GIGA has established itself as a centre of academic excellence and has given CAS a scientific home.
To promote the development of this innovative field, the GIGA has established a new award for the best journal article in CAS. A distinguished international jury will be responsible for selecting the winning article, for which the victor will receive a prize of 2,500 euros. Scientists worldwide can submit their work until mid-September. The award ceremony will take place during the international conference ‘Adapting Institutions: A Comparative Area Studies Perspective’, which will mark the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the GIGA in Hamburg in April 2014.
‘With the GIGA CAS Award, high-quality, original scientific contributions in the field of comparative area studies will be awarded,’ says Andreas Mehler, director of the GIGA Institute of African Affairs and responsible for the CAS Award. ‘Far too often, Eurocentric experiences are elevated quickly to universal insights – for example, experiences with immigration, climate change and democratic societies,’ he says. CAS could offer a way out of this impasse. ‘For a long time, we at the GIGA have been using the opportunities that arise from the comparison of non-European regions,’ says Mehler.
The GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg, has established itself as a centre of academic and research excellence in Comparative Area Studies (CAS) with a special
focus on politics, international relations and economics. The GIGA has decided to establish an award for Best Article in the Field of CAS (on CAS see:www.giga-hamburg.de/cas).
The first awards ceremony will take place on 9–10 April 2014 during the international CAS conference “Adapting Institutions: A Comparative Area Studies Perspective”, one of the main activities celebrating the GIGA’s 50-year anniversary. Aside from the honour, the winner will be awarded €2,500 in prize money, and will be invited to attend the award ceremony and the CAS conference at the GIGA.
Eligibility: Submissions should have been published in English sometime between 2011 and 2013, be located in the field of CAS, and contribute to developments and advancements in the
theory and/or practice of this up-and-coming field. A relevant article whose status is “accepted” or “forthcoming” may be accepted at the discretion of the committee chair. (For these
hitherto unpublished articles, authors must arrange for the given journal to confirm both the status of the article in question and the projected year of its publication.) GIGA staff is excluded from eligibility.
Nomination: The award committee will ask editors of different journals for their recommendations and will also accept peer nominations. Co-authored pieces will also be considered for
the award; please note, though, that the prize money listed above is the total that will be awarded and does not constitute a per-person amount.
Application: Please submit the article you wish to nominate, along with the author’s full contact details, to Ms Gabriele Tetzlaff at cas@giga-hamburg.de by 15 September 2013. The
subject line of the email should read “GIGA CAS Award”.
Results: The winner will be notified by mid December 2013, at which point the news will also be posted on the GIGA’s website.
For further enquiries please contact Dr Leslie Wehner: leslie.wehner@giga-hamburg.de.