We are excited to be part of a strategic partnership between the University of Hamburg and Macquarie University, generously funded through DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service.
From 2015-18 there are 12 projects involving our two universities. Our project is entitled ‘Transnational Media Histories’. It involves a close research and teaching collaboration between Hamburg and Macquarie. It enables exchanges of senior and junior researchers, including postgraduates, to discuss and explore research and teaching in media history through the prism of entangled media histories.
The Centre for Media History at Macquarie University invited Hans-Ulrich to come to Sydney in late 2015. On 3-4 December, he presented a keynote address on ‘chances and challenges of doing entangled media history’ at the 9th Australian Media Traditions Conference held at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra.
This May/June, the Research Centre Media History at Hamburg invited Bridget and PhD student Mike Nugent to visit Hans-Ulrich. En route to Germany, Bridget presented a keynote address, entitled ‘Entanglements Across the Pacific’, at the EMHIS Forum VI in Cascais, near Lisbon, on 24-27 May. At the end of the workshop, she was delighted to be the first scholar from the southern hemisphere to join EMHIS, and looks forward to attending the final conference at Lund University in 2017.
In Hamburg, Bridget presented a seminar paper; participated in an undergraduate class on ‘sound icons’; joined with CMH Associate Member Dr Craig Munro to introduce a screening of the film Mabo: Life of an Island Man; and conducted research in the superb specialist library of the Hans-Bredow-Institut.
We are now planning further exchanges of staff and postgraduate students. We are also working towards a workshop on ‘Tansnational and Entangled Media Histories’ at Macquarie University in February 2017, with scholars from Hamburg and the Asia-Pacific region.
//Bridget Griffen-Foley and Hans-Ulrich Wagner