The Online Start-up Programme has started successfully in April. With this programme, the BGHS aims to achieve two goals. On the one hand, the programme seeks to facilitate the transition from Master to doctoral studies for international Master's graduates from the partner universities by supporting them in preparing a competitive exposé. Secondly, the programme aims to promote cooperation with the professors of the partner universities and establish contacts to develop future academic activities such as summer schools, conferences, or bi-national doctorates.

Seven Master's graduates from different partner universities are taking part.

From Bologna University, we have:

• Cameron Beckett: "Hemophilia practice and masculinity: masculinity performance as a social determinant of health"
• Atefe Fahimi : "Gender approach to climate change. A case study in Iran"
• Giada Noto : "Women's history in intercultural encounter and confrontation. The Tyrol - South Tyrol - Trentino Region"
• Barbara Testini: "Representation of the historical memory of Italian colonialism in the Horn of Africa in schools"
• Federico Tofoni: "Rise of radical right parties in France and the UK between the 1980s and the 2000s. Role of immigration"

From York University:

• Aphra O’Brien: "Trauma and Memory in Diverse Geographical Places. Memory Communication"

From Guadalajara University:

• Juan Augusto Uc Sosa : "The role of women in the preservation of an indigenous language: the case of the Yucatec Maya in Laguna Kaná".

The supervisors from Bielefeld University are: Bettina Brandt, Frank Grüner, Christina Morina and Thomas Welskopp from the Department of History; Ruth Ayaß, Nicole Kirchhoff and Holger Straßheim from the Faculty of Sociology. During the presentation of their research ideas, the participants received comprehensive feedback from the international and Bielefeld supervisors, which will help them work on their proposals. At the same time, the supervisors from the partner universities and Bielefeld University had the opportunity to get to know each other and talk about the research ideas. The programme runs until the end of July.

Further information on the Online Start-up Program is available (here).