Mission Statement. Beginnings: Transition and Transformation. market for Central and Eastern European societies. The programs of this second phase

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1 Mission Statement Beginnings: Transition and Transformation The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) was founded in Vienna in 1982 and set up as an institute for advanced study by a group of scholars from Poland, West-Germany and Hungary. The initial objective was to help overcome the division between Western and Eastern Europe by way of fostering intellectual communication and the exchange of ideas across borders that appeared impermeable at the time. This first phase devoted to building bridges between adversary hemispheres of a divided world ended most successfully in When the Iron Curtain fell, this original mission seemed fulfilled. Yet the new situation brought about new challenges and possibilities. For a number of years, the IWM launched various programs that were meant to ease the process of transition to democracy and the market for Central and Eastern European societies. The programs of this second phase dedicated to this aim centered on the restructuring of the institutions for higher education and on promoting the development of welfare institutions and civil society by investigating the social costs of the transition process. Soon it became clear that it was not just a matter of catching up with the allegedly advanced stage of Western societies for the other Europe that lagged behind because of the impediments communism had imposed. While the ex-communist countries seemed to evolve into normal democracies with normal markets, it became obvious that there was (and still is) no normalcy as far as modern democracy and capitalism are concerned. Globalization, European integration and, to a large degree, 1989 itself made the concept of a normal modern society uncertain, thereby blurring the destination of the post-communist transition. What at first sight had looked like the answer crystallized as the question. Hence, the focus broadened from the problem of transition to democracy to issues of a transformation of democracy concerning former Eastern and Western societies alike Building Bridges Transition 2000 Transformation In this ongoing third phase of development, the IWM focuses on identifying and addressing ardent social, political and cultural problems of contemporary societies in general and, in particular, on questions of social inequality, the character of capitalism and its changes, the quandaries of democratic rule, and the fate of religion in a secular age. 1

2 Objectives: Transfer and Translation The improvement and advancement of civil society has been the first and foremost aim of the IWM since its inception. If our intention is to change the world, the most important prerequisite is not power but knowledge how the world works. Moreover, we need to know how things came to be, if we are to comprehend what they are now. In this vein, the IWM operates as a knowledge institution committed to historical and empirical research in the social sciences as well as to theoretical, philosophical reflection in the humanities. If our intention is to change the world, the accumulation of knowledge is no aim in itself, confined to an ivory tower. What we learn and know has to be transferred into public debate with the aim to support and enhance political action. As a result, the Institute s work has an intellectual as well as a practical dimension: Research activities and scholarly work are designed to provide an impetus for policy-oriented programs and vice versa. Looking beyond the borders of the academic world, the Institute is committed to broaching new and often contested topics of societal relevance, thus contributing to the discussion on a wide range of political, social, economic, and cultural issues. Accordingly, research at the IWM is closely related to the challenges confronting decision-makers and society at large. To initiate frontier research and to inspire cutting edge debates are the IWM's key features. Transfer, i.e. communication and interaction in a complex, multifaceted, if not deeply divided reality, requires translation. The Paul Celan Fellowship Program (supporting translations from Eastern to Western, Western to Eastern, or between two Eastern European languages of canonical texts and contemporary key works in the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies) is only the most obvious example of the IWM's engagement in translation work. The need for translation is not, however, restricted to the level of language but pertains to the exchange between regions, countries, cultures, genders and generations, as well to the commerce among academic disciplines, schools and styles of thought. In its daily life the IWM operates as a kind of translation agency facilitating the interchange and mutual understanding among people who come to the Institute as fellows, guests, and audience with different backgrounds diverging trajectories and visions. The objectives of transfer and translation carry on the IWM's original mission of building bridges although, as we learned during the phase of transition and transformation, there is no solid ground on either side of the bridge but the bridgeheads must constantly be (re-) created. 2

3 Principles: Independence and Plurality The transfer of knowledge and the free trade of ideas among people strongly demands the independence of the institution. Despite or rather because of its small size, independence in its various aspects (political, ideological, economic and institutional) is our most precious good. Sustaining this fundamental principle in its work against all odds over the thirty years of its existence is perhaps one of the major achievements of the IWM. The Institute knows ni dieu ni maître, obeys to no commands or influence from above or outside. Decisions on its course, programs and projects are taken by those who are immediately involved in and responsible for their implementation, i.e. the Rector, the Permanent Fellows and the Executive Director, assisted by their staff. The IWM does not only promote the ideas of democracy and civil society, it also intends to constitute a civil society in itself. Yet, independence should be guided by advice and must be balanced by supervision. Therefore, Rector and Collegium (Permanent Fellows, Head of Administration) with their hands on daily business are complimented by various bodies which were installed for the purposes of consultation and control. A second principle, equally influential for the identity of the IWM, is plurality. To embark upon universal ideas, to address large topics, to engage in issues of global range on the small scale of face-to-face relations is the characteristic of the daily encounters among people at the Institute. It demands a maximum of openness to avoid turning into a one-dimensionally and ideologically driven intellectual endeavor. Therefore, the IWM will uphold its legacy and tradition of engaging diverse groups of people in seminars and debates across cultural, political, disciplinary, social and generational dividing lines which are strictly separating them in other contexts. In this respect the role of the public intellectual, crucial for the IWM s bridge building efforts in Central and Eastern Europe, has not diminished and continues to figure prominently in our mission of addressing crucial topics that societies are facing today or must anticipate for tomorrow. Openness, plurality and diversity are also guidelines of the IWM s teaching and tutoring activities. To make possible what has become almost impossible in today's institutions of higher education: Gathering eminent scholars and promising young students at one table is the goal of IWM's famous summer schools in Cortona/ Tuscany as well as the regular seminars and fellows conferences taking place in Vienna. The productive mixture between thinking big and doing small, between publicity and privacy is also the motive behind the IWM's event policy. The gamut of events organized every year ranges from small meetings in the privacy of its premises to public debates, such as the panel discussions in Vienna's largest theater (Burgtheater), and includes a vibrant media presence. The IWM's self-understanding is that of a small private institution aiming at wide public 3

4 effects, combining privacy and mutual trust with publicity and transparency. If the notion of excellence refers to something rare and small with a wide radiance, the IWM has evolved into a center of excellence in the original sense of the word. The Future: Vision and Reflection Before tackling the questions of the future let us consider where we stand in time and space today: The IWM is placed in Austria as the leading institution among the country's very few centers for advanced study in the fields of the social sciences and humanities. It stands on a par with similar institutions in several other European countries, associated in NETIAS, an organization the IWM is honored to preside over since Europe s destiny has shaped the Institute's activities in the past and will continue to do so in the future: Taking Austria as its operational point of departure, the IWM is committed to reflecting and advancing the future of Europe and the difficult process of its integration. The original aim of building bridges in a divided world is anything but fulfilled since we see problems reappear and trenches reopen some with new dimensions, motives and scope that had seemed to be resolved and reconciled in the brief happy moment after the fall of the Iron Curtain. In another practical exercise of thinking small and big at the same time, over the recent years the IWM has broadened its scope of interest and activities to include Russia, the Balkans or Turkey, while continuing to pursue the transatlantic dialogue with partners in North America, such as Columbia University of New York or Yale University (among others). To reflect on the past and, at the same time, to envision change in the future that is to pose the questions of the day after tomorrow has been the core of the IWM's ambitions since its inception. To mediate between the visions of utopianism and the premonitions of angst, between the will to change and the necessity of continuity or, vice versa, between the will to continuity and the necessity of change, is part and parcel of the Institute s bridge-building efforts. As a newcomer and small place in the landscape of knowledge production and higher education, the IWM has been under constant examination from all sides as to why it exists and to which purposes it serves. As a result, reflection on the character and the use of the knowledge produced by the IWM, the value and the impact of the scholarly work accomplished under its roof has accompanied the various activities of the Institute over many years. This process of (self-)observation has gained importance since a revolution of knowledge production and a significant conversion of knowledge institutions is among the most breathtaking changes that have taken place during the timespan that the IWM has been 4

5 witnessing. Driven by technological innovation as well as by societal change, the world of learning looks vastly different with enormous potential for further developments lying ahead. To envisage and to critically comment on those developments is among the IWM's many plans for the future. 5