Welcome to the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies!

The Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz offers a dynamic and wide-ranging program in both research and teaching for all students interested in topics related to the Americas in a global context. With a special focus on interculturality, transnationalism, and interdisciplinarity, our expertise lies in the fields of Early American Studies, Indigenous Studies, Life Writing/Life Sciences, Political & Intellectual History, Film & Media Studies, Religion and American Culture, and Materiality.

Contact

Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies University of Mainz Jakob-Welder-Weg 20 55128 Mainz Germany +49 6131 39-22357 +49 6131 39-29097 Email

Inaugural Lecture: “Muscle Beach and the History of American Bodybuilding” 🗓

Florian Freitag (Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz) July 2, 2019JGU Campus Gemersheim On 2 July, Dr. habil. Florian Freitag delivered his inaugural lecture (Antrittsvorlesung), entitled "Muscle Beach and the History of American Bodybuilding" at the...

July 5 – Developing a Local University Ecosystem: Transdisciplinary, Collaborative Local Scholarship 🗓

Brennan Collins (Georgia State University) July 5, 2019 9-11 p.m., (Fakultätssaal 01-185, Philosophicum) Transdisciplinary collaboration between local universities can thrive when scholars combine resources and begin to create projects with a local audience in...

4th of July Events – Keynote “Loyalty, Patriotism, and Nationalism in Times of Crisis”, Student Presentations, and Lecture 🗓

4th of July Events at the Obama Institute July 4, 2019, 2–8 p.m., Philosophicum 2-4 p.m. (P4, Philosophicum) .................................... Guest Lecture“Loyalty, Patriotism, and Nationalism in Times of Crisis” Prof. Richard King(University of Nottingham, UK)...

July 2 – Decolonizing the Garde: Avant-Garde Canadian Writing and the Indigenous Renaissance 🗓

Gregory Betts (University College, Dublin/Brock University, Canada) July 2, 2019 4-6 p.m., P 207 (Philosophicum) Indigenous art has always been interconnected with the avant-garde, and it is increasingly fallacious to speak of the difference between Indigenous and...

June 27 – Race and Anti-Imperialism in Merze Tate’s International Thought 🗓

KEYNOTE: Race and Anti-Imperialism in Merze Tate’s International Thought Barbara Savage (University of Pennsylvania) Thursday, June 27, 2019 6 p.m. (s.t.) Helmholtz-Institut Mainz – Staudingerweg 18 Conference Ground Floor II – Room 1395-00-133 This keynote is part of...

June 18 – ‘Thinking against the Grain’: Challenging the (Emerging) Liberal Consensus 🗓

'Thinking against the Grain': Challenging the (Emerging) Liberal Consensus Richard King (University of Nottingham, UK) Tuesday, June 18, 2019 4-6 p.m. P 207 - Philosophicum After World War II, there was an emerging consensus on matters of race, including racial...