The Humanities in the European Research Area (HERA) Network has launched a new Joint Research Programme under the theme "Public Spaces: Culture and Integration in Europe" (HERA JRP PS).
There is a need for a deeper understanding of processes that lead to organised crime and terrorist networks. This needs to be examined from a social science, psychological and economic perspective. Where appropriate, research should also take into account the potential impact of organized crime on cohesion of societies.
The European Union (EU) consists of more than 500 million people across the twenty-eight countries which make up the Union. Economic growth, together with the opportunities provided by a free and democratic society based on the rule of law, generate prosperity amongst Europe's citizens who benefit from increased mobility across national borders, and from globalized communication and finance infrastructure – but with such opportunities also come risks, as terrorists and criminals seek to pursue destructive and malicious ends.
Europe's strategic and geopolitical environment is evolving rapidly, will always be an area of change, and in a manner that increasingly raises concerns. In recent years, violent conflicts have agitated the planet, many of them located in Europe's immediate neighbouring regions. These developments take place at a time when global geopolitics is undergoing long-term transformations challenging the traditional predominance of the West, while policies of economic austerity oblige EU Member States to manage scarce resources more effectively.
Radicalisation leading to violent acts can have a huge impact on the society and its citizens: politically (seeding division between communities), economically, emotionally, and in terms of security. The roots of radicalisation are not well-known, whilst well-targeted response to emerging challenges of violent extremism cannot be developed without a full understanding of what drives the process of radicalisation and of how individuals may react to countermeasures.
The EU-India Platform for Social Sciences and Humanities (EqUIP) is pleased to announce its first research funding call.
The call aims to bring together a number of social science and humanities funders in India and Europe to support excellent and innovative research on sustainability, equity, well-being and cultural connections. The emphasis of the research will be on Indian and European dimensions, in both contemporary and historical contexts.
