Institute for Human Sciences Vienna (IWM)

The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities and social sciences. Since its foundation in 1982, it has promoted intellectual exchange between East and West, between academia and society, and between a variety of disciplines and schools of thought. In this way, the IWM has become a vibrant center of intellectual life in Vienna.

In the early days, the Institute primarily sought to reintegrate the ideas and experiences of Eastern Europe into Western debates following decades of isolation. This goal remains of crucial importance even more than 25 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, as old and new boundaries between East and West continue to shape beliefs, attitudes and institutions. At the same time, the IWM has expanded its interests to the Balkans and former Soviet states, as well as fostering dialogue between Europe and North America.

The IWM is an open community of scholars that consists of Permanent Fellows, Visiting Fellows and Junior Visiting Fellows. It hosts about sixty fellows and guests every year, including academics as well as journalists and translators, most of whom come from Europe and North America. They work on projects of their own choice within the Institute’s research focuses.