The G.E.O.—UR 1340 Research Center was created in 1966 and includes specialists on the Semitic world (Arabic, Hebraic), the Persian world, the Slavic world (Russian, Bulgarian, Polish, Serbian Croatian, Czech, Slovak), Asia (Japanese, Chinese, Sanskrit) as well as the Mediterranean world (Modern Greek).

The G.E.O. support the Master LLCER (Mediterranean, Oriental and Slavic Studies). PhD and Master students benefit from the research track developed by the G.E.O., which includes thematic seminars and PhD workshops. Research works by G.E.O. members are published in a specific series, hosted by Presses universitaires de Strasbourg (P.U.S.) and by independent publishers.

Prof. Sandra Schaal has been the head of the G.E.O. since 2022, taking over from Prof. Irini Tsamadou-Jacoberger (2011-2021). The G.E.O. managing board also includes a Publishing Director, a Communication Director who is also in charge of the website, two Scientific Directors, and two managers in charge of the PhD students.

  • Director : Pr. Sandra Schaal : schaals[at]unistra.fr
  • Administrator : Mrs Sandra Sieradz : ssieradz[at]unistra.fr (Tel : +33 (0)3 68 85 65 05)
  • Adress: 
    - meeting room : 22 rue R. Descartes 67084 Strasbourg Cedex - Campus Esplanade - Le Patio, Bâtiment IV s. 4207.
    - office and postal adress : Sandra Sieradz, Pôle mutualisé en SHS, Direction de la Recherche et de la Valorisation, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, CS 90032 , FR-67081 STRASBOURG Cedex 

 

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

2009-2013

Within the 2009 -2013 Scientific Project, the research of our members focuses on three specific areas:

  • a) Language(s), Linguistics, Discourse;
  • b) Literature(s), Type(s) of writing(s);
  • c) Culture(s), Society(ies).

and three specific topics:

  1. Self-image, image of the Other;
  2. Memory and Society;
  3. Gender in language, literature and society.

This four-year program will end with an international and interdisciplinary symposium that will be held in Strasbourg on April 3-5 2013. The theme of this symposium is: "Sentimental Education: male and female identity building through text and image".

 

2013-2017

The 2013-2017 Scientific Project is articulated around one fundamental theme: "Spaces, frontiers, transfers, heritage" and 3 research programs:

  1. National and minority languages
    Responsible: Irini Tsamadou-Jacoberger (Prof., Modern Greek) and Julien Dufour (Assoc. Prof. , Arabic).
    This program focuses on "diglossia" and will include case studies on questions such as language standardization (descriptive, linguistic, sociolinguistic, literary studies), relationships between norms (standard, dialect, written/oral, scholar/vernacular), language contacts  (translation), majoration and minoration phenomena (language and identity, linguistic and cultural identity), text edition.
  2. Memory and discourse, traditions and innovations
    Responsible: Sakae Giroux (Prof., Japanese), Marie Bizais (Assoc. Prof., Chinese), Sandra Schaal (Assoc. Prof., Japanese), Emilia Koustova (Assoc. Prof., Slavic).
    The common theme is identity shaping (renewal, tradition, memory) within a literary, historical and cultural perspective.
  3. Representations, comparisons, contrasts
    Responsible: Rodolphe Baudin (Assoc. Prof., Slavic), Nader Nasiri (Assoc. Prof., Persian).
    This research program will focus on the intercultural subject of the representation of the Other and the resulting representation of the Self. It will include studies on travelogues as well as literary and religious documents.

 

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

The nature of G.E.O. research works naturally leads to multiple collaborations between the University of Strabourg and other prestigious academic institutions abroad, such as Balmand University (Lebanon), Saint-Joseph University (Beyrouth), Tunis University, Rabat University (Marocco), Tokyo University (Tôdai), Waseda University, Keiô University, Hôsei University, Rikkyô University, Tôyô University, Seijô University, Ochanomizu University, Chûô University, Kyoto University (Kyôdai), Ritsumeikan University, Dôshisha University, University of Athens, University of Cyprus, University of Patras, University of Thessaloniki, University of Volos, University of Peloponnese, People’s Friendship University of Russia (Moscow), Irkoutsk State University.