Science in Dialogue: Anniversary podcast highlights interculturality!

Science in Dialogue: Anniversary podcast highlights interculturality!

The podcast series “UHiversum Talks – the podcast #ausderWissenschaft” is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special anniversary episode that will be published today, August 6, 2025. The series, which has been running since June 2021, offers a platform for scientists at the University of Hildesheim to explore various specialist topics and research areas and to enter into dialogue with each other. In this year's anniversary episode, which is designed as a double episode, previous guests of the podcast ask each other questions. This creative format has been described as a virtual relay race that addresses exciting science questions. After the double episode, the podcast team will go on a summer break, while the next episode is announced in October with an expanded format.

Before the summer break, listeners will have the opportunity to experience the dynamic interaction of the guests. First, the participants answer the questions that were asked of them by a randomly assigned conversation partner and then present new questions for other participants. This promotes an exchange that is both informative and entertaining. Until episode 30, the podcast appeared under the title “#ausderWissenschaft” before adopting a new format that restructured and deepened the existing content.

Interdisciplinary approaches and philosophy

A significant part of the academic work at the University of Hildesheim focuses on intercultural philosophy. This was highlighted by a collegiate research group funded by the German Research Foundation, which aims to expand the Eurocentric view of philosophy. Under the direction of junior professor Dr. Sool Park looks at philosophical traditions that are often less well known in Western cultures and discusses challenges that arise when transporting philosophical ideas between different languages. Dr. Park's own experiences and roots as a native South Korean bring a unique perspective to the research.

Dr. Sool Park studied philosophy, mathematics and comparative literature in Munich. He received his doctorate from the University of Hildesheim in 2021 and has been a junior professor of intercultural philosophy since October 2023. In addition to German philosophy, his research interests also include East Asian traditions, which he makes known through translations of philosophical and literary works. Park remembers that during his studies in Munich he had no contact with non-European philosophy, which inspired him to engage more intensively with other ideas and traditions.

The concept of “polylogue”

An important contribution to intercultural philosophy is the book “Intercultural Philosophy: An Introduction” by Franz M. Wimmer, which is discussed in a discussion with Hakan Guerses. In it, Wimmer explains his approach with the “Polylogue” model, which promotes intercultural dialogues between different philosophical traditions. The book addresses fundamental questions in cross-cultural philosophizing, including the goals and current paths in the field. Wimmer also addresses the terms “cultural” and “intercultural” and analyzes the possibilities and limits of dialog models such as the “Polylogue” by comparing it with other dialogue models.

In summary, it can be seen that the anniversary episode of “UHiversum Talks” is not only a look back at the podcast series' work to date, but also serves a larger discursive framework in which intercultural philosophy and the exchange of ideas across cultural boundaries are the focus. The University of Hildesheim is hereby setting an example for a more diverse and integrative approach to philosophical questions.

The latest developments and other content can be found on the official website uni-hildesheim.de, apple.com and philo.at to find.