New graduate school in Mainz: Witnessing in the digital age!

New graduate school in Mainz: Witnessing in the digital age!

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has announced the start of a new graduate school at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). This seminar is entitled “Techniques of Witnessing. Witnessing as a Media and Cultural Practice” and will begin its work on April 1, 2026. The research initiative will initially be funded with around 6.3 million euros for five years, while JGU will provide an additional 550,000 euros.

The focus of the graduate school is the study of witnessing in a digital age. It explores how witnessing changes in digital media environments as well as within current cultural and artistic discourses. These changes raise important questions about their impact on contemporary cultures. Rhineland-Palatinate Science Minister Clemens Hoch emphasizes the importance of JGU for research strength and the training of young talent.

Main topics and research areas

The graduate school will offer 20 doctoral students and one postdoctoral student the opportunity to take part in a structured research and study program. The term extends until March 31, 2031. Various aspects of witnessing are covered, including witness videos on social media, contemporary witness holograms and forensic investigation procedures.

The research program is divided into three central work areas:

• Neue Formationen und Konstellationen des Wissens
• Komplexer werdende Prozesse und Anordnungen
• Wandelnde Beziehungen zwischen Mensch und Maschine

These areas are intended to promote interdisciplinary collaboration between expertise from media studies, film studies, theater studies, art studies, cultural anthropology and ethnology. Doctoral students are required to develop their projects in a disciplinary-specific manner and at the same time establish a connection to the overarching theme of the research group.

The importance of witnessing

The topic of witnessing is understood as a media and cultural practice that authenticates, legitimizes, selects and manipulates knowledge. In the context of current upheavals, it is crucial to consider the epistemic conditions of this practice in both historical and current perspectives. In this context, at JGU the role of witnessing as an everyday, documentary and aesthetic practice is examined in order to better understand its complexity.

The graduate college follows the example of other successful graduate colleges that are funded by the DFG. These educational initiatives are specifically designed to support young scientists and prepare them for an academic career. The DFG thus actively promotes overcoming the challenges that doctoral students face in today's research landscape.

Interested prospective researchers have the opportunity to apply for these positions, and the new initiative will significantly enrich the research landscape at JGU. Further information about funding opportunities and specific requirements can be found directly on the DFG website.