Queer Islamic theology
Queer Islamic theology challenges conventional interpretations of Islamic thought concerning body, gender and sexuality. This field is still in its infancy. “This research is crucial for fostering an inclusive theological discourse, engaging with the lived experiences of queer Muslims and bridging the gap between religious tradition and contemporary human rights discussions,” says Dr. Abdul Basit Zafar, Research Associate at the International Center for Comparative Theology and Social Issues (CTSI) at the University of Bonn.
Zafar aims to systematically research and establish queer Islamic theology with the help of his €300,000 in Open Up funding. “My goal is to create an academic framework that supports more inclusive interpretations of Islamic texts while remaining connected to both traditional and modern theological debates.” To develop new theological perspectives, Zafar employs comparative theology, textual analysis of classical Islamic sources and insights from American queer theological discourse. “The Open Up funding provides us with resources for interdisciplinary collaboration and enables us to conduct workshops and academic exchanges at an international level.”
Culinary sensor systems
The world is becoming increasingly digital. Professor Jens Schröter from the Chair of Media and Cultural Studies and Dr. Felix Hüttemann will use their grant of around €278,000 to investigate the impact of this process on how we eat, drink, smell and taste. Their project is geared toward establishing culinary sensor systems as a field in its own right. “As the name might suggest, a program like the Volkswagen Foundation’s Open Up is much more open to exploration and experimentation than other grant programs run by different sources of funds,” says a happy Professor Schröter, who is also a member of the Individuals and Societies Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA). “You could only attempt a project like this under this particular program.”
Even our senses are not being spared the effects of digital advances such as sensor technology, machine learning and generative AI. According to current trends, for instance, culinary recommendations—such as a sommelier might make when they suggest a specific wine to accompany a certain dish—will make increasing use of computer-aided scaling and the power of mathematics at the expense of narrative descriptions based on our sensory perception. Will the advent of all this new technology change how our senses perceive food and drink, not only when eating out but also in our everyday lives? To what extent is this kind of digital “mediation” set to become a sensory experience, and how can cultural scientists best address this phenomenon? These are some of the questions that Professor Schröter and Dr. Hüttemann will be tackling in the project together with experts from a wide range of fields, including cultural history, home economics, biology, psychology, computer science, restaurant criticism and enology.
The Volkswagen Foundation’s Open Up funding
With this program, the Volkswagen Foundation supports projects with a spirit of departure (Aufbruchcharakter) that not only offer new perspectives on well-known research topics but also explore entirely new research fields and themes. The program funds project teams consisting of two or three researchers, who can apply for up to €300,000 (for two researchers) or up to €400,000 (for three researchers) over a period of up to one and a half years.