Erasmus Prize for the Liberal Arts and Sciences 2018 at University College Freiburg

University College Freiburg has awarded its annual Erasmus Prize on June 6, 2018, in the Meckelhalle (Sparkasse Freiburg). This year, for the first time, the Prize was awarded to two Liberal Arts and Sciences graduates: Roosje van der Kamp from Amsterdam University College and Felisa Mesuere from University College Freiburg.

Roosje van der Kamp connects in her Bachelor thesis “A Modern Disease: A Philosophical Inquiry into Kierkegaard’s Concept of Depression and the Age of Reflection” Kierkegaard’s critique of modernity to his concept of depression and places this in the context of modern discourses on depression. By connecting philosophy with psychological and psychiatric perspectives, her work contributes to a better understanding of depression in today’s society.

Felisa Mesuere combines in her Bachelor thesis “Playing with Morals – Gender Ambiguity in Monteverdi’s Oper L’Orfeo” approaches from history, music and gender studies in order to analyze gender ambiguity in Claudio Monteverdi’s early 17th-century opera L’Orfeo. Her research focuses on the nuances of masculinity in L’Orfeo and shows that music was a ground of contestation over new forms of political organization and social arrangements.

The Erasmus Prize for Liberal Arts and Sciences is funded by the Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau and underscores the epistemological focus of the Liberal Arts and Sciences study program at University College Freiburg. The prize distinguishes research work that, in the treatment of its topic, considers questions of epistemology and/or history of science in an exemplary manner. Furthermore, the prize aims to highlight works that make a substantial contribution to methodological and theoretical discourse across disciplinary boundaries.

Another highlight of the award ceremony was the UCF lecture 2018 by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Jürgen Mittelstraß, professor of philosophy and director of the Konstanz Science Forum. His keynote speech was on: “Fröhliche Wissenschaft? Wissenschaft und Universität zwischen Erkenntnis- und Verwertungsidealen” (Joyful Science? Science And University Between the Ideals of Cognition And Utilization).

Here you can find pictures and more from this year’s ceremony and here you can find information about the Prize.