About the department

Department for Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies

ToRS strives to be an inclusive and diverse community of scholars across fields and disciplines. We particularly focus on advancing interdisciplinary approaches to address the complex challenges of our time.

We are generous with our knowledge and time, both within our internal collegial communities and in engagement with the world outside the department. We aim to make our research accessible to media, policymakers, educational institutions, and other stakeholders in Denmark and internationally.

ToRS emphasizes creating a positive and supportive learning environment for students. We educate students to analyze, communicate, think critically, understand cultural similarities and differences, and navigate across fields and disciplines. Our graduates comprehend and convey cultural complexity at a high level.

Faculty at ToRS strive to inspire and stimulate students to seek and create new knowledge courageously and curiously.

The cross-cultural dimension: Understanding and translation of worldviews and values

At ToRS, we approach the world with curiosity and critical exploration. Starting from Denmark, we investigate how the world appears from other vantage points.

ToRS focuses particularly on cultures and worldviews perceived as different from the Western norm. We learn about, listen to, and engage with people from other countries who hold diverse religions, beliefs, perspectives, and ideas, as well as varying forms of social and political organization — both historically and in contemporary contexts.

As humanities researchers, we focus on actors down to the individual level, their expressions, and impacts of all kinds, including aesthetic and material. Thus, we study literature, media, artifacts, art, music, and even the most mundane habits. Our insights emerge from language skills combined with theoretical and regional expertise.

The regional dimension: Language-based area studies

ToRS language-based area studies go beyond mere vocabulary comprehension. We develop competencies to understand the cultural and religious meanings, historical backgrounds, and societal structures as expressed by both communicators and recipients.

Based on our expertise and experiences with language, culture, and societies across time and space, we aim, alongside our partners in Denmark and internationally, to generate new knowledge and solutions for complex challenges.