Heidelberg Center for American Studies

The University of Heidelberg's Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) is an interdisciplinary institute for higher education, a center for advanced research, and a forum for public debate on topics related to the United States of America. It was founded in 2003, making it the newest institute of Germany's oldest university.

Building on long-standing ties between Heidelberg and the United States, the HCA fosters interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange across the Atlantic.

The HCA contributes to interdisciplinary academic and cultural expertise on the United States in Europe. It trains Americanists in response to increasing demand in academia and the business community.

The University of Heidelberg introduced the MA in American Studies (MAS) at the HCA in 2004. Since 2006, the HCA has also offered a Ph.D. in American Studies. In 2010 the first class of students of BA in American Studies (BAS) was introduced.

The HCA supports individual doctoral projects as well as international and interdisciplinary research cooperation.

Furthermore, the HCA hosts and organizes international conferences and symposia, workshops, and seminars. Since 2004 it has run an annual HCA Spring Academy on American history, politics, and American culture. The principal aim of the Spring Academy is to establish an international network of Ph.D. students in the field of American studies.

As a public forum, the HCA facilitates communication among the business community, the media, the political sphere, academia, and the general public.

The HCA regularly hosts lectures and lecture series as well as high-profile keynote addresses on U.S. affairs and transatlantic relations.

A lecture series "Typisch Amerikanisch" was offered every winter from 2002 to 2006. Each annual series was organized around a central theme, such as foreign policy, multiculturalism, or the economy of the United States.

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