Our research clusters are enmeshed in the social fabrics we live in, drawing on our location in the Arab region to explore questions of local and global interests. As such they serve as points of connection with other research clusters and initiatives within AUB their trajectory, as they have to respond to the myriad crises and wars we have witnessed in recent years. In this spirt, we welcome new ideas and collaborations that can encourage our shared reflection to grow and evolve. We currently focus on three clusters:
1. Archival practices, narratives, and imaginaries
How do the arts and humanities intervene in archival practices, narratives, and imaginaries? How do they deal with gaps and silences in the archive, with destruction and wounds inflicted by war, and stories full of holes? What is the future of archives and what are the archives of the future in the region and beyond?
2. Multilingualism, translation, and migration
What role does multilingualism play in our societies, cultural translation, and perceptions of the self in Lebanon and the wider region? How does it relate to migration? And how does it impact other postmigratory societies?
3. Critical Reflection After AI
Why do the arts and humanities matter in the age of artificial intelligence? How do they contribute to and make use of AI? And how do they expose the limits of AI? How can the arts and humanities survive and what can they offer that AI lacks?