Center for Humanities and the Public Sphere

The Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere at the University of Florida has two interrelated purposes:

• to provide an intellectual space and a physical location within the University and College for critical and collaborative discussions of the humanities that reach across and beyond individual disciplines, and
• to provide a place for outreach to the community in which we live and teach.

Building on the work of individual departments, the Center for the  Humanities and the Public Sphere emphasizes collaboration and critical discussion as its basic program models. Toward these ends, the Center currently oversees the following programs:

Center Symposium and Workshop Series

In order to support some of the best and most exciting work taking place within the humanities and to build bridges between the humnaities and related fields, the Center sponsors collaborative exchanges between faculty and students by supporting symposia and workshops that promote interdisciplinary themes and highlight faculty achievements. Symposium and workshop organizers will use funds to invite innovative faculty from outside the University to participate in these collaborations with resident faculty, students, and members of the wider community.

Outreach

The Center takes seriously its civic responsibilities and must underscore how history, language, imagination, ethics, and a sense of place are foundational to our understanding of ourselves and the world. At present, the Center supports symposia and workshops that promote interaction between faculty and the local community. The Center’s objective is to build stronger connections between academics in the humanities and community and civic groups in Florida so that they may learn from and mutually benefit one another.

Future Programs

In the coming year, the Center for the Humanities will be expanding significantly the scope of its activities with the generous support of the Rothman Endowment. Please stay tuned for future updates on this web site.