“Science can and should practice emancipation beyond borders”
Dr Maryam Dezhamkhooy
Maryam Dezhamkhooy, archaeologist at Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies (CAPAS) of Heidelberg University
From 2016 to 2018 Humboldt Fellow at the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory and Near-Eastern Archaeology
When, how long and in what position did you stay at Heidelberg University for the first time?
I entered Heidelberg University for the first time in February 2016 as a post-doctoral fellow, supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The fellowship lasted for two years.
When did you arrive in Heidelberg for your actual stay and how long do you plan to stay? What are your goals for your time in Heidelberg?
Since January 2021, I am working as an affiliated researcher at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg für Apokalyptische und Postapokalyptische Studien (CAPAS). This is a two-year position and I am so grateful for the atmosphere of CAPAS, as the institute appreciates innovative research and avant-garde ideas. I am a scholar with a great interest in different interdisciplinary issues. Currently, I am conducting two different projects. One is about women’s resistance against the imported consumer goods in early twentieth century Iran. The second one is about waste and garbage communities. I am trying to analyse how politics of consumption and waste transform the economies, generate poverty and produce more inequality in the world. Therefore, garbology, the archaeology of garbage, is one of the emerging interdisciplinary fields which can play a leading role in research for sustainability.
Why did you decide in favour of Heidelberg University?
My research, the archaeology of contemporary past and modern material culture, is something new and innovative and I was seeking for an avant-garde academic atmosphere, where creative research and exploring new territories would be appreciated. Then I got familiar with Prof. Dr Thomas Meier from Heidelberg University’s Institute of Pre- and Protohistory. We corresponded and learned to appreciate each other. That was the beginning of my academic journey and of becoming a member of Heidelberg University.
What have you learned so far in Heidelberg? What experiences have been particularly valuable?
First of all, working in an international academic atmosphere expands my horizon and develops my career. I have the opportunity to attend and organize different scientific events and get involved in different discussions. Moreover, learning about the research of colleagues changes my perspective in order to think more globally. For example, waste and consumption, my research focuses, are not the problems of developing countries. They are phenomena that affect our life and human civilization and even wild life on a planetary scale. I am personally trying to change my perspective towards a more universal, inclusive and comprehensive one.
What do you like best about being in Heidelberg? What suggestions would you have for improvements?
I see Heidelberg as an academic city. I think the identity of the city has shaped around this old and prominent university. It has made the city safe for young people, students and foreigners. In addition, the city is rather small and well connected with public transportation, which makes it easily accessible. And finally, the historical face of the city reminds me of my beautiful hometown, Shiraz. Working at CAPAS, a transdisciplinary research center, provided me with different scientific approaches to the same subject. It encourages me to bring more interdisciplinary research on my agenda.
What is your view of the German scientific system in comparison to that of your home country or to that of other countries where you may have conducted research?
Indeed, a big difference is the high level of international interaction and collaboration in comparison to the universities in my home country. Moreover, there is better financial support for research and the acknowledgment of avant-garde research and novel ideas. All these have created a more active academic life.
In your opinion, what is the importance of international exchanges for researchers?
In my opinion, the importance of international collaboration is not deniable in today’s world. It does not only help the researchers to promote their career but it also has a vital role in the survival and revival of academia. Each new scholar is a new idea and a new opportunity that could enrich science. According to the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, academia should be an independent field where people can freely practice, learn and take actions. I also think that international collaborations and bringing different academic traditions from different parts of the world are part of this practice. Karl Jaspers has considered university as a universe and discussed the emancipatory aspect of academic practice. Science can and should practice emancipation beyond borders. I sincerely believe that international exchange can play a leading role in this process.
Do you recommend a research visit to Heidelberg University to your students or to colleagues in your scientific network?
Well, I would definitively recommend Heidelberg University and particularly CAPAS to scholars and students who are interested in conducting innovative research. Generally, the atmosphere of archaeological institutes in many parts of the world is still very conservative, but CAPAS is one of the centres that cherish creativity and interdisciplinary research also for archaeologists.
