50th Anniversary of ZiF

The ZiF was there from the start. 50 years ago the Center for interdisciplinary Research was founded as the nucleus of the new University at Bielefeld. Sociologist Helmut Schelsky, founding father of both the ZiF and the University, thus introduced a novel element into the German and European university landscape: an Institute for Advanced Study. Schelsky borrowed some inspiration for it from the institutes in Princeton and Stanford – successfully: Today, the ZiF looks back on 50 years of experience in organising and supporting cross-disciplinary international research on the highest level. Several Nobel Prize laureates have worked at the ZiF, which in turn has served as a model for numerous similar institutes worldwide. The 50th anniversary provides a good opportunity to look both back and ahead. Therefore, the ceremonial colloquium on 16th November will be devoted to Future Knowledge.