Science without Empire: Science, Medicine, Scientific networks and the Danish Halle Mission in the Danish East Indies, 1770-1845

Project Information

SCINET

Grant agreement ID: 219367

Project closed

Start date 1 April 2009

End date 31 March 2011

Funded under

• Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Total cost € 154 254,02

EU contribution € 154 254,02

Coordinated by

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE
Italy

Objective

The project investigates the construction of science, medicine and scientific networks in colonial India in the period ca. 1770-1845 from a new perspective: the Danish Halle Mission and the Danish East Indies. Resent research has recognised that science and medicine were not neutral elements in the colonization but were used by the colonial powers to gain control of both the inhabitants and the environment of the colonies. However, the diffusion of science and medicine was not unidirectional from the European metropoles to the colonial peripheries. The production and spread of the so-called “colonial sciences”, which had a profound impact on the development of western society, was a much more complex process in which European and indigenous actors in the periphery had great significance. The colonised inhabitants often succeeded in reinterpreting and utilizing western science and medicine for their own purposes. The project will investigate these issues through four main objectives: - To establish all scientific and medical activities in and networks via the Danish East Indies in the period. On this basis to determine which groups participated in science, how they participated and what the intentions were behind their participation. - To investigate the networks connecting the scientific agents in the Danish East Indies to similar individuals and organisations in other parts of India and the rest of the world. On this basis to determine (using the method of Social Network Analysis) how these networks were structured and functioned. - To compare the characteristics of the scientific activities and network in the Danish East Indies with similar activities and networks based in other European colonies in India. On this basis to reveal the characteristics and results of ‘Science without Empire’. - To explore the special characteristics of religious international scientific networks by comparing the protestant Danish Halle missionaries of India with the Jesuits.

Keywords

• Danish East Indies
• Denmark
• Germany
• History of science and medicine
• India
• centre-periphery
• colonial sciences
• protestant missionaries
• scientific networks
• social network analysis

Programme(s)

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• PEOPLE-2007-2-1.IEF - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development"

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-2007-2-1-IEF
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE

• EU contribution: € 154 254,02
• Address: VIA DEI ROCCETTINI 9 ; 50014 Fiesole ; Italy
• Region: Centro (IT) › Toscana › Firenze
• Activity type: Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
• Administrative Contact: Serena Scarselli (Ms.)
• Total cost: No data