The National Postgraduate Colloquium in German Studies was launched in February 1987 at the then Institute of Germanic Studies (forerunner of the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies). It met, first on an annual basis and, from 1988 onwards, twice a year, with one meeting held at the Institute in London, and the second at another university in the UK. So far it has been the guest of the Universities of Aston in Birmingham, Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, East Anglia, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, Oxford, St Andrews, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea, and Warwick.

The Colloquium provides a friendly and informal forum for postgraduate students in all areas of German Studies to present and discuss their current research, and to make contact with students from other universities. It is a measure of its success that the Colloquium now regularly attracts students from universities in mainland Europe and North America.

A call for papers is issued c. three months before each meeting. Calls for papers and notices of meetings are circulated via the German-Studies and Postgrad-German-Studies lists (as well as other relevant Jiscmail lists) and H-Net (subscription to these lists is free). 

Doctoral students are welcome to attend even if they are not contributing a paper. Registration details are circulated 4–6 weeks prior to the meeting. 

The Colloquium is organised by a committee of students in association with the Institute. Current members are: Leonie Bartel (Humboldt University, Berlin); Lea Laura Heim (ILCS/European University Viadrina); Pauline Preisler (St Andrews/Bonn); and Katie Unwin (Cambridge).

For general enquiries or to attend a meeting please contact Jane Lewin at the ILCS.

Meetings in 2024–25

Autumn 2024

75th meeting at King's College, Cambridge
Friday, 22 November 2022
Programme 

Spring 2025

76th meeting at the University of London Senate House
Thursday, 1 and Friday, 2 May 2025
A call for papers will be issued early January 2025
 

Blog

73rd National Postgraduate Colloquium in German Studies

Read a report on the 73rd colloquium