Heidelberg’s Neue Universität
The 2025 conference will be held at Heidelberg’s Neue Universität, which is located in the center of Heidelberg’s old city, and in walking distance from the South Asia Institute (SAI), the organizing institute, part of Heidelberg University which is Germany’s oldest university, founded in 1386.
The SAI is a hub for the study of South Asia in Europe, comprising seven departments working in transdisciplinary methodologies, offering students a broad range of language learning. Since 2019, the SAI has been located in the central Bergheim campus, as part of CATS: the Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies–which comprises four member institutes: the SAI, the Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, the Institute of Anthropology and the Institute for East Asian Studies.
CATS library
The CATS library has an outstanding collection of South Asian materials, including an extraordinary open-access online collection of rare materials, and is the home of the open access publishing platform HASP – Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing. The South Asia Institute was established in 1962 under the leadership of the late Professor Dietmar Rothermund, who was also chairman of the EASAS from 1997 to 2008, and honorary president from 2010 to 2020. The SAI is proudly multilingual, with much of its teaching conducted in English, making it an attractive location for students and scholars from all over the world.
Völkerkundemusuem vPST
The Völkerkundemusuem vPST located in Heidelberg’s old city dates back to 1921. The museum’s collections include works of art and ethnographic objects from Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Changing exhibitions present various aspects of art and culture from these regions, focusing on selected themes. During ECSAS 2025, it will host the two exhibitions Heidelberg and South Asia: Paths Through the City and Sacred Dirt: Mother Teresa and Volunteering in Kolkata by Egor Novikov.
