The Max Kade Foundation takes a leading role in promoting Germanic studies and transatlantic exchange through the support of existing programs and new initiatives related to German studies which encourage a positive relationship between German-speaking countries and the United States. The Foundation supports initiatives which promote international understanding by sponsoring exchange programs between Germany, Austria and the United States such as post-doctoral research exchange programs, visiting faculty exchange programs, and exchange programs of undergraduate and graduate students both here and abroad.
The Foundation has been a partner of the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies since 2006, when it established the Max Kade Visiting Professorship. Through this program, a distinguished professor from a German university comes to UCSB for one quarter for teaching and research. In 2008, by invitation from the Foundation, the Department applied for graduate student support, and since then, students in our department, and later also in Comparative Literature, have been able to benefit from the prestigious Max Kade Graduate Fellowship. The board of trustees of the Max Kade Foundation increased the number of graduate fellowships from one to two beginning in 2017, and then further expanded their support to include the Max Kade Summer Travel Program which benefits both graduates and undergraduates in our program.
The past and present Kade Visiting Professors especially have had a real impact on our Department and have offered wonderful opportunities for interaction and research to our students. Meanwhile, the Kade Graduate Fellowship gives graduate students an opportunity to receive funding that is crucial for completing their dissertations and advancing their scholarship, while the Kade Summer Travel Program gives students a unique chance to travel to Germany to expand their horizons, enhance their language skills, and immerse themselves in German culture. All these three areas of support continue to make an enormous difference in our students' lives and in our program generally, and we count ourselves fortunate to have the support of the Max Kade Foundation.
For a gallery of recent Kade Professors, please click on this link.
To apply for a Max Kade Graduate Fellowship or the Max Kade Summer Travel Program, please contact Kelsey White: kdwhite@ucsb.edu.