Why invest in the humanities?
The body of scholarship associated with the humanities and interpretive social sciences analyzes how people have made sense of the world they live in. At the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, we provide a home for the pursuit of knowledge attuned to understanding how language, mediation, culture, image, and the production of art provide insight into the world we make.
As one of eleven university-wide institutes, initiatives, and centers at Duke, the FHI is a key incubator of interdisciplinary, cross-school creative and scholarly collaboration on the arts, new and old technologies, and inquiry in historical and global frameworks.
We consider both formative long-standing paradigms about what it means to know, think, be alive, have joy, or be human or not alongside "grand challenges" like climate change, health, violence, poverty, and democracy. These human sciences are the core of the university as they engage the fundamental questions concerning what it means to know, and how we create.
What your gift supports
Making an Impact through the Humanities
Our work takes place through Humanities Labs, speaker series, workshops and conferences, book manuscript workshops, working groups, and other collective forms. These projects work in tandem, recognizing the significant, dynamic impact of cultural production on the development of political spaces and academic disciplines.
Faculty & Students
Just this past year, faculty participation remained strong at our institute, with over 100 faculty members contributing to workshops, labs, and mentorship-driven projects.
During that time, we supported nearly 100 undergraduates, many of whom contributed to labs, workshops, and creative projects as well.
Additionally at the FHI, graduate students continued to collaborate in our space with more than 100 participants, engaging deeply in research and lab activities.
Broad Impact
The Research, Development and Proposal Consultation service supported nearly 70 faculty and other researchers, making it one of our most utilized resource last year.
Community members participated in force—especially across our Human Rights Center and our Forum for Scholars and Publics, which welcomed 80+ external attendees in 2024.
The Left of Black web series garnered multiple awards and nominations for their impactful commentary.
This past year, the FHI collaborated with global partners from the UK, South Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Questions?
Please contact Christina Chia, Associate Director of the John Hope Franklin Humanities, at christina.chia@duke.edu or (919) 668-1902.