Research Centre:
The Research Centre for the British Contemporary Novel (CCRBC) Field of research: Humanities (British Literature)
Director: Dr.Sanda Berce (Reader, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, University BabeĹ&#x;-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Email: sberce@lett.ubbcluj.ro; sandaberce@yahoo.com
Telephone: +0040 (264) 53-48-89; +0040(264)42-35-29 Contact person: Dr.Sanda Berce (Reader, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, University BabeĹ&#x;-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Tel. +0040(264)53-48-98; (0746)97-44-72
Rationale
As literary and cultural phenomenon, the British contemporary novel is seen as a particular expression of the long tradition in the literature of English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultural background. With its search for new epic formulae, in the globalizing modernity, the British contemporary novel has gained an increasing influence on readers all over the world because this novel employs tradition as a source of modernity and theme and narrative strategy as generative mechanism. The Research Centre was founded in 2006, with members of the academic staff, doctoral students of the Department of English Language and Literature who have had years of experience in teaching English Literature, British contemporary literature, Theory of Literature and Criticism as well as Cultural Studies. The research work aims at:
Studying the relationship between tradition (literary canon), modernity (anti-canonic tendencies) and the changes which occurred in the contemporary narratological imaginary as well as probable and possible exchange with other European contemporary novels; Defining the axiological concern for form and for the aesthetic value of the literary text in the contemporary world; Establishing a configuration of the dynamics of the British contemporary novel with regard to the profound changes in the function of literature which have occurred in the last decades, from the aesthetic and cognitive function to the communicative and social interaction and the emergence of new forms of expression meant to compete with the visual arts, media and
more elaborate ways of electronic communication. Passing information and knowledge from research to teaching the undergraduate MA and Ph.D students of the Department. Research groups
The research centre is organized in six research groups following six important approaches of the British novel. The members of the research groups organize debate/discussion in group work. Group work
Their work is presented in the Department Seminars (organized monthly) Courses
The main stream courses, Special/Optional Courses and the Practical Courses in the field of Contemporary British Literature, organized with the undergraduate and MA students of the Department of English Language and Literature are used by the members of the teaching staff (members of the Research Centre) to transfer knowledge and to develop research skills with the students. Knowledge is also addressed to the graduate students who attend the Master of Arts Programs of the Department of English Language and Literature (the British Cultural Studies and the Irish Studies). Contacts
The research centre aims at organizing on-line debates with British contemporary writers (with the support of the British Council, Cluj-Napoca); Contacts and team work will be developed with similar research centers from the faculty of Letters; Contacts with similar centers from other European universities.
The Research Centre for the British Contemporary Novel (CCRBC)
Babeş–Bolyai
UNIVERSITY
Email: sberce@lett.ubbcluj.ro; sandaberce@yahoo.com
Telephone: +0040 (264) 53-48-89; +0040(264)42-35-29 Contact person: Dr.Sanda Berce (Reader, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters, University Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Tel. +0040(264)53-48-98; (0746)97-44-72
BABEŞ-BOLYAI Universitaty 1, Mihail Kogalniceanu street RO- 400084 Cluj-Napoca Tel: 40-264-40.53.00 Fax: 40-264-59.19.06 E-mail: staff@staff.ubbcluj.ro HTTP: http://www.ubbcluj.ro
The Research Centre for the British Contemporary Novel (CCRBC)