The graduate school Global Intellectual History aims to explore intellectual reactions to processes of entanglement from the 17th to 20th century in their social, cultural and political contexts: the trans-border spread of ideas, claims to universal validity, as well as counter-movements and resistance to such claims. A particular, but not exclusive focus is on the role of non-Western actors and ideas.

The graduate school is funded by the German Research Council (DFG) and jointly run by Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin. It builds on a strong research tradition in area studies and global history at both universities, including the jointly-run MA program in Global History. It offers a stimulating research environment, substantial financial support for archival stays and a strong network of international partners in the form of the Global History Collaborative.