In this moment of unknowns and uncertainty, let the humanities, art, writing, scholarship, and debate lead you to compassion, solace, activism, creativity, and understanding."

Alexis Boylan, Acting Director, UConn Humanities Institute

What does it mean to be human?

UConn Humanities

The humanities seek to understand the whole human being: our languages, our histories, our art and ideas. The mission of the UConn Humanities Institute (UCHI) is to promote research on these questions, and to act as a voice for that research on the regional, national and international stage. In hosting annual residential fellowships, offering opportunities for humanities-focused programming, and fostering an interdisciplinary space for scholars to think, collaborate, and create, the Institute serves as a global hub for scholars dedicated to humanist scholarship and activism. UCHI seeks to inspire and support scholars at all levels and across disciplines to take on the critical and public task of humanistic inquiry.

Shardé M. Davis

Shardé M. Davis says #YouShould Read...

Dr. Brittney Cooper's Eloquent Rage

Cover Image for the "Dark" series: a teen age boy wearing a yellow rain coat and jeans staring into the most of a dark and unlit cave in the woods

Siavash Samei says #YouShould Watch...

Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese's Dark

Latest News and Events

Humanities Institute Success

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Awarded the largest single-PI research grant ($6 million) in the humanities by the John Templeton Foundation for Humility and Conviction in Public Life: a project aimed at understanding and revitalizing meaningful public discourse in democracy.

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Establishing and leading, with the help of a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the first-ever New England Humanities Consortium, bringing together both ivy-league and state-sponsored institutions.

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Tripling applications to its fellowship program, resulting in fellowships for PEN-Faulkner and National Book Award winning writers and scholars.