Dedicated to the study of the United States and Canada, the North American Studies Program provides an innovative, transdisciplinary space of inquiry into theories and practices of culture, transatlantic relations, and the dynamics of globalization. The program was established in 1990 as a joint venture of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, economics, and law. Since 1995, it has closely cooperated with the University of Cologne. The North American Studies Program ranks as one of the best places in Germany to study and do research in the field and has gained an outstanding reputation for its conferences, guest lectures, and lecture series on current cultural and political issues. It maintains long-standing alliances with U.S. and Canadian universities, and its faculty includes visiting scholars, particularly from Canada.