News
New East Asia Lecture Tour
In December 2025, the National Science and Technology Council of Taiwan (NSTC) approved substantial funding of a second lecture tour (after 2024) in Taiwan. The two weeks' tour, planned for October 2026, starts off with Bode's keynote lecture at the annual conference of Taiwanese Anglicists at National SunYat-sen University, Kaohsiung, and continues with further lectures and workshops with faculty, postdocs, and Ph.d. students at NSYU Kaohsiung, National Cheng Kung University Tainan, and – a new stop – at the prestigious National Taiwan University Taipei.
Extraordinary Member of Jena Research Center for European Romanticism
In January 2026, Christoph Bode was formally invited to become an Extraordinary Member of the Jena Research Center for European Romanticism (Jenaer Zentrum für Romantikforschung) at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (https://romantik-zentrum.uni-jena.de/index.html). In her letter, the Speaker of the Jena Center, Professor Sandra Kerschbaumer, expressed her hope that the Center would profit from Bode's expertise in the field and from his widespread network of international relations.
Bode made Honorary Lifetime President of GER
At their 21st international conference, held at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen (September 25-28, 2025), the Gesellschaft für englische Romantik (GER) elected Christoph Bode as their Honorary Lifetime President. Bode had previously served on the board of GER for 24 years – 12 years as President, 12 years as Vice-President for International Affairs. Following his announcement, some time ago, that he would not run for office again in 2025, the board had organized, behind his back, a secret ballot among GER's membership on whether this honour should be bestowed on him. In a special ceremony, opening with a speech by GER President Ralf Haekel and adorned with recitals of Romantic-era music, laudationes were given by Angela Esterhammer (Toronto), Ian Duncan (Berkeley), and Sebastian Domsch (Greifswald). Replete with personal memories, they emphasized Bode's collegiality and panache, his support for younger scholars, and his merits in establishing and strengthening international cooperation in Romantic Studies. At the General Business Meeting, Gerold Seldmayr (Erlangen) was elected new Vice-President of GER. (Photo shows Bode with GER Treasurer Frank-Erik Pointner and Ralf Haekel).